Open School classes take lots of trips. Starting at grades 1,2,3 multi-age of course, trips are typically one nighters twice a year. By the time the kids get to 4,5,6 they are true troopers. We went to Glenwood Springs. My first Open School trip experience. I wrote about our hike to Hanging Lake. All students brought a trip journal and as a class wrote some topics. Bryan and I wanted to allow for narrative as well as observational writing.
9/14/11 Here's my narrative.
It's only one mile. Straight up. As I struggle for air I find I am thankful I can climb. It's simply gorgeous. Sedimentary stairs, and walls of centuries past and pressed. Trees taking advantage of the shade and water. Algae and moss doing the same. I know some Native American girl must have imagined it her mansion. I climb. Some students lagging, other urging me on. This is school on a Tuesday. I keep on. Wondering if I'm still in Glenwood, I could swear I stumbled upon an ancient civilization. Earth dumped earth or did man dump earth. Need air and water, like algae, I have no roots. Woozey from the view, I stumble a bit. I'm tired and it's a long ways down from where I'm standing. The crash of more water into a turquoise lake. Like a postcard it's a view. Kids are calling me. Kristie see this, Kristie did you see that. Kristie, Kristie, Kristie, it's Open School and the kids are STILL excited. As they should be. I want to come back and do it all again. Maybe I want to come back with forty-seven kids. Time to head back through ancient Glenwood. I'm a time traveler. I'm a teacher. What a trip.
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