Latest / The Grammar of Classical Education / Week 138: The Refreshing Beauty of Rain | Small Shifts - Lasting Formation #15

Transcript

Week 138: The Refreshing Beauty of Rain | Small Shifts - Lasting Formation #15 · The Grammar of Classical Education

• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Grammar of Classical Education,
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  SPEAKER_00: a podcast that examines the philosophical foundations of classical education,
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  SPEAKER_00: and then seeks to help classically minded educators bring those ideas to life
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  SPEAKER_00: in their classroom, co-op, or homeschool settings.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host,
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  SPEAKER_00: Dr. Darlene Gomes, from Leading to Wonder, and I am so glad you've joined us today.
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  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to our garden series where we have looked at the small shifts
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  SPEAKER_00: and lasting formations that can occur in the context
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  SPEAKER_00: of our beautiful educational gardens,
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  SPEAKER_00: be they formal classroom gardens or small little home gardens.
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  SPEAKER_00: Each garden is different.
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  SPEAKER_00: Each is beautiful and each requires a specifically chosen gardener.
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  SPEAKER_00: And guess what?
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  SPEAKER_00: That gardener is you.
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  SPEAKER_00: So much rests on the teacher in all learning environments.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's the teacher who plans and structures the lesson.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's the teacher who communicates the information.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's the teacher who keeps the classroom moving.
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  SPEAKER_00: However, if it were just those simple tasks, teachers would be busy enough.
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  SPEAKER_00: But they also impact the tone of the classroom.
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  SPEAKER_00: They set the mood for each day.
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  SPEAKER_00: They structure the learning like we saw in the tending of the trellises
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  SPEAKER_00: for our beautiful climbing roses.
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  SPEAKER_00: Oh, by the way,
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  SPEAKER_00: that's not even mentioning the Leading to Wonder,
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  SPEAKER_00: the formation of hearts, and the impacting of lives for a really, really long time.
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  SPEAKER_00: Goodness,
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  SPEAKER_00: the list of what is required of a teacher,
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  SPEAKER_00: the gardener in a garden of any size, just goes on and on.
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  SPEAKER_00: Admittedly, it can be a bit overwhelming.
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  SPEAKER_00: But here's where I need you to take a deep breath.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now that I've probably gotten your head swimming a little
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  SPEAKER_00: and your blood pressure rising, Take a nice deep breath.
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  SPEAKER_00: You see,
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  SPEAKER_00: you as the keeper of the garden do have responsibilities
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  SPEAKER_00: that you alone have been given.
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  SPEAKER_00: Gardeners tend the garden,
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  SPEAKER_00: but gardeners cannot force growth and gardeners Do not control the weather.
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  SPEAKER_00: We've talked about the growth before.
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  SPEAKER_00: We as teachers present material and help to shepherd hearts.
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  SPEAKER_00: But just like a gardener must patiently wait for the peonies to bloom,
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  SPEAKER_00: we must not give up hope just because we don't get to enjoy the full flowering.
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  SPEAKER_00: But there is one other area completely out of the gardener's control.
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  SPEAKER_00: And that is the rain.
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  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it is good for us as teachers to realize that it is indeed not fully up to us.
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  SPEAKER_00: The weight of the responsibility doesn't rest completely on our shoulders.
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  SPEAKER_00: The rain isn't under the gardener's control.
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  SPEAKER_00: Ultimately, the student's true growth and formation is in the hands of God alone.
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  SPEAKER_00: The rain that we are ever so familiar with.
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  SPEAKER_00: The rain that can come in soft showers or blinding torrents.
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  SPEAKER_00: The rain that can refresh the flowers or flood the field.
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  SPEAKER_00: That rain.
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  SPEAKER_00: We know it.
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  SPEAKER_00: But what does it actually represent in our garden?
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  SPEAKER_00: What is it that is out of our control and must be given over to the Lord's gracious hand?
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  SPEAKER_00: You see,
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  SPEAKER_00: We can't manufacture the experiences,
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  SPEAKER_00: grace, wisdom, or circumstances through which God forms our students and us.
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  SPEAKER_00: But we can cultivate the conditions to receive them,
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  SPEAKER_00: and we can allow what God is doing in us to become nourishment for those we teach.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now, I'm not saying there isn't anything you can do about giving much needed water
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  SPEAKER_00: to your precious plants.
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  SPEAKER_00: Some tap water is actually okay.
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  SPEAKER_00: But in doing some research,
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  SPEAKER_00: I was quite amazed to find out that there is a significant difference
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  SPEAKER_00: between watering a plant and the plant receiving the refreshing beauty of the rain.
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  SPEAKER_00: A company called Blue Barrel Rainwater Catchment Systems published
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  SPEAKER_00: an article online entitled Rainwater Quality, Why Plants Love Rainwater Best.
