Last week was an intense week for staff at our school. There was a lot of different activities going on, and a lot of stressful situations on top of that.
Luckily, we had our monthly staff circle on Thursday, which largely deals with interpersonal conflict. Then, the following day we had a scheduled staff development day on Friday, and finally Monday we had our regular once-a-week staff meeting.
The staff circle was intense! The staff is really honest with each other when they need to be, and we got to the core of several conflicts and resolved them.
Then the staff development day we had another meeting, this time a brunch held at the intern house (my house). The most important part of the discussion for me was talking about the way our meetings go. They always drag on so long, and can be very frustrating at times. But we came up with several ways to try to make them better including: taking breaks, prioritizing agenda items, reading off all announcements at the beginning, and having a rotating facilitator each week. We have had a meeting since and it went so smoothly. It really feels refreshing.
We also did a go round and each shared how we help ourselves from getting burnt out. It felt really good for me to come out with the feeling I had been holding that I wasn't connecting with two of the downstairs (older student) staff and that they didn't like me. I just told them that I want to get to know them better, etc. and that felt really good too.
The downstairs staff also resolved to gather at least on Monday mornings to discuss all the weeks activities and to coordinate roles and trips and such.
Well, that is all I have to say about staff development. I don't know how to catch the essence of how important or worthwhile it was, but it has certainly made a difference in the teacher's interactions at school
Monday, October 29, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
The B-Word
The Albany Free School allows children to curse, in an attempt to allow them freedom of expression without holding themselves back. However, some words are banned from the school. Any words whose definition are tied to oppression or hate are not allowed, including the n-word and the b-word.
Last year, the students came up with a consequence for students who used the b-word. They decided that if you used it you had to look up the definition and explain it to a room of women. This consequence has been effective, especially for the younger kids, who don't immediately understand why the b-word is different than the other curse words they are allowed to say.
One 7th grade student has had a particularly hard time cutting the habit. He already completed the consequence last year of defining the word to a group of women. Last week he went to far last week with an 8th grade woman by calling her the b-word. At first she tried to solve the problem in a small group by gathering support from the women's identity group in confronting him. The student said he understood why people didn't like the word, but it didn't seem like he really cared. Some of the adult women in the group encouraged the 8th grade woman to call a council meeting about the issue, because he was a repeat offender and to gain insight from the males in the school. A council meeting is an all-school meeting to help solve conflicts. It is run under Robert's Rules of Order.
So after finding out more about the problem (like that he was a repeat offender, had already served the initial consequence, showed little remorse and expressed that he had little control over it coming out of his mouth or not), the students started proposing punitive consequences to try to get him to stop using the word. For example, some people suggested that for every time he said the b-word he would have to pay a dollar. However, several of the other students had a problem with this because 1. he would probably just get the money from his parents and 2. the consequence was totally disconnected from the problem.
We finally settled on the student being required to do community service at a survivors of domestic violence center, once a week for four weeks. The idea behind that is that right now he doesn't see the pain behind that word, or care for that matter. If he can be exposed to issues of physical and emotional abuse he might decide he doesn't want to be identified with those struggles through his language. We'll see how it goes!
The council meeting was really powerful for me to witness, because it really took it's own course but ended up in a place that we all felt good about.
Last year, the students came up with a consequence for students who used the b-word. They decided that if you used it you had to look up the definition and explain it to a room of women. This consequence has been effective, especially for the younger kids, who don't immediately understand why the b-word is different than the other curse words they are allowed to say.
One 7th grade student has had a particularly hard time cutting the habit. He already completed the consequence last year of defining the word to a group of women. Last week he went to far last week with an 8th grade woman by calling her the b-word. At first she tried to solve the problem in a small group by gathering support from the women's identity group in confronting him. The student said he understood why people didn't like the word, but it didn't seem like he really cared. Some of the adult women in the group encouraged the 8th grade woman to call a council meeting about the issue, because he was a repeat offender and to gain insight from the males in the school. A council meeting is an all-school meeting to help solve conflicts. It is run under Robert's Rules of Order.
So after finding out more about the problem (like that he was a repeat offender, had already served the initial consequence, showed little remorse and expressed that he had little control over it coming out of his mouth or not), the students started proposing punitive consequences to try to get him to stop using the word. For example, some people suggested that for every time he said the b-word he would have to pay a dollar. However, several of the other students had a problem with this because 1. he would probably just get the money from his parents and 2. the consequence was totally disconnected from the problem.
