Outdoor School: Christopher’s moment to shine

Posted on Jun 06 2009 at 1:34 PM

Last night I returned home after an intense, fun-filled week at Outdoor School. It was a blast! I have about a hundred stories I could go on and on about—campfire skits, lightening storms, mystery meatloaf, catching fish—but there’s one that stands out above the rest, one that I will remember and be sharing for years to come. It is a story that proves ALL kids can and will learn when provided the necessary, high-quality support and ample opportunities for authentic and interactive engagement. It is a story of transformation. A story of possibility.

Meet Christopher: a 6th grade boy, academically disengaged, low confidence, apathetic, defiant, a behavioral disturbance in class, barely getting by with D’s, a difficult home life, and permanently labeled “at-risk”. Chances are, you know a Christopher. And if you’re like me, you’ve expended an enormous amount of energy hoping to tap into his psyche—figure out what stirs his curiosity and ignites his fire—to help him find value in learning so he may benefit from his education. But after countless hours planning for accommodations and scheduling one-on-one time, it can become draining when nothing seems to spark his interest. You come nearer and nearer to that edge, that threshold, of just throwing your arms in the air and giving up. The line, “You can’t save them all,” rings in the back of your head, like it’s supposed to offer reassurance. It doesn’t. It’s a numbing reality (one I am still in a state of denial over). Because deep down, you know that Christopher can succeed.

For two months I wrestled with these thoughts. Clinging to signs of hope, but as the year winded down, so did Christopher’s motivation and effort in class. He was sinking, slipping through my fingers’ tight grasp. I admit, I was dancing dangerously close to that edge, that moment of just letting go.

I held on.

Last Tuesday morning, the class loaded the bus for Outdoor School. I had high expectations, but I never dreamed that I would see this: Christopher smiling, participating, volunteering to share, actively engaged, asking questions, working with his classmates, playing, running, laughing, writing, even singing. Christopher! He found it—that light, that spark, that drive—he discovered ways he could feel competent, successful. He unwrapped and devoured the sweet satisfaction of learning. He shined.

Here at Outdoor School, in the middle of nature, working hands-on, Christopher was in his element. This form of learning—experiential, interactive, engaging—transformed Christopher. It was never that he couldn’t learn or flat-out didn’t care. It was just that the way of learning that works for him, had yet to be utilized. So often, teachers feel bound by the walls of our classrooms, limited to textbooks and lectures, reliant upon traditional models of instruction that we are familiar and comfortable with. But to reach ALL kids, we have to break down these walls. Explore. Engage. Dig deep. Spark the light of curiosity and potential that exists within every child. We have to bring learning to life! For the magic of a child’s transformation—from apathy to active engagement—is astounding. And possible.

So remember this story. I hope it can be, as it will for me, what keeps you holding on to the next Christopher.

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