Dorsey High School
(Los Angeles Unified School District)
3537 Farmdale Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90016
rockygsp@aol.com
Outdoor pedagogy and thoughts about host
Teaching is my life, or at least a way of life for me. The two things I enjoy most about teaching are: watching my student’s faces as they learn, and learning new things for them. They stretch me beyond my capabilities and expand my capacities.
To be able to use the outdoors and the environment to teach is to open a window or door to a new world for my inner city kids. They discover a part of themselves that they never knew existed, they establish new cross generational connections, they dream dreams they never knew were there, they realize their connection and place on this earth, and they learn to LOVE themselves.
I felt totally rejuvenated [at the HOST Program]. Throughout the program I was treated with a degree of professionalism that made me feel valued and supported, which teachers don’t get everyday. I had a great opportunity to explore particular areas of my own interests, and I also conducted my own in-depth personal explorations. I have made friends for life. This has been one of the best summers of my life.
Biography
HOST Training Site:
NRS’s Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve (administered by UCSC) in Monterey County.
HOST Program Emphases:
Stream macroinvertebrates, identification and uses of native plants, stuffing study skins, and outdoor pedagogy.
HOST Teaching Materials:
• Native Plant Scavenger Hunt: Students recognize various California Native species by their physical appearances and characteristics.
Years Teaching: 24
Subjects Taught:
Integrated Science 1 & 2
Theme Song:
I Love to Go A Wandering
Favorite Saying:
Before you go, look at the sky, smell the air, bend down and touch the earth, and remember!
Selection of Awards:
• Stokes, Love, Leopold Award for outstanding commitment to environmental education
• GLOBE certification
• PLT (Project Learning Tree) certification
• Project WILD, Project Aquatic WILD certified
• Candidate for National Board certification in geosciences
Hobbies:
• Reading (voraciously!)
• Fishing
• Refinishing and restoring wood furniture
• Gardening
• Taxidermy-study skins
Recommended Lesson Planning Website:
https://www.nsta.org