Latest / The Grammar of Classical Education / Week 135: Orchid Owner or Wise Gardener | Small Shifts - Lasting Formation #12

Transcript

Week 135: Orchid Owner or Wise Gardener | Small Shifts - Lasting Formation #12 · The Grammar of Classical Education

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Grammar of Classical Education,
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: a podcast that examines the philosophical foundations of classical education,
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: and then seeks to help classically minded educators bring those ideas to life
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: in their classroom, co-op, or homeschool settings.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host,
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Dr. Darlene Gomes, from Leading to Wonder, and I am so glad you've joined us today.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back, or welcome if you're joining us for the first time.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: This summer,
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: we have taken some time to wander through our beautiful garden,
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: learning a lot about some really beautiful plants.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: Well, except for the weeds.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: We've seen how they actually reflect teaching in the classical mindset.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: Last week we wandered out of our small wooded area and were immediately captivated
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: by the beautiful cement containers of minty delight.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: A fantastic reminder that enriching activities cannot replace essentials.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: Minty goodness is great, but if left untended, It can grow wildly out of control.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: However,
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: we were so captivated by those cement planters
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: that we didn't really notice something special growing in our wooded area.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: And that was my fault.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: I was so excited about the mint and its ability to bring delight to everything
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: that I myself was totally captivated
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: and completely missed one additional plant growing in that warm wooded area.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: We had talked about the interconnectedness of the ferns there,
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: but what we didn't discuss was Was the beautiful orchids that were growing in
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: that area as well.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: Some of them were thriving on the ground and others were actually growing on
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: the trees themselves.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Their roots firmly attached to the bark of the trees.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely crazy growing.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: They aren't growing at the expense of the trees,
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: they're growing on the trees,
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  SPEAKER_00: using the water and minerals that accumulate on the bark.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: They need only the dappled sunlight that makes its way through the leaves
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: and branches of the tree.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: Other orchids there can actually grow on rocks.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: They don't harm the rock.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: They just have roots that can grow clinging to rocks,
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: picking up nutrients from available resources.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, and there are even a few orchids that grow underground,
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: like flowers and all completely underground.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: I know, you're thinking, orchids?
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: Those beautiful plants that are so very difficult to keep alive
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: in our homes are not just alive,
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: but are alive and thriving in the dampness of a wooded area,
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: on trees, on rocks, underground.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, those orchids.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: The ones we fuss and stress over,
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: the ones we treat like regular houseplants when we pot them,
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: the ones we listen to everyone tell us to just water by placing a few ice cubes
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: in their pots once a week.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Those orchids.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: The orchids that we consider high maintenance are only really that way
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: when we try too hard to make them something they aren't.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: Hmm.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe the students that sit before us each day could benefit from our understanding
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: of the orchid.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: Isn't it strange that the orchid wasn't struggling in the woods,
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: yet they seem to struggle in our houses?
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: Hmm.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe the problem isn't really with the orchid?
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: You see, Where the mint needed to be contained and tended.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: Our orchids aren't made to thrive in that environment.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: They don't do well with too much.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: Too much hard soil, too much water, too much sunlight.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: They do well just growing as they were designed to grow.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: Now, lest you think that I'm saying we should just let our students grow where they are.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: Don't put pressure on them.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: Don't force them to fit into our mold.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: Let students just be free-range learners.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: That is absolutely not what I am saying.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: We are taking those beautiful orchids and putting them into our classroom gardens.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: But we have to be mindful of just how they thrive.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: Understanding what Aristotle called the nature of a child or their telos,
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: their ultimate purpose.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: Where someone without knowledge of the true nature of an orchid would dig it up,
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: plop it in a pretty planter,
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: take it into the house,
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: read a book that says they need ice cubes and sunlight,
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: so they put them in the window,
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  SPEAKER_00: keep up with the ice,
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: and wonder why this orchid only lasts a few weeks or maybe a few months.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: We definitely don't want to see our students begin to wilt while they're still
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: in their very active growing stages.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: Our responsibility is to be wise gardeners,
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: understanding that by their very nature, students are created to thrive.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: But what do our beautiful orchids need then to survive?
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: They need gardeners who are mindful of their environment.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: Teachers who understand that students need moments to think, not just talking about thinking.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: Students need time for wonder, not just activity.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: They need to be immersed in beautiful language,
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: not simply handed worksheets and creative journal prompts.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: They need opportunity for meaningful discussions,
