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| TWENTY-EIGHT CHILDREN, third graders, sit in front of me. We are in a typical classroom ... desks, bulletin boards, one small window which we have been instructed to cover (which I don't!) for safety reasons (an instruction based on fear). Our unit of study is the district's curriculum on "Disasters." We have just read a story about the Titanic.
At another point, and many times throughout that year, another student shares stories about the planet he came from ... intricate stories about life there and how the planet was destroyed. He shows me how they would write my name and other words on the planet. This child is quite clear and compassionate as he shares his mission here on earth: "to teach humans to love." And yet, another student another day, approaches me and describes to me the portal at the top of his spine and names his three angel friends who pass through this portal each day. He describes on some days that the portal spot becomes uncomfortable and we talk about why this may be.
Incredible children, incredible experiences. During my years of teaching
I have been blessed with amazing children in my classes. Children that
are intuitive, perceptive, telepathic, sensitive... children aware of
their spiritual selves and the spiritual selves of others. It is an
honor as their teacher to share these experiences with them. However, as a teacher in the public school system where children spend many hours each day, I see and experience a fear based institution that closes the door on these children and attempts to mold them into a BOX. A box that says because you are in third grade (or whatever specific grade) you must learn these concepts in this way, ready or not, and a box that assesses the all children by giving them a test once a year and judges the children based on the tests' results. A box that leaves no room for spiritual stories and experiences. A box that slams the door on the spiritual dimension and abilities of these young ones.
Instead, let's imagine a school whose purpose is to empower these children
to grow into their full potential.
The school's curriculum is based on various units throughout the year
stemming from the students' identified areas of interest. The units
incorporate math, language, reading, science, and social studies, as
well as the sensory, intuitive, and spiritual aspects of the unit. The
arts (drawing, sculpting, collage, pottery, journaling, composing, gardening,
writing, painting, dancing, etc.) are woven throughout the curriculum.
Imagination plays a critical role in identifying with the unit of study
Assessments are performed in alternative ways to test taking. They include, but are not limited to learning logs, presentations, posters, demonstrations, role playing, product analysis, conferences, and diaries. At the end of each unit there is a time for reflection. The children reflect on and share how they have grown, changed, and what effect the unit of study has had on them. They then discern how they can connect this learning to the outside community and create a project which connects them to and gives back to the larger community. For
example, in one school where I taught we had a beautiful garden area
which had not been cared for. My class and one other class decided that
we were going to clean up the area and plant various vegetables. After several weeks of weeding we were ready to get the garden beds prepared. That led us to research what was needed for the type of vegetables we would be planting. We then needed to raise money to purchase the seeds and fertilizer. We had a class meeting and came up with fundraiser activities. After raising adequate funds we purchased the materials we needed for planting. (We had researched what was best in Arizona). We needed to decide if we were going to go organic or use pesticides to keep the plants from being eaten by little critters. We researched the pros and cons of each, discussed, and decide to go organic. We had to measure, multiply, divide, add, and subtract while figuring out how much space we had and where to plant everything. We had to estimate how large everything would grow so we didn't plant things too close together. We planted, watered, weeded and lovingly tended to our garden. Several
weeks later we began to see the fruits of our labor. We watched the
plants grow and produce vegetables. We had studied seeds and their life
cycle and the effects of weather on growth. Finally, there were vegetables
ready to be picked. We then needed to decide what to do with all these
vegetables ... take them home, raffle them off, or give them away. A new education ... an education that opens the door to all types of learning and growth. An education where children are free and encouraged to explore all parts of themselves. An education where adults are as willing to learn from the children as are the children to learn from the adults. An education which respects the children's wisdom and empowers them. As Rudolph Steiner stated, "accept the children with reverence, educate them with love, and send them forth in freedom ..." the time is NOW! © Terry Damlos-Mitchell, 2007 |
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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One
of my students raises her hand and says, "You know ... some of us here
were on the Titanic in a past life ..." The entire class is silent and
looking at her. Then I hear from another student, "What does she mean?"
The other students sit still as if they are being reminded of something.
We then begin to hear the memory of being on the Titanic. Some students
shake their head in agreement as if remembering. Several weeks later
we read the story of Pompeii. Another student shares with the class
that some of the spirits that died in Pompeii are in the room with us
and she shares that that they are glad we are learning about their stories.
More
and more parents and some teachers (few in my experience) are acknowledging
these gifts that the children are bringing to the forefront of our lives.
It is comforting to know that as our children express these gifts we
are joining them on this journey.
A
school that starts each day with "Circle," a time for reflection, sharing
of dreams, desires, and experiences. A school which incorporates these
dreams, desires and experiences into the curriculum and recognizes the
children's intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and energetic gifts.
A school which offers an educational and spiritual program that nurtures
and encourages the development of each child in a way that that is empowering
for the children. A school which incorporates Lee Carroll and Jan Tober's
attributes of effective schools:
(i.e.
I am travelling into space to discover ...). These exercises open the
doors to the children's experiences and inner knowledge. Activities
include both simple and complex thinking... observing, classifying,
restating, compare and contrasting, comprehending, reasoning, applying,
designing and creating. It can be as simple as making miniature versions
of The Three Little Pigs houses to see why two of them could be 'blown
over' and the other could not to designing and carrying out a complex
scientific experiment. Investigating activities ... hypothesizing, questioning,
researching, visiting, experimenting, reading are all part of the learning
process.
We
began with weeding most of the area. This led to the discovery of worms
in the soil which led us to the study of worms ... anatomy, types, why
they are good for the soil and respect for all living creatures. We
learned about the soil and the difficulty of gardening in Arizona sometimes.
We learned about our bodies ... why we get callouses, aching bones,
and such. 
It
was decided that we would donate most of them to a local food bank,
but save enough so that each student could take some home. We organized
a field trip to the food bank. This led to a discussion of homelessness,
power of attraction, and gratitude. It allowed the children to connect
with a part of the community which many had never been exposed to. The
vegetables that were taken home were made into various delicious ethnic
dishes and brought into be shared. It was a marvelous learning experience
for all of us!