Transcendentalism – Basically this was a movement in American literature rebelling against the norms or religious thinking, social and urban life.
Here is what teaching transcendentalism to teenagers is like….
Day 1: Students went on a nature tour of the campus. Really what this means is that we walked to one of the two grass areas on campus, just 50 feet from the classroom, right next to the parking lot. I set them loose with their journals and this topic, “what natural objects do you see?”. It really is sad when kids think that cars, basketballs and benches are natural objects. “Grass people, think grass! Not that kind of grass, school appropriate grass!”
Day 2: Students are given examples of nature and as a class we discuss how we as individuals are similar to objects found in nature. “Miss Adams, what do you mean I’m like a cloud? I’m not a fluffy!”, “Jorge looks like a puppy”, “No I don’t… hey can I borrow your mirror?”, “I’m a pineapple”, “Why?”, “…ummm….do I have to have a reason?”
Day 3: “Okay, I think we have all had enough so let’s wrap this up. Pick one natural item that you have things in common with, draw a picture and write 2 paragraphs explaining the item and your similarity to it.” ….
“Miss Adams?”
“Yes?”
“Can I go outside and get a leaf to help me draw?”
“Sure”
And thus students were sent out to collect nature and bring it back to draw. Now there will always be one student who thinks outside of the box. And my students like to think WAY outside of the box.
Student 1: “Can we go out to get some nature?”
Adams: “If you’re gone more than 5 minutes, I’m calling security to get you”.
Student 2: “We’ll be really quick, don’t worry”
3 minutes pass and I am standing with my back to the window of my classroom when all of a sudden a student yells out, “ADAMS LOOK”. I turn, unsure of what is behind me, when I see students 1 and 2 walking up to my door with their nature. Nature apparently to them involved ripping a 5 foot tall branch off a tree and completely uprooting an elephant plant. I stopped them at the door taking the branch, and trying not to laugh as student 1 attempts to hide the plant he is carrying.
Adams: “What is that?”
Student 1: “I don’t know what you are talking about”, as he places the 3 foot high plant in the trash can behind him.
Adams: “Put it back, where ever you got it, put it back”
I look to the right to see how it was possible that two students could make it all the way across campus with half a tree and an entire plant. There I see the campus security guards laughing hysterically and pointing at me. I burst into laughter myself. What do you do in that situation? The elephant plant was replanted, the tree branch ended up being used in my class’ red ribbon week door décor, and then the students in question were “talked to” about the “appropriate” application of transcendentalism. Thankfully there the principle and vice principle were at a meeting and did not witness the events. However, the stand in admin was watching the entire thing on the video cameras. As I stood at my door during the passing period I was approached by the stand in admin and asked if I needed any shovels. And for that matter, he told me that he would lend me the strongest boys on campus. “Why?” I asked. “Well I thought you might want that tree over there for your project”, he remarked as he pointed at a 50 foot tree. HA HA HA. Better yet were the security guards who came into my room looking for missing trees and campus plants for the next week.
Transcendentalism…
