JENISON, Mich. — Our newest Teacher of the Week loves being outdoors. After finding a job posting for a Jenison Wilderness Academy teacher, he said it’s the job he was born for.
After being surprised with the news in the school’s greenhouse, Adam Chamberlin told 13 ON YOUR SIDE, “It makes me feel very special and it makes me feel like the influence that I have is far reaching and that’s something that like I think all teachers want to have.”
He also said, “It was a very, very fun surprise.”
Crystal Morse is the Jenison Wilderness Academy principal. She said the students were excited to be part of the plan.
“As soon as we left the building and I said I have a secret and a surprise, they were all in. They love him and know how much he loves them. So, they were 100% about getting out here to surprise him,” she said.
“Just the normal type of day is pretty chill for me. So, when I see two new people in here, I knew something was up,” said Chamberlin.
The principal said, “I can’t think of more deserving person. Every single day, Adam comes to work ready to engage his 26 five-year-olds in the natural world, in traditional learning, in creative and collaborative play. He comes in with his A-game every single day.”
“I’m from Middleville, Michigan and I grew up playing outside and exploring outside and I always wanted to kind of share that knowledge and share that love,” said Chamberlin.
He’s been teaching for 10 years now and joined the Jenison Wilderness Academy two years ago.
“When this job came up, I was like this is like a perfect blend of what I loved when I was a kid to what I love to do as an adult. So, when I saw those two things I was like this is what I’m born to do.”
Principal Morse said, “We bundle up and we dress for the weather, and we are outside no matter what other than storms or high winds.” She also explained, “Our students are outfitted in waterproof boots, in their Oaki suits that are waterproof. They go right overtop in the wintertime of their snow pants and their other outside gear.”
“I was never somebody who wanted to be inside. I learned best outside,” said Chamberlin.
Now he’s teaching his students to learn and love the outdoors, too.
“Yes, we’d have some traditional indoor teaching but a lot of what we do encompasses being outside,” he said. “We go on field trips every week. We go to local parks, and they get to see something in real life, and they get to attach the literacy components and the math components from what they do inside, outside, and that just makes things really connect.”
He said the most important part is, “They just get to kind of get dirty, and they get to get wet and muddy and so do we. It’s just something unique and it’s really, really fun.”
“His belief in his students helps them believe in themselves,” said Morse.
Chamberlin said, “I get really red when I get acknowledged for something like this but again it really does like make my day and make my week and just makes being a teacher that much more special to know that, again, that people feel that way about what I do.”
“We see our students every single day and we see the smiles on their faces, and we get that from them every single day and just having people on the outside see what we’re doing acknowledging it just makes the life of a teacher just a little bit more special,” he said.
If you have someone you’d like to nominate as our next Teacher of the Week, just text the word “teacher” to 616-559-1310.