We finally settled on the student being required to do community service at a survivors of domestic violence center, once a week for four weeks. The idea behind that is that right now he doesn't see the pain behind that word, or care for that matter. If he can be exposed to issues of physical and emotional abuse he might decide he doesn't want to be identified with those struggles through his language. We'll see how it goes!
The council meeting was really powerful for me to witness, because it really took it's own course but ended up in a place that we all felt good about.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Student-teacher opportunities
I have started looking for student teacher opportunities for Fall of 2007. My first filter has been 1)alternative public schools and 2) location. Basically I have been looking at alternative public school in major cities that I am interested in living in. Oh, and they have to have middle school grades.
San Francisco, California
Lighthouse Community Charter School
info@lighthousecharter.org
345 12th Street
Oakland, CA 94607
k-12
Claire Lilienthal School
http://www.clairelilienthal.org/
3630 Divisadero Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
We are deeply committed to providing a superior K-8 alternative school within the San Francisco Unified School District. We attribute our success to an active partnership among the students, parents, guardians, teachers, and staff. We are highly supportive of student development and ethical behavior where every individual is treated with respect.
We are dedicated to:
* providing a challenging, exciting, & relevant learning experience
* helping students reach their highest potential in academic performance
* ensuring adequate funds to support our unique & highly-valued curriculum
* maintaining a safe & nurturing educational evironment
* promoting positive interaction among our diverse population
Seattle, Washington
John Marshall Alternative
http://www.seattleschools.org/schools/jmarshall/index.html
520 NE Ravenna Blvd,
Seattle, WA 98115
6-12 "reentry program"
Alternative School #1
http://as1.seattleschools.org
11530 12th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125
k-8
"modified free school"
Students, with the help of parents and staff, choose their teachers and classes. Many choices are available. Each day starts in a family-style core group where students plan their day, and work on a core theme. Mornings are devoted to reading, writing, math, and the like. Art, crafts, drama, dance, music, and multicultural activities are integral to learning at AS#1, as are fieldtrips and wilderness adventure. Parents are welcome at school, and often help with tutoring, teaching, transportation, playground supervision, and tasks in the office. Our all-day kindergarten provides hands-on experiences and involvement in electives with children of other ages.
Seasonal "Snow sports program"
Salmon Bay School
http://www.salmonbay.seattleschools.org/
1810 NW 65th St.
Seattle, WA 98117
k-8
Summit k-12
http://www.seattleschools.org/schools/summitk-12/
11051 34th Ave NE
Seattle, WA
Summit school has a progressive K-12 liberal arts curriculum, linking elementary, middle and high school students. We produce a knowledgeable, well-rounded student community ready to take on academic challenges. Elementary students are nurtured and given creative freedom. The small middle school encourages participation and exploration along with academic skill mastery. The intimate size of the high school insures quality individual growth. The professional faculty embraces a student-centered, inquiry approach to learning that focuses on social justice, experiential learning, and the arts.
Asheville, North Carolina
Evergreen Community Charter School
http://www.evergreenccs.org/index.html
50 Bell Road,
Asheville, North Carolina 28805
k-8
High Academic Standards, Experiential, Hands-on Learning, Service Learning, Environmental Education, Integrated Arts, Holistic Curriculum, Parents as Partners
Artspace Charter School for Arts Integrated Education
http://www.artspacecharter.org
2030 US Highway 70,
Swannanoa, NC, 28778
ArtSpace Charter School is a tuition-free public school offering a creative, arts-integrated approach to a complete education.
The school offers a complete education through integrated curricula based on the visual and performing arts, utilizing an experiential approach. We believe in a family oriented, cooperative approach to education that encourages parental involvement and community relationships to nurture responsive citizenship.
Francine Delany New School for Children
http://www.fdnsc.net/index.htm
119 Brevard Road,
Asheville, NC 28806
k-8
We believe that students learn best when they are actively engaged in an experientially rich, hands-on program of study in classrooms that serve as working models of the learning community we strive to create. Students are challenged to develop critical thinking skills and to reach ambitious academic goals while developing self-respect and respect for others. Curiosity and creativity are valued; teachers function as guides and partners.