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  SPEAKER_00: And they offered four reasons why rainwater is the most beneficial water source for plants.
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  SPEAKER_00: They have graciously allowed me to use them.
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  SPEAKER_00: It was kind of funny that they are clearly talking about real plants,
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  SPEAKER_00: but their ideas reflect the growth of our students and our part,
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  SPEAKER_00: as well as God's part in their watering.
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  SPEAKER_00: The first idea they mention is the purity of the rainwater.
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  SPEAKER_00: This 100% soft water doesn't have some of the harsh chemicals in it like tap water has.
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  SPEAKER_00: Chemicals that can actually harm the plants.
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  SPEAKER_00: Oh, teachers,
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  SPEAKER_00: if we are honest,
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  SPEAKER_00: we will all admit that it is sometimes good
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  SPEAKER_00: to have outside refreshment feeding our students.
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  SPEAKER_00: The tap water that we have access to will give them H2O,
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  SPEAKER_00: but sometimes it gives them other stuff as well.
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  SPEAKER_00: And thankfully, the refreshing rain that only heaven can supply is pure through and through.
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  SPEAKER_00: Another idea they discussed is the fact that rainwater is naturally acidic.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you're like me, you immediately think, acidic?
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  SPEAKER_00: That's bad.
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  SPEAKER_00: Well...
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  SPEAKER_00: Actually, plants need the soil to have a certain pH level to be truly healthy.
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  SPEAKER_00: The science-y person in me would like to go into a full mini lesson on pH levels and
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  SPEAKER_00: the acid and base contrast,
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  SPEAKER_00: but we'll just leave it at our treated city water is actually a little too base
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  SPEAKER_00: when compared to the level at which our plants truly thrive.
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  SPEAKER_00: That idea kind of made me giggle.
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  SPEAKER_00: When compared to refreshing rainwater, our teaching may be considered a little base.
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  SPEAKER_00: We're doing the best we can,
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  SPEAKER_00: but with just our tap water,
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  SPEAKER_00: Our precious little plants aren't quite getting the refreshment they need.
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  SPEAKER_00: When we realize that those moments when the rain sprinkles turn into torrents
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  SPEAKER_00: and we begin to feel overwhelmed,
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  SPEAKER_00: that refreshing rain should serve to remind us that we need it as much
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  SPEAKER_00: as our students do.
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  SPEAKER_00: It offers a balance that we can't create on our own.
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  SPEAKER_00: Another benefit of rainwater
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  SPEAKER_00: that Blue Barrel Rainwater Catchment Systems discusses is that it contains nitrates,
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  SPEAKER_00: a combination of nitrogen and oxygen that plants need most to grow.
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  SPEAKER_00: This is just another reminder of the fact that we can't force the growth.
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  SPEAKER_00: We can only create the environment where our students will grow.
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  SPEAKER_00: We can make sure the soil is good,
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  SPEAKER_00: but when it rains,
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  SPEAKER_00: those plants are able to get a full supply of nitrates,
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  SPEAKER_00: which helps develop the chlorophyll that will in turn help the plant to process
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  SPEAKER_00: the sunlight, which we also don't supply, turning it into food for growth.
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  SPEAKER_00: Those are three of the benefits of rainwater as suggested by Blue Barrel.
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  SPEAKER_00: And while all of those facts are pretty basic rainwater information,
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  SPEAKER_00: they offered one extra idea that struck me as incredibly important for teachers
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  SPEAKER_00: to remember.
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  SPEAKER_00: And to be honest,
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  SPEAKER_00: based on their company name and mission,
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  SPEAKER_00: We would do well to replicate this in our own lives,
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  SPEAKER_00: regardless of our teaching situation.
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  SPEAKER_00: Because they are proponents of rainwater catchments,
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  SPEAKER_00: they point to the organic benefits of collecting rainwater to use
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  SPEAKER_00: when watering your plants.
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  SPEAKER_00: It makes perfectly good sense.
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  SPEAKER_00: The rainwater comes down, hits your roof, proceeds down into your containment system.
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  SPEAKER_00: While doing so, it has collected some chunks of organic material.
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  SPEAKER_00: It is pre-filtered along the way and the water is collected in your rain barrels
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  SPEAKER_00: to be used when watering your plants instead of just tap water.
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  SPEAKER_00: My fellow educators, How beautifully that pictures our entire teaching ecosystem.
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  SPEAKER_00: We are trying to keep our gardens tended and growing,
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  SPEAKER_00: remembering we can't control the growth or the rain,
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  SPEAKER_00: but the rain itself is exactly what we need.
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  SPEAKER_00: The experiences,
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  SPEAKER_00: the grace,
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  SPEAKER_00: the wisdom, and the circumstances through which God forms our students and And us.
