Teacher Advisories- A Proposal for Change

Abstract: The author brought his students on an advisory trip which turned into much more of an adventure than anticipated. Upon reaching the peak of the mountain the group climbed, a thunderstorm began and the group was forced to make their way down the mountain despite harrowing conditions. He discusses learning entirely new things about his students, and recognizing habits that would otherwise never appear. While many students may not be strong learners within the classroom, they excelled in a tremendous circumstance and showed their teacher that they were capable of infinite pushes in their previously set boundaries. Although frightening at the time, the students' reflections show that they valued the situation and the new ways they were able to see their teacher and peers.

Synthesis: Although I hope such circumstances do not arise for me, I would love to be able to take my students into the community and interact with them in a way that is far different from that of school. I was initially confused as Wormeli wrote of his experience as I was unsure why he was able to take students on a hiking field trip, yet the further I read the more intrigued I became. In an exceedingly trying situation, these students showed their teacher that they were able to rise above all boundaries in order to help one another. I hope that I am able to have advisory groups and able to bring them into the community!