As the summer season approaches the students at Moundsville Middle School have been hard at work in the greenhouse. The students have been growing and caring for a variety of vegetables and herbs. One of the students, Jon, who has a history of being disruptive and has trouble concentrating in class has recently decreased his referrals and his teachers have reported that he longer has any failing grades.
Jon went from averaging two discipline reports per week for the first three grading periods to having no referrals for the first four weeks of the current grading period. He also had two failing grades during the last grading period and when getting his interim report for this grading period he has brought both grades up to Cs.
When speaking with Jon about what prompted this change, he spoke to me about his new found love of gardening. Jon discussed with me how the garden made him feel proud of his accomplishments and how taking ownership of this project has given him “a purpose”. He feels that gardening is a privilege and doesn’t want to miss out on this opportunity by getting in school suspension or lunch detention. Jon says that being outside and getting fresh air helps him cope with the stress of middle school and some family issues that he is currently experiencing. He plans on planting and caring for a garden over the summer to help him continue to feel positive about his current situation and so he can also go outside and focus on the garden instead of what negative things may be happening in his life.