Images and metaphor are the language of the heart. Education is such a place of the heart!
I hold a space where students are moving from the early childhood concrete and sensory experiences in nature to the very abstract reasoning and thoughtfulness of adolescence.
In this space helping students connect to the creation around them seems natural and yet at times forgotten. However, at the advent of this new season of exploring ‘Learn Forward’ I find myself reflecting on two crucial symbols in nature: the tree and a stone.
For me, my entire faith can be summed up in the depth of the tree and a stone. In Christian faith, The Tree and A Stone is about love, surrender, and forgiveness culminating in life, freedom, and eternity!
What does that have to do with education?
- love
- surrender
- forgiveness
- life
- freedom
- eternity
Well, when we teach with these as our foundation stones, it is easy to see the growth, strength and vitality of worthiness emerge in each student. We aren’t in a rush. We are surrendered to the process. We can trust. We can relate authentically with each other.
Connecting students to nature and the symbols of life is a pathway to encouraging a sense of worthiness in each child! Worthiness is the first step in a powerful climb towards the peaks of selfhood, meaningful work, and leadership!
‘Learn Forward’ is about embracing all of the symbology that The Tree and A Stone offer with faith that we will move forward with a brilliant light and future at Willowstone Academy and beyond!