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Garden Check-In (Week 12): One More Thing About Orchids · The Grammar of Classical Education

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: Hello friends,
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: my name is Dr. Darlene Gomes and welcome to our Friday garden check-in this week.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: Before we leave the orchids behind and move on into our garden,
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: I've been thinking a lot about learning and wisdom and wonder and space.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: This week we talked about orchids and how they flourish not
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: because someone is constantly tending to them,
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: but because they're given the right environment.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: They need the right amount of light, the right container, and the right conditions.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: In many ways,
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: they flourish because someone understands them well enough to know when not
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: to interfere.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: I've been thinking about how often that applies to teaching.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: As teachers,
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: and in many cases,
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: teachers who are also parents,
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: we care deeply about those young scholars sitting before us.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: We want them to learn.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: We want them to grow.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes, because we care so much, our natural tendency is often to do more.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: We explain one more time.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: We add one more activity.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: We ask one more question.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: We end up filling all of the quiet moments.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: But wisdom doesn't always grow in the noise.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it grows in the pause after a beautiful story has been read.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it grows while a child quietly observes something in nature.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it grows while a student is allowed to wrestle with an idea instead
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: of immediately being given the answer.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: I really think it comes down to one question we can ask ourselves.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: Am I giving my students enough space for wisdom to do its quiet work?
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Not empty space, not wasted time, but intentional space.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: The kind of space where wonder has room to breathe.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: So, here's a small challenge as you head into next week,
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: in the classroom or just in life if you're still enjoying summer break.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: Look for just one moment where you're tempted to fill the silence.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's after reading a poem or a portion of the story.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's after a discussion.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's after asking a thoughtful question or a difficult question.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of stepping in immediately, simply wait.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: Give your student a little more time than maybe feels comfortable.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: You may be surprised by what begins to grow.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you again for walking through the garden with me this week.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: I hope these garden check-ins become a little reminder
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: that formation often happens quietly, long after the lesson has ended.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time,
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: may you continue to cultivate wonder,
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: tend your garden with wisdom,
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: and trust that some of the most beautiful growth is happening beneath the surface.