A Random Thought...

So bare with me here.  I woke Sunday morning and a random thought popped into my head.  Its a little out there, so bare with me:

I want to take a group of ten students to DC in May of next year.

Yup thats right.  A field trip.  800 miles away.  Ten students.  Me and another teacher.  It sounds crazy just writing about.  But I have been awake for an hour now and I've been laying in bed just thinking of the details: hows it going to happen, who can come, how do we fund it, how do I get the principal/school board to allow me to go, etc.  There are a lot of unknown answers, but what I do know is that I am excited for next year!!

Why do I want to do this? Why do I want to take on this MASSIVE responsibility?  Well underneath all the negativity, I do care about my students.  I do care about their education and about there futures.  And one of the things that concerns me the most, is their lack of  knowledge and experiences with cities and cultures outside of Greenville or Memphis or Jackson.  After Thanksgiving break, I made a slideshow of all the places I visited in DC.  You would not believe the comments I heard as we were watching.  Giggles when a picture of the Washington Monument went up because it looked like a penis.  "Who's that man?" when photos of the Lincoln Memorial were shown.  I really took it for granted that I grew up going to these places for school field trips, but the fact that the students didn't even recognize the monuments let alone their names was really disheartening.  This trip wouldn't just be about getting them outside Mississippi, but would also be about exposing them to history that is relevant to their lives.  I also intend to take them to Georgetown and perhaps even Howard University. The things we can do are endless AND the best part is so many things in DC are free.  Thank you Smithsonian's!

I know this is nuts, but don't some of the best ideas come from crazy thoughts?  I have been thinking of all the ways we can raise money too.  We can do a small portion on donorschoose,  we can sell school tshirts for football games, we can sell holiday cards, etc. I have even thought of some of the random logistical things that will go into this adventure.  We will need another teacher to join us and they will have to be male.  I have already decided anyone with even one referral is not coming.  We can wait till January to decide who comes and we can make them apply for it and write an essay or two on why they want to come.  Yikes its getting me really excited again just thinking about it!!

And I think that is the best part of this whole idea.  I AM EXCITED.  The last things I got excited over was gardening.  I don't remember the last school thing I got excited about.  I know that this will be a big task and who knows if it will actually go down.  I know I have a lot of people to convince that this can happen.  But I am determined.  And even if I can't convince them on DC, them maybe somewhere closer? Somewhere we can drive?  Oh the possibilities...