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Book Review by Brian
Sheehan
Reprinted from the Winter 1998 Southern AEOE Newsletter
Always having a love for reading, I found literature a vital asset on the trail when introducing a science concept or bringing closure at the end of a lesson. Literature has been a great tool I had my counselors use in the cabin with our students in between times out on the trails. It was time wellspent preparing them for the next hike I was planning, or an incredible way to follow up on a theme we had been discovering all day outside.
My favorite way to introduce them to nature each week at Hi Hill Outdoor School, each Monday, was by reading I'm In Charge of Celebrations by Byrd Baylor. I would read this book after introductions and expectations, before we even began our first hike together.
The story is about a young Native American girl in the desert who celebrates living in the natural world with a triple rainbow, an unexpected encounter with a coyote, and other wonders of the wild. She created her own celebrations by putting herself in charge of exploring the natural world around her. I found this piece of literature an excellent way to view our week in the wild-each experience would be one few of my students would be able to create again. Each day or, sometimes, after each hike, I would ask if anyone had a celebration to share. Even time in the cabin making new friends from another school was a profound celebration. We would share throughout the week...I found that it made my students more aware of the experiences we embarked on. They appreciated the time in nature and they made the most of every opportunity.
On Friday, just before we hiked up to the bus, each trail teacher would get forty-five minutes for a reflective evaluation time. I would read The Table Where Rich People Sit, also by Byrd Baylor. The story shares the life of a young girl who discovers that her impoverished family is rich in things that matter in life, especially being outdoors and experiencing nature. I found it a powerful way to close the week. Each student shared how they had become richer during the five days they had at the outdoor school. It moved students to tears often as they reflected on their time together hiking and exploring nature. Climbing a waterfall, hiking to the top of a mountain, seeing interdependence in all of nature and the unity of our trail team were some examples of richness students left wealthy with. Sometimes books capture the essence of what our words as teachers cannot.
I now teach in the classroom as a Science Specialist working with grades K-5. I have read Celebrations to each class when I first met them and will read Rich People at the end of the year. Celebrations are occurring daily, yet every day my heart truly misses the outdoor forum of teaching.