Coal Trip Day 6- Journey to the center of the earth or at least a little ways under Wayne County

Six days ago I made up my mind that I would not be going into a coal mine on this WV Coal Project  trip.  I had several good reasons not the least of which was that I have never been a fan of closed in spaces or the dark, but all reasoning led me to the conclusion that going in the mine was unnecessary.  I believed that I  had seen all I needed to see on television.  As the week progressed each new experience I had led me to uncover my own misconceptions about mining and its importance in WV, the reclaiming and repurposing of land, coal miners themselves, and even teaching science and incorporating other subject areas in that teaching.  If I was wrong about these things maybe I was wrong about going in the coal mine.  So today I went in, and I was right... that I was wrong...again.  Going into the mine today allowed me to meet a great bunch of men who were very proud of the work they were doing.  These men were eager to share their knowledge and appreciative of our interest in their work and our commitment to sharing our new found knowledge about this industry with the children that we teach.  Their comradery and dedication to each others safety was palpable.  The electric went off in the mine 10 minutes after we reached the face and a piece of top fell close by and nearly scared the paper pants off of me but I had a great experience.  I can not wait to share with my students all that I discovered in that mine today.