Latest / The Grammar of Classical Education / Garden Check-In (Week 17): Come Sit for a While

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Garden Check-In (Week 17): Come Sit for a While · The Grammar of Classical Education

• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Greetings and salutations, my fellow educators.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Again, it's just a little sad to realize that this is our final Friday garden check-in.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: It has been such a joy to walk through our educational garden together,
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: knowing that no matter how big or how small your garden is,
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: It is still being tended and it is still growing at its own perfect pace.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Before we get into our last time together in the garden, I really have to apologize.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure if you can hear it, but I certainly can.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: The very annoying but somewhat calming hum of generators in the background is In one
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: of those bold Michigan storms, we lost power last night.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: And so today,
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: all day, all over the neighborhood, the choir of generators are rumbling in rhythm.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, I had put off recording until the last minute.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: Life can get pretty crazy sometimes,
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: only to have the last recording window accompanied by an ever-present drone.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: I certainly hope it isn't too distracting,
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: but to be honest,
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: sometimes you just gotta sit for a bit and let the cares of the world just kind
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: of fade into the background and And that,
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: my friends, works perfectly with our final garden check-in.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: You see, every garden has, or definitely should have, a lovely little bench.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: A quiet place where you can just come and sit,
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: peacefully relax, and take in the beauty of your surroundings.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: But here's the problem.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: It is assumed that that bench is for visitors to the garden.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: You know, those people who pass by and come in and maybe sit for a spell.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: It might be someone walking by the classroom door,
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: or it might be an administrator coming in for a planned observation.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: If you're homeschooling, it may be a friend or family member who stops by during the day.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: You want those people to feel welcome,
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: or at least to make it look like they would feel welcome,
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: even if you prefer they don't actually come in and sit for a spell.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: For all of you who've had administrators come into your room and take a seat for
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: an observation, know exactly what I mean.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: But as we close our garden series,
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to realize that the bench is actually made for you too.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: For you to sit and enjoy the beauty.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: For you to sit and take a breath.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: For you to sit down and rest when you are weary.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: And it's not just to catch your breath or rest up so you can get going and do some more.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's a sit down and be grateful.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Sit down and enjoy the beauty that is growing all around you, growing even as you look at it.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: It is moments like that.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: That can help you see everything quite differently.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: I understand.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: As a teacher gardener, there are days that are really rough.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: There are seasons when you feel like you are constantly fighting weeds,
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: praying those little plants will grow while trying to keep the minty delights
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: in check.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: Those days are exhausting.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: And those are the days when you may most need a moment on the bench of your garden.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: I encourage you,
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: one day when you feel you need it most,
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: stand or sit for a moment in your classroom and just look around.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: Don't look for the weeds.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: Don't worry about the out-of-bound wildflowers or the roses
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: that have once again come loose from the trellis.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, just take a breath and look at the whole of the beautiful garden you are tending.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: You may feel worn, a little icky, but Underqualified for the garden that lies before you.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: But as you stand there,
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: remember my dear friend,
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: you have been hand chosen by the master gardener to tend this specific garden.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: Each of these young scholars,
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: whatever age they may be,
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: regardless of the number, the Lord has chosen you to tend their hearts for the year.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: Tend wisely.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: But don't forget, gardeners also need to take time to enjoy the beautiful flowers in their care.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for joining me for our series Small Shifts Lasting Formations
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: as we have made our way through the beautiful garden in our care.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: I trust that it has been an encouragement as well as a challenge.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: Being a teacher gardener is not for the faint of heart.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: But thankfully, we work under the care of the master gardener.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: So, have a seat for a while on the bench of your garden and soak in all the beauty
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: that surrounds you.