Rockn With The Grands: Mrs Dotson Returns

Since my last post I have been a little busy. I dusted off Mrs. Dotson so I could lead 19 students and 9 chaperones on a whirlwind of a seven day history trip through Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg, Monticello, Washing DC and Mount Vernon.

I have been guiding student-led field trips to Washington DC since 1997. Over the years I have had some incredible experiences with students that I would have never had in the classroom. This year was no different.

We were lucky enough to get a tour of the White House at Christmas. The theme was “Magic, Wonder & Joy”, experiencing Christmas through a child’s eyes. To say the decorations were incredible is an understatement. I felt like it was the Nutcracker meets Candyland lifesize. It brought to life what a child might dream Christmas looked like. The rooms and hallways twinkled bright red and green, the trees we grand and Santa in his sleigh being pulled by his eight tiny reindeer suspended from the Grand Foyer left you in awe. As the secret service was ushering me out I was overjoyed that we got to see the “People’s House” decorated for Christmas.

Another moment that sticks out was our visit to Arlington National Cemetery. Many people don’t know

that you can request to participate in special ceremonies at the cemetery. Each trip I request to have students lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is a solemn ceremony. This year as I watched my four students walk silent steps to the Tomb my heart swelled with love for these kiddo’s and the community I have been able to live and teach in. It felt like my final lesson had been taught at Banks Middle School.

This last moment brought me to tears. Do you remember where you were when you learned about airplanes crashing into the Twin Towers in New York or the Pentagon? I clearly remember that day and so did our tour guide. Josh shared his personal experience of being in New York at the Twin Towers just two days before the attack. He captivated the students. As they left the bus he invited each of us to take a card and silently read about an individual that was on flight 77. Once we arrived at the memorial Josh explained the significance of the memorial and how to find the person on their card. Each of us quietly l located our individual. One of my students has some unique needs and he wanted to find his individual on his own. When he finally arrived at her memorial he knelt down beside it and read her bio out loud. It was the most sincere moment of the trip.

What I learned on this trip is that I can’t take the teacher out of who I am. I love teaching. I love connecting with students and bringing history to life for them. I love watching a student connect what they are learning with other topics, units or subjects and really understand it. This trip allowed me the time to reflect on who I am. I am a wife, a mother and a teacher. I need to find ways to walk the footsteps of history with middle schoolers while caring for my grandbabies.

This DC trip came at a time I needed it most. I needed to be “Teacher Dotson”.