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"The Two Wheeled Approach to Self Esteem"
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The Two-Wheeled Classroom
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Mountain Biking has always been an intricate component of my teaching. As an educator, one must to develop a personal rapport with your students if you hope to create some sort of affiliation, trust, and connection. Young people know when you are just going through the motions, but when they can feel your enthusiasm and know that you are talking from the heart, it creates an environment where the real learning happens. Education is so much more than just being able to regurgitate facts from a text book. Goal setting, risk taking, thinking outside of the box, time management, learning from one’s mistakes, showing empathy, knowing when to be a leader and when to be a supportive player, and many others make up this “hidden curriculum.” These are the skills, values, and strategies that form the basis of the Sprockids Program. In the adult world, individuals who understand, process, and put into practice these skills are the ones who truly succeed in life. Through the lifestyle of mountain biking, I have been able to relate both the academic and hidden curriculum to my students.
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Shannon Falls
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Brandywine Falls
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I have just returned from a 3 day biking trip to Whistler with my Grade 7 class. Over the course of the year the students have been involved in many aspects of cycling. The bike has been utilized in Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Art, and of course P.E. The students have completed the CCA Sprockids Program, and this trip to Whistler was a celebration of their efforts.
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Britannia Mines
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After a Hard Climb
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The focus and highlight of the trip was definitely the mountain biking, but we also did a ton of other cool activities. Spending three action packed days with a tribe of 13 year olds is quite the unique experience. Their energy, humour, and way of looking at the world is so special, one can not help but get swept up in their wave of enthusiasm.
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Leaving Rainbow Park
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Regrouping, For the Next Challenge
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If you are a parent and have never gone on a multi day field trip with your child’s class, do yourself a favour and go! The memories from that trip will last you a lifetime. They say “Youth is Wasted on the Young,” but this just isn’t so. As adults, all we have to do is make the effort to do stuff with our kids and they are more than willing to share their “Youth” with us!
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Skiing & Boarding, Still Happening in June
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Lunch in Merlin's (Their First Pub)
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