Playing in the dirt!

Walking along the Lindsay Creek bottom today was an adventure. It brought back to mind the reading on creativity from last week. I got to play in the dirt, put on some mud boots and creatively clean out the river bottom. It was freeing, nobody really told me what to do. At first I was a little lost, but by the end I found myself alone swinging a machete clearing the creek for water to flow more easily. I can see how service learning builds into the learner a chance to feel connected to nature. I really enjoyed working with others while problem solving. It wasn't always easy, and it isn't often that I am faced with a challenge. I know my students might feel a similar sensation if given the opportunity. Just being outdoors and improving something for the greater good is a positive experience to instill in our youth. I wonder how many kids have done something like this. I am determined to see how my students can get out into our community. Who says learning can't take place outside of the classroom? I think of how money has been cut for field trips when maybe that hasn't been such a bad decision. Maybe a great place to start is looking at local needs within the place we live. I'm curious if some of our local projects with restoration, BLM, or Forest Service would want to take some second graders out. It would be a fun activity to help students build an appreciation for where they live while learning, no harm in that.