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: not just basic level questions to which they can spit out rote answers.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: They need rich, living books that nourish imagination and awaken wonder.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: Not just books that are easy for immediate entertainment.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: In other words,
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  SPEAKER_00: we can't just treat them like regular houseplants when they're made
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: to be beautifully thriving orchids.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: And therein lies the difference between being an orchid owner and And
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: a wise gardener of orchids.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Did the plant die because the orchid owner didn't care?
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: No.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: The problem was she didn't realize that tending orchids requires more than just
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: a desire to keep a beautiful orchid alive.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: Being a classically minded teacher...
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: Requires more than just the desire to have a perfect display of student growth.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: The classically minded teacher understands that she can't force growth,
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: but she can create the environment where growth can take place.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: And it doesn't necessarily mean doing more.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: We understand that the telos,
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: the ultimate purpose of our students, is to flourish as human beings.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: That flourishing includes growing in wisdom, virtue, truth, goodness, and beauty.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: Our aim is not merely for them to get a good job or to be successful by the world's standards.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: Our goal,
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: our desire is for them to experience true eudaimonia,
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: the good life, a life of flourishing, full of purpose and meaning.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: And then our task as teachers must be to help our students grow in those things
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: by providing the space and The silence,
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: the beautiful language, the good books, the wonder.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: And from there, the truth, goodness, beauty, and wisdom can thrive.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: So we talk about understanding what your students truly need,
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: but what does that look like in a classroom or at a kitchen table?
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: It goes back to knowing what they need and realizing our tendency to give too much.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: The too much orchid owner inadvertently gives.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: A true gardener of orchids senses the nature of the students and handles them with wisdom.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: Let's see if you can spot the difference between an orchid owner and a wise gardener of orchids.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: Both have prepared for a lesson on Charlotte's Web.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: They have their handouts prepared for Chapter 11, The Miracle.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: They have vocabulary words written out on cards.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: They both have pictures ready for the students to add to their timelines.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: Both classes are reading the chapter together,
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: and out of the blue,
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: one little boy,
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: one of the rough and tumble boys,
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: Raises his hand and honestly asks, why did Charlotte help Wilbur anyway?
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: Now one teacher looks at the clock,
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: looks at the worksheets and vocab cards and pictures that still needs
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: to be completed, sighs and said, that is Is a great question.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: We'll chat about that a bit later.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: We really only have a few minutes to finish up this chapter before lunch.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: The other teacher looks at the clock,
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: looks at the worksheets,
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  SPEAKER_00: vocab cards,
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: and pictures that still needs to be completed and says,
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: that is a really good question.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: Why do you think Charlotte helped Wilbur?
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: After the little boy's answer,
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: she sees a few other hands raised and lets just a couple of them add their input.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_00: She wraps up with a question about how we show friendship.
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  SPEAKER_00: Not one that she's expecting an answer to,
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: but one that encourages them to think about it on their own, in their real world.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: She jots a quick note to start back there tomorrow.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: She glances down and decides that the review worksheet is pretty important
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: for tomorrow and vocab and pictures can be done tomorrow as part of their review.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: So, which one is an orchid owner and which one is a wise gardener of orchids?
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: You see, That second teacher didn't have to add anything except a little extra space.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: And what did the students gain?
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: A concrete example of what friendship looked like in Charlotte's Web and an idea
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: of how they can take that into their world.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: Not because the teacher spelled it out for them or preached to them about kindness.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: But because she left them room to think.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: It's not free-range learning.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: Our beautiful orchids have specific needs.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: But we as wise gardeners must be continually mindful of the environment
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: of our classroom, co-op, and homeschool setting.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: That the flourishing of our orchids results from an understanding of their nature
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_00: and the wisdom to direct and care for it with a wise gardener's heart.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for joining us today.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: I trust that whatever your teaching situation,
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: whether it's in a classroom or co-op or homeschooling,
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: that you have found these ideas not only encouraging, but challenging as well.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: You can listen to all of the episodes of The Grammar of Classical Education
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_00: on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: I also have available a weekly teacher's newsletter that includes some teacher tips
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: and freebies.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: You can sign up for that at the Leading to Wonder newsletter found at darlenegomes.substack.com.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: To learn more about me and Leading to Wonder, please visit the website leading2wonder.com.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_00: No spaces.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: I encourage you to reach out if you have any questions or if you're interested in
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_00: the virtual or in-person workshops that I offer for schools,
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_00: co-ops, homeschool educators, and parent groups.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: Again, my name is Darlene Gomes and thank you for joining us.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_00: Until next week, remember, as E.B.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: White said, Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.