Outdoor Learning Opportunities at Woodstock School
What better place in the world to expand my outdoor teaching and learning experiences than the India Himalayas! Treacherous roads and hard-to-reach trail-heads proved to add to the priceless opportunity. Whether I was out leading day trips or week long treks, I look back at each trip as a valuable learning moment for both myself and the students I was leading.
A majority of the weekends were spent with high school students on rock-climbing overnight trips to explore and climb recently discovered rock spires. My most memorable expedition involved a two day bus ride up into Northern India where myself, two other leaders, and 19 students then cycled for 4 days at 13,000 ft. + altitude on some of India's most dangerous roads high up in the Himalayas.
Another highlight was taking a group of middle year students out on a day hike. Because of challenging trail conditions, we didn't reach our final destination. I used the opportunity to instruct the students about making choices based upon the ability of the group, measuring risk, and making decisions. The trip proved to be a empowering experience when the students were instructed to build a fire using limited materials (a few matches, a piece of paper, and whatever sticks they could find). The reward for creating a successful fire was then boiling a pot of water and making Maggi noodles for an afternoon snack! The students were extremely proud of their efforts as they sat around their fire and indulged in a hot pot of noodles.
Another highlight was taking a group of middle year students out on a day hike. Because of challenging trail conditions, we didn't reach our final destination. I used the opportunity to instruct the students about making choices based upon the ability of the group, measuring risk, and making decisions. The trip proved to be a empowering experience when the students were instructed to build a fire using limited materials (a few matches, a piece of paper, and whatever sticks they could find). The reward for creating a successful fire was then boiling a pot of water and making Maggi noodles for an afternoon snack! The students were extremely proud of their efforts as they sat around their fire and indulged in a hot pot of noodles.