It's been a rough week. The full moon has brought the challenges all schools face during this monthly phenomenon. Everyone just seems slightly off. The student behavior is less than stellar, which makes the mood around school edgy. That of course leads to stressed out teachers and counselors. It's all part of the job, and we make it through by trying to remain strength-based and of course by supporting each other. But this afternoon was a doozy. I was looking forward to checking out right on time, and heading over to campus. I had time and the weather was spectacular, so I avoided the highway and planned to take a leisurely drive in the jeep and get to campus early.
Nope.
The universe had other plans. As I drove straight down the main road that leads to campus, up ahead I noticed people were starting to jump the median and u-turn back toward the direction I came from. I continued a little further until I could make out the words on the orange construction zone-looking sign. It wasn't construction at all. It said "Emergency scene ahead." More cars in front of me hopped the median revealing blue and red emergency lights high and ahead of the traffic. That's all could see. I was about a 7 or 8 mile straight shot from campus and I had to turn around.
I could drag out the details of the backed up traffic and idiot drivers on the road to give you the feel of the frustration. But to sum it up, I spent well over an hour trying to get through one intersection and onto the highway I so gleefully avoided int he first place. My twenty minute commute to campus turned into a 2 hour drive. About 15 minutes before the class start time, in stand still traffic, I scrolled through my phone to find a text message from one of my students in my history. Jackpot! I sent a text to her explaining the situation, and asking her to tell the class to give me an extra 15 minutes to arrive. If I wasn't there by 6:15, they could leave and I would post something for them online. She responded so all was good.
At exactly 6:15, I pulled into the parking garage, texted her again to tell her I was parking and I'd be there in a couple of minutes. I could see on my phone that she had read the text, but she didn't respond. Hmm... I walked briskly from the garage to the academic building with my phone in hand. Nothing. I walked into the building and approached our classroom. One of my students was standing outside the room, leaning against the wall and looking at this phone. I could see in the classroom windows it was dark. Defeated.
"Did every leave already?" I asked desperately.
"I guess they must have," he said. He opened the door and it was dark and empty. I was a tiny bit relieved at the thought of going home because I was totally spent. But I was disappointed that the other student hadn't alerted them to stay.
"Wow, they're really gone. I just..." He opened the door again, and 22 college students jumped out and shouted at me! They were hiding and playing around with me. I was thrilled. Exhilarated. Happy. Not only did they not leave, but the entire class was in attendance. They waited for me and brought such a smile to my face.
I unloaded about my challenging day and my commute and thanked them for waiting. Then I asked them to go on a journey with me. They all agreed without reservation, and we went and had class in the middle of the lawn on campus. I had intended for us all to watch the sunset together, but it didn't work out. Instead, we sat under the moon with path lights. I invited them to lie down, close their eyes if they wished. We talked about sense of place and introduce them to David Orr's ideas about residing vs. inhabiting. I asked them how many of them had ever sat leisurely on the lawn on campus. I was absolutely flabbergasted to find only 3 of them had. Really? I told them about my undergrad days at UM, and how everyone hung out on the lawn. You could see people playing frisbee, studying, making out, eating lunch, sunbathing. It was part of campus life. Part of our place.
I told them that not all environmental education is about the doom and gloom and the catastrophic state of the earth. I told them it's as much about nurturing a love of nature and being outside. I encouraged each of them to spend some time on the lawn, in this place, at least once before they graduate, and to take their shoes and socks off and put their feet in the grass.
It was a delightful evening.
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| This is what I was hoping to expose them to, but it was too late. |
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