Teaching The Hudson Valley

Teachers as lifelong learners

Posted by Joan Mayone-Allison, Bennett ES, Accord, NY
on August 02, 2010

Last Wednesday, 26 educators joined Rich Parisio at the Mohonk Preserve. While this was the second year my colleagues and I attended the THV Institute, we still had a difficult time choosing a field experience. And, just like last year, we were not disappointed.
One reason we chose Mohonk was its proximity to our school district, Onteora. With budget constraints, it is increasingly difficult to take students on field trips.

My colleagues, Doreen and Krissy, agree it was the perfect choice, not just for what it offered, but in keeping with David Sobel's keynote relating schools to both community and the environment – truly the most compelling reason to take our students to Mohonk.

Our day was paced perfectly – we started by sharing quotes on index cards that Rich had distributed randomly. We participated in a Quaker reading – if you were inspired to share your quote, you could; if you wanted to just reflect quietly, you could.

After that, we hiked, we stopped, we talked, we explored. We looked at nature with both the eye of a scientist and the eye of a poet. Rich shared his knowledge of plants and animals that thrive at Mohonk. He encouraged us to reflect, using all of our senses – an activity we most certainly have used, and will continue to use with our students.

The reading and writing possibilities are endless! Rich used published pieces to inspire us, and encouraged us to share our own writing with one another. Using the Mohonk Preserve as a backdrop, students can find seed ideas for historical fiction pieces, nonfiction reports, descriptive writing, sequential “How tos”, and, of course – poetry and prose.

Here's a photo of our colleagues from
Mechanicstown ES in Middletown.
Our hike was extremely relaxing as Rich stopped frequently to seize every “teachable moment.”

The lunch time view was breathtaking, and even the most timid of climbers weren’t too over-whelmed by the “crevices.”

That included me -- someone who is afraid of heights and not considered an “outdoorsy type” by those who know me!

While the pink bug was rather exciting, the whole day was just filled with a meaningful appreciation of nature. At the end, while sipping Oswego tea, which tasted like a mixture of basil, oregano, and mint, we shared some of the writing we’d done along the trail.

The pieces read were as inspiring as any by John Burroughs! The day was filled with inspirational venues, and was as much about the journey, as the destination -- one that was not a physical place, but something unique for every individual.

Setting a day aside to share field experiences with other educators is a worthwhile component of the THV summer institute – it sets us in an environment where our shared experiences can foster authentic learning experiences, creative ideas, and camaraderie.

Placing it in the center, framed around informative workshops, gives the information derived from individual experiences a whole meaning. We most certainly hope that THV will continue this practice, as each experience builds our repertoire and knowledge.

We can’t encourage our students to be lifelong learners if we, ourselves, are not.

[More of Joan's photos will be posted in THV's Flickr stream later this week.]

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