By: Ryan King
One of the many blessings of being a K-8 school is the opportunity to put the older students into the role of teaching their elementary counterparts. At the end of every term, junior high students work in small teams to design and deliver an age-appropriate lesson around an issue of sustainability. Through this activity, the older students must master the material in order to teach an audience of curious and excitable littles. Important skills such as communicating effectively, managing time, cooperating with others, resolving conflict, and maintaining grit are just a few of the "take-aways" while the littles "leave behind" a positive experience, learning something fascinating about the natural world.
At Ruch Community School, olders step into the shoes of a teacher and act as ambassadors of the community, while littles interact with positive role models that help ignite a lifelong passion to learn new things relating to sustainability. To date, olders have covered topics on composting, gardening, healthy eating habits, marine and stream environments, life cycle of trees, the importance of honeybees, and recycling.