Meet Me in the Middle: Chapter 13 Synthesis

Chapter 13 Synthesis:

The class agreed that they felt this chapter discussed the various outdoor activities teachers can do with their students. If teachers do some of these activities outside of the school setting it gives students a chance to see that their teachers are real people and not just a teacher. Another positive that comes out of these outdoor activities is the sense of responsibility students have; Wormeli found that students were more likely to do things for themselves after having these types of experiences. Also, students have a sense of gender equality because they all have the same responsibilities and participate in the same activities. Overall, the class felt that Wormeli was promoting these activities because of the changes seen in student’s behaviors.

Most of the class really liked this chapter and felt that they would implement some of the ideas into their own classroom. For example, one activity most people liked was having students write while outdoors. Some of the class could remember when they had experiences outside of school that allowed them the chance to see their teachers as something other than just a teacher. We’ve all had that moment when we see one our teachers in a store or something and they’re acting out of “character” and we get really confused because we have forgotten they are people too. Some of the class raised the issue of practicality and safety of overnight excursions and suggested that it may be better to just have day trips to local outdoor areas. Overall, the class liked the activities and would like to implement some of them in their own classrooms even if they have to adapt the activity.