When many of us look back on our high school days, there is always one teacher who truly stands out. One teacher who did things differently, who helped us to see the world from a new perspective, or even helped us believe in the big impact of small actions. To many students at Grand Junction High School, that teacher is Michelle Davis. Ms. Davis has been a high school biology teacher for 15 years, eight of which have been with Grand Junction High School. Michelle found a love for biology and science early on in her life and was inspired by her father to combine that passion with teaching. Teaching a general living systems curriculum allows Ms. Davis to bring that thrill for science to her students by showing them the complexities of the world around them. One hands-on way Ms. Davis brings her excitement for science and the world to her classroom is by sharing her journey of worm composting with her students. It has been a fun, interactive way for her to connect to her students and show them how small intentional actions can make a huge sustainable change.
Ms. Davis began worm composting about three years ago after learning how to begin from a good friend of hers. She was quickly fascinated with the process and took to the internet to learn more. She explained to me how rewarding it was to take trash and use it for something sustainable and helpful. She uses her compost in her planters and garden. Her students love to participate by bringing in food scraps to feed to the worms and watching the composting process slowly happen.
Composting can seem complicated and overwhelming when you first start out, but Ms. Davis advised there is truly no right or wrong way to compost. It will be different for each person based on what scraps you have to put into it, what you’re using the compost for, and what your overall goal with composting is. Don’t let not knowing how to compost keep you from starting, because that is the most important step… to start! It is best to start out simple, then trial and error will help you find what works best for you. Michelle reiterated that Google is your best friend when learning how to get started. There are so many helpful websites and blogs out there that there is no excuse not to give it a shot. As with any new experiment, don’t forget to get others involved. Composting is an easy and fun way to get the whole family involved. As Ms. Davis has shown to her students, composting is a small way to find intrigue and ownership in the world around us.