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  SPEAKER_00: However, while we can't control it, we can definitely prepare for it.
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  SPEAKER_00: We should have our hearts and minds open for those blessings and even the storms
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  SPEAKER_00: that come when we least expect it.
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  SPEAKER_00: We should have our little rain catchments open and clean and ready.
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  SPEAKER_00: The frustration of a rainstorm when you have other things planned?
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  SPEAKER_00: Store that rain in your catchment.
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  SPEAKER_00: It will no doubt come in handy later.
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  SPEAKER_00: A brief drizzle of stuff when your ground is already saturated?
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  SPEAKER_00: Store it in your rain catchment.
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  SPEAKER_00: A huge rainstorm that floods all of your plans?
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  SPEAKER_00: Store it up in your rain catchment.
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  SPEAKER_00: And maybe, just maybe, Go out and play in it for a bit.
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  SPEAKER_00: So, it's easy to see why storing rain can be a blessing for times of apparent drought.
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  SPEAKER_00: But, and here was the factor that Blue Barrel pointed out that I would have never considered.
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  SPEAKER_00: Rainwater that has been captured after coming down your roof and going through
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  SPEAKER_00: a filtration system is Is really good water for plants.
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  SPEAKER_00: You see, there are living things on the roof that actually almost supercharge the water.
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  SPEAKER_00: Everything from pollen to leaf leftovers.
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  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
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  SPEAKER_00: You may not see this as amazingly as I did.
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  SPEAKER_00: So let me explain it to you in the context of your classroom.
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  SPEAKER_00: And it may totally change how you look at the beauty of refreshing rainstorms
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  SPEAKER_00: that come only from God himself.
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  SPEAKER_00: Those rain showers are going to hit you first.
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  SPEAKER_00: You are kind of like the roof.
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  SPEAKER_00: Not only does it hit you,
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  SPEAKER_00: but it passes over you,
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  SPEAKER_00: through you, picking up some of the living things that have impacted you.
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  SPEAKER_00: And from there,
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  SPEAKER_00: it passes on to your students,
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  SPEAKER_00: giving them the wonderfully supercharged water that nourishes their souls.
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  SPEAKER_00: More specifically, Maybe you learn a lesson about meekness.
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  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's a devotional, maybe a church service, maybe in your own time of studying God's Word.
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  SPEAKER_00: You are letting your heart be molded by that idea.
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  SPEAKER_00: You hold a piece of that attached as it were to your heart.
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  SPEAKER_00: When God sends the rain,
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  SPEAKER_00: be it a gentle sprinkle or a full thunderstorm,
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  SPEAKER_00: The lessons you have been learning and holding in your heart are passed along in
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  SPEAKER_00: the rainwater,
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  SPEAKER_00: captured in the rainwater catchment, ready to be passed on into your students.
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  SPEAKER_00: You see, we are all part of the equation.
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  SPEAKER_00: We tend, but we are also cultivating growth in our own lives.
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  SPEAKER_00: Both elements are benefiting our students and both elements benefit us as well.
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  SPEAKER_00: So, the next time you are feeling overwhelmed,
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  SPEAKER_00: like the growth of these students is all up to you,
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  SPEAKER_00: remember, you can't force the growth.
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  SPEAKER_00: And you don't control the weather.
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  SPEAKER_00: You do your part.
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  SPEAKER_00: You keep learning and growing yourself.
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  SPEAKER_00: And when the Lord sends rain,
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  SPEAKER_00: you can rejoice knowing your precious plants are getting the nutrients they need.
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  SPEAKER_00: The perfect pH balanced water with nitrates that help their hearts and minds continue to grow.
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  SPEAKER_00: And friends, when it seems like the rain keeps coming and coming, rejoice.
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  SPEAKER_00: You have set up catchments to capture that supercharged water for the time
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  SPEAKER_00: when your students, or you, may need the refreshing beauty of the rain.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for joining us today.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: I trust that whatever your teaching situation,
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  SPEAKER_00: whether it's in a classroom or co-op or homeschooling,
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  SPEAKER_00: that you have found these ideas not only encouraging, but challenging as well.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: You can listen to all of the episodes of The Grammar of Classical Education
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.com.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: I also have available a weekly teacher's newsletter that includes some teacher tips
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: and freebies.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: You can sign up for that at the Leading to Wonder newsletter found at darlenegomes.substack.com.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_00: To learn more about me and Leading to Wonder, please visit the website leading2wonder.com.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: No spaces.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_00: I encourage you to reach out if you have any questions or if you're interested in
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: the virtual or in-person workshops that I offer for schools,
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  SPEAKER_00: co-ops, homeschool educators, and parent groups.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_00: Again, my name is Darlene Gomes and thank you for joining us.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: Until next week, remember, as E.B.
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  SPEAKER_00: White said, Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.