Reflections of a SpEd Teacher: Connecting to the Outside World

A few weeks back our class went on a trip to White Post farm. I thought it was cute and nice to get the kids out: pick a few pumpkins, jump on the hayride and gobble a cob or two. But their experiences at the farm blew me away. I'm so used to seeing the kids as a bunch of growing boys chasing after one another. Well, they did that too but I saw a different side emerge that I was unfamiliar with. They were gentle, calm, nurturing and caring. They fed the goats, sheep and deer with food pellets from the palm of their right hand and gently caressed the animals with their left. They were also exceptionally inquisitive. Their interactions with the animals had their minds racing with all sorts of animal questions about: farm animals, zoo animals, wild animals, etc. The farm had pushed a button and their minds were in high gear. It was fantastic!

They saw and connected to animals they had only previously known throught tv shows, cartoons, and read alouds. It was a great experience to see them in a new world. They seemed to come to this realization that there is a world outside Copiague. Since then, one of my kids has evinced a deep curiousity in the college I go to. Every week he asks me: What does the college look like; Are there a lot of students; What are my teachers like. I try to show him in pictures on the internet but that's not the same as seeing it. But it's great that he's thinking about life outside Copiague.

I think educators play an important role in expanding our childrens mind and helping them explore those possibilities. I'm glad I was part of that experience. I'm glad my school has great educators like Mr. B and Mrs. G that help kids explore new worlds and expand their thinking.

My professor (Vila-Tricomi) once said (more or less): Trips aren't free days. They should be the culminating experience at the end of a thematic unit. They should help students connect the classroom to the real world.

I think those were wise words and I plan on keeping true to them when I have my own classroom one day :)