By: Victoria Benson
Snow is drifting down and covering the lawn in front of the pavilion. I sit inside to shield myself from the cold breeze and wet flakes as it has been snowing for hours. The only thing to do is prepare for the last week of education season. Another snow day keeps us in Hawley, but I would rather be at Buckland Shelburne Elementary in Shelburne Falls. It has just under 300 students in grades pre-k through 6th; my teaching partner, Drew, and I saw each of them every week. It is difficult to remember all the things we did during these last four months, but entering a classroom full of eager students. There have been great perks such as singing with 1st graders, trying to catch my breath from tag at recess, and random hugs in the hall. Planning creative lessons, quieting loud voices, and shoveling out the vans to even get to school. My time at BSE was extremely short, but the amount I have grown is immeasurable.
Slivers of spring have sporadically appeared in Hawley. Golden sunlight and bird calls introduce the feeling of spring and with it, a new adventure. New members will soon arrive to join our community. We will go through new trainings to prepare us for being on trail. Bugs, extreme sun, tools, filtering water, and living in tents will all be new challenges soon to be faced by all 26 of us. I can’t wait to feel the warm sun and hear work boots thudding along the trail. I expect to sing “Hi-ho hi-ho it’s off to work we go” multiple times.
We all worked extremely hard in education season to add to children’s lives and help them learn. It has been stated multiple times that we won’t get to see the results of our work in school, but I have seen results in myself and my fellow corps members. I have seen us grow and become more confident in our individual skills and talents. Now it is time to look forward to working on trails around Massachusetts. Here we will get to see improvement of the trails we work on and know it is improving the lives of adventurers and explorers throughout Mass! Hopefully our students will use the adventurous and conservation minded lessons to explore the trails we work to improve.