The First Week of School and the Coming of Autumn

Liberty Hyde Bailey believed that building a connection to nature is the first step to understanding and learning about nature.  He  thought that students needed to be learning, working and observing outside in the fields and woods of their own communities.  He knew that hands-on experience was critically important to developing knowledge.  Teachers today talk about "multiple intelligences" and "developmentally appropriate" curriculum.  Liberty Hyde Bailey used different vocabulary but he was saying the very same thing, a hundred years ago.  I guess anyone who loves to teach and loves to learn, knows that the first step to learning is developing an interest and a connection.  It's all about making things meaningful.  As we work on developing the Liberty Hyde Bailey Interpretive Garden Path, we hope to make a place for students to learn about and experience nature in our own backyard.  


Last Thursday, my class and I went outside for our daily run around the soccer field.  A large flock of geese had taken over the field and were grazing on the lawn.  As we ran our morning lap, we listened and watched as the flock took flight.  Later, we went outside, sat down and listened to and observed the field in our backyard.  It was filled with the chattering of insects and birds.  There was a cool breeze reminding us that fall was on its way.  Students wrote words to help describe the feelings and sounds of their surroundings and came inside and wrote poems about autumn.  The following is a poem from Zayne. 

I Am Autumn

By Zayne

I am the geese that the wind brushes against me

I am the grass that wonders why I'm dry

I am the trees that smell the wind

I am the leaves that think they will fall off

I am the crickets that see the trees moving

I am flowers that hear winter coming

I am Autumn