Unconventional

So I am an unconventional teacher at an unconventional school. We do things with our students because we are small and we want to impact students in ways that bigger schools can’t, don’t and won’t.  We take students on overnight trips, camping in the wilderness, rafting down rivers, rock climbing strenuous cliffs, cycling downtown, mountain biking Moab….I mean how cool right!? I love working here because I feel like we give students opportunities to experience things they might never do on their own. We build relationships. We empower thinking. We nurture thoughtfulness and self-awareness.

This week I spent 3 nights with students rafting the Colorado River and camping. It was tough. Not my favorite trip this year. 

Most of the students were amazing and I really enjoyed getting to know them.  There is just something about spending 72 hours with students in the wilderness that breaks down the barriers that most teenagers put up. Maybe its fear? Maybe its boredom? However, there were just a few students that made the trip more challenging than any other trip I’ve been on in the past. As someone mentioned to me already, it’s not just suppose to be challenging for the students right? Hmmmm…I guess so! Unfortunately, I watched the attitude of one individual plague the entire group. Entitlement and laziness has become a disease that affects lots of teens these days. It’s the natural byproduct of our instant society. Everything can be delivered and produced on a whim and discarded just as fast and easy, if not more so. Importance is put on owning the newest coolest gadget or gizmo rather than connecting with the actual heart and soul of people. HELLO! People cannot take things with them when they die! What they can do is make the most of the time spent with people that come into their life and take away the lessons learned from being around them.  All in all, the trip was good. I’m really going to miss the students here.