Camping with Middle Schoolers: A Lesson in Humility

It's been a crazy week and a half. I'm not really even sure what I taught this week, what my bed looks like, or what day it is. But I'm still breathing and happy, so I'm ahead of the curve, right?

The craziness started with a camping trip for the middle schoolers. I volunteered to chaperone the trip because I thought it might be a good way to get to know the students as they truly are outside the classroom, and also to afford them the same opportunity to learn about me in a different setting. I borrowed almost all gear that I took on the trip, and was grateful for each and every thing I had with me. Math Teacher found out he was going with us the morning that we left, so that made for some creative re-scheduling of our high school department. The trip was a bit delayed due to weather, but everything worked out fine. It was really a great time, filled with rain, canoeing, boiling our own drinking water, and regenerating SPAM - more on that later.

We left for the trip in rainy weather, but luckily it did not last long. We got to the camping site, and the kids were great - they grabbed their stuff and immediately began to set up their own tents.  They then helped me stake out a good spot for my own. The chaperones set up a shelter to block the wind and provide a safe place for the fireplace. Once that was done, the kids took to the canoes and did their own things - some went on hikes, others sat around the fire with me.

Math Teacher designated himself as the cook, which turned out to be a bit of a challenge at times. Apparently, a whole tub of food was left at the school, so we had to get creative with hot dogs, pre-made omelets, Pilot Boy crackers, some SPAM a student brought, Smucker's Uncrustables sandwiches, and a can of chili. Also, our drinking water never made it to the campsite, so we ended up boiling river water for our hot cocoa and just to drink. It worked out well, actually. No one went hungry.

One student cooked his can of SPAM and offered it to several people around the fire; he stored the rest with the school food. Over the course of that night and the next morning, that single can proceeded to pop up everywhere, seemingly having regenerated each time. Math Teacher and I started to wonder what exactly was going on with the unnerving can, as we were sure that it had been finished and thrown out at least three times. At one point, Math Teacher was digging through the cooking supplies, and he suddenly, audibly jerked back, as though spooked. The SPAM can had appeared, its contents now refilled. We looked at each other, honestly becoming worried. We are absolutely sure that only one can was ever present. There is still no explanation for this mysterious can, and though it was pretty tasty, I am now hesitant to consume it ever again. I have no pictures of it for you - I didn't want to give that can any sort of extended life - so use your imagination.

Eggs and boiling drinking water.

A couple older high school boys came along to help us novices, and they went hunting after they got us settled. One returned that afternoon with a goose; before long, he had plucked and gutted the bird and built a spit to roast it over the open fire. He cut off the feet, and the kids each took their turn playing with the tendons, getting the foot to flare when pulled. Of course, I took the opportunity to show them that they could do the same with their own forearms. I think I earned a bit of street cred (or, in this case, wilderness cred) when I showed them that cool anatomy trick.

Everywhere I looked, students demonstrated their impressive store of knowledge of nature. In my head, I was thinking, "that's a lesson. That's a standard I could check off. This kid is great at building things out of raw materials. That kid really understands fire." It's too bad we couldn't spend a whole week out there. I truly think they would adjust to school better if we could hold class outside for the first month.

A student-caught bird roasting on a student-made spit.

One might think that being in the wilderness with a bunch of kids, each with his own pocketknife, would be a nerve-wracking thing. However, I was glad to hand over knives and also to allow kids to help chop wood. Some kids whittled just to whittle; others gladly made roasting sticks out of branches nearby. They were sure of themselves and took every proper precaution without any bit of a warning from me, Math Teacher, or any of the other chaperones. They were excited to show me certain plants, animals, and even beaver houses. I was amazed, but not surprised. Some kids who usually try every trick in the book to get out of work in the classroom or to bother their peers were suddenly working together without even being asked. Something about the four walls of a building just sets some of them on edge. Even better, toward the end of the trip, some kids started looking at us with a certain respect and a nod, kinda like, "You're all right. Not all evil." I am positive that this trip will repay me in spades.

Canoeing with some kids. The kind souls didn't
even try to tip me... even though I tried pretty hard
to tip us on my first step into the boat. Luckily, my
partner balanced me out. 

Standing on a beaver house.

I turned in for the night, exhausted but content. The kids, however, stayed up all night, some until 8 am.  I know this because I heard them until 5 am.  Even though I came back from the trip on about two hours of sleep, my brain was absolutely refreshed due to the fresh air and time outside, completely disconnected from the rest of the world. We were told not to bring our cell phones, as there was absolutely no coverage that would enable us to use them. The break from technology was a blessing, and quite welcome.

The good news is that the same number of students we took on the camping trip returned with us the next day intact, as did the chaperones and myself. Regardless of anything else that could have happened, that's a win. Math Teacher and I earned ourselves nicknames from the kids. I am now Miss Coats, because I wore two coats almost the entire time I was there.  (Give me a break: one was for warmth, the outer one was for rain protection.)

Well, this post is a bit rough, but I wanted to get something up before the week starts tomorrow. We are already midway through the first quarter!  I can't believe how quickly it's gone. Here's hoping I make it through the first quarter!