Carl's House

Last week, my instructor opened his house to my class. We got to see the maple syrup set-up that he has and the way his aquariums are set up. We had an opportunity to hold a living starfish and to poke an anemone. It truly was a hands-on experience. Carl had amazing artifacts. My favorite was a dinosaur bone. It really got me thinking about my past experiences with my teachers and I can honestly say that I think that this is the first time I've been a part of a class that was invited into an instructor's home. I wish we could have class there every week. And pizza and root beer too :)
College professors have more of an ability to invite students into their homes than secondary teachers would have. However, even though I might not invite my students into my home, maybe we could take our class outside the classroom and experience math and science in nature. The golden spiral and the golden ratio can be found outdoors. Rainbows have scientific and mathematical properties.
With all of the classes that I've attended this semester, the few hours I spent at Carl's house will not be forgotten. It brought the class together. We had a bonding experience. And of course, we learned a lot. It was so interesting and it kept my attention. I was honestly disappointed when it was time for us to leave.
As a teacher, I want to find ways to engage my students so that they won't want the learning to end either. Stepping out of the box, mixing things up, and trusting my students just may be the ticket to make learning an exciting adventure for them.