Fieldtrips: Talking Platypi and Dolphins Named Chris
Posted on October 18, 2009 by Emily McDonald
A slow, persistent creaking noise radiates from the front of the room when the secret door is opened. When the door is fully opened, the creaking has ceased, and the writing lab is fully visible to those in the store I hear twenty-two second graders ooooh and gasp in unadulterated, honest awe. One by one Chris sends the children to get their author photograph taken (complete with the black "make me look smarter" glasses), put their coat on the couch (a vital step), and get a nametag (an even more vital step). Once these tasks have been completed each child comes and sits on the rug, in front the projector that is displaying a blank page and a blinking cursor. I am sitting behind the projector with a computer in my lap, gearing up to type an original story that these second graders, with the help of Chris, are about to create. This is the first time that I have ever typed for a field trip and I'm feeling a bit nervous about how it is all going to work and the program that I am typing in doesn't have spell check, a vital feature to understanding anything that I type.
Eventually I get the hang of it and with the help of numerous adults correcting my sometimes lacking spelling skills the second graders complete an intricate tale of a Dolphin named Chris who is on a quest to find a humongous whale to feed his friends. The special part about this experience was seeing these kids get sucked into a creative vortex, lead by Chris, and emerge with an original tale of their creation. This class was great because the kids got so into the task at hand, which admittedly might be a feature of their age, but it is still awesome to see nonetheless. For example when Mrs. Mildew came on the loudspeaker threatening Chris's job (and the only way to save it was to write a fantastic story, obvi) the kids became concerned and motivated to write an amazing story.
Although I have always enjoyed working with kids, I have never had the opportunity to interact with kids of any age is a field trip or 'classroom' setting. I have done tutoring, which offers a different and awesome experience with the kids, but that is a different story. These fieldtrips are the most special thing, in my opinion, about being an intern at 826NYC because being able to see and be a part of the creative learning process is exciting and enlightening. This is a great place offering unique opportunities for kids that they won't find many other places, I am so happy that I can help with it.