A beautiful morning became an opportunity to pause, reflect, and write for students in Mr. Steve Hickok’s eighth grade STREAM class.

Surrounded by the cornfields and woods around Hamilton High School, students took their classroom outdoors to work on their gratitude journals, finding inspiration in their surroundings and everyday experiences.

Even their seating has a creative connection to the classroom: students use old yoga mats no longer used in gym classes, giving the mats a new purpose as a place to sit and write outdoors.

“We’re very privileged here in Hamilton to have the space to use,” Hickok said. “It’s fantastic.”

With eighth graders attending Hamilton High School this year during ongoing roof construction at Hamilton Middle School, students and teachers have been discovering new opportunities to use the high school’s outdoor spaces. Hickok’s class previously used the property behind the football field, and he has enjoyed exploring the possibilities at HHS.

“There’s actually way more property than what you would think,” he said. “We’ve got these wonderful woods back here.”

For Hickok, the morning’s writing inspiration came before he even arrived at school. During his drive, a sunrise prompted him to pull over and take a photograph—a simple moment he planned to capture in his own journal.

“We just talked about finding moments where you can be grateful,” Hickok said.

From writing about the Hawkeye Hometown Tailgate the previous week to reflecting on something meaningful that happened that morning, students are practicing how to recognize an experience and put it into words.

The outdoor lesson offered a chance to strengthen those writing skills while enjoying the natural beauty just beyond their classroom doors.