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor Learning Community
http://www.annarborlearningcommunity.org
3980 Research Park Dr.
Ann Arbor MI 48108
k-8
Ann Arbor Learning Community is committed to the rigorous development of student intellect, curiosity and cooperation with a focus on helping students value themselves, their peers and their community. A safe and nurturing environment supports the social and emotional development of children, which is fundamental for effective student learning. Our learning community – made up of students, teachers, staff and families working together -- affirms and supports a variety of learning styles and believes that students require multiple opportunities to demonstrate their mastery of concepts. Student’s understanding of how they learn empowers them. In our pursuit we promote participatory learning that is experiential, student-centered, developmentally based and individualized to student’s particular learning styles and strengths.
San Francisco, California
Lighthouse Community Charter School
info@lighthousecharter.org
345 12th Street
Oakland, CA 94607
k-12
Claire Lilienthal School
http://www.clairelilienthal.org/
3630 Divisadero Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
We are deeply committed to providing a superior K-8 alternative school within the San Francisco Unified School District. We attribute our success to an active partnership among the students, parents, guardians, teachers, and staff. We are highly supportive of student development and ethical behavior where every individual is treated with respect.
We are dedicated to:
* providing a challenging, exciting, & relevant learning experience
* helping students reach their highest potential in academic performance
* ensuring adequate funds to support our unique & highly-valued curriculum
* maintaining a safe & nurturing educational evironment
* promoting positive interaction among our diverse population
Seattle, Washington
John Marshall Alternative
http://www.seattleschools.org/schools/jmarshall/index.html
520 NE Ravenna Blvd,
Seattle, WA 98115
6-12 "reentry program"
Alternative School #1
http://as1.seattleschools.org
11530 12th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125
k-8
"modified free school"
Students, with the help of parents and staff, choose their teachers and classes. Many choices are available. Each day starts in a family-style core group where students plan their day, and work on a core theme. Mornings are devoted to reading, writing, math, and the like. Art, crafts, drama, dance, music, and multicultural activities are integral to learning at AS#1, as are fieldtrips and wilderness adventure. Parents are welcome at school, and often help with tutoring, teaching, transportation, playground supervision, and tasks in the office. Our all-day kindergarten provides hands-on experiences and involvement in electives with children of other ages.
Seasonal "Snow sports program"
Salmon Bay School
http://www.salmonbay.seattleschools.org/
1810 NW 65th St.
Seattle, WA 98117
k-8
Summit k-12
http://www.seattleschools.org/schools/summitk-12/
11051 34th Ave NE
Seattle, WA
Summit school has a progressive K-12 liberal arts curriculum, linking elementary, middle and high school students. We produce a knowledgeable, well-rounded student community ready to take on academic challenges. Elementary students are nurtured and given creative freedom. The small middle school encourages participation and exploration along with academic skill mastery. The intimate size of the high school insures quality individual growth. The professional faculty embraces a student-centered, inquiry approach to learning that focuses on social justice, experiential learning, and the arts.
Asheville, North Carolina
Evergreen Community Charter School
http://www.evergreenccs.org/index.html
50 Bell Road,
Asheville, North Carolina 28805
k-8
High Academic Standards, Experiential, Hands-on Learning, Service Learning, Environmental Education, Integrated Arts, Holistic Curriculum, Parents as Partners
Artspace Charter School for Arts Integrated Education
http://www.artspacecharter.org
2030 US Highway 70,
Swannanoa, NC, 28778
ArtSpace Charter School is a tuition-free public school offering a creative, arts-integrated approach to a complete education.
The school offers a complete education through integrated curricula based on the visual and performing arts, utilizing an experiential approach. We believe in a family oriented, cooperative approach to education that encourages parental involvement and community relationships to nurture responsive citizenship.
Francine Delany New School for Children
http://www.fdnsc.net/index.htm
119 Brevard Road,
Asheville, NC 28806
k-8
We believe that students learn best when they are actively engaged in an experientially rich, hands-on program of study in classrooms that serve as working models of the learning community we strive to create. Students are challenged to develop critical thinking skills and to reach ambitious academic goals while developing self-respect and respect for others. Curiosity and creativity are valued; teachers function as guides and partners.
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor Learning Community
http://www.annarborlearningcommunity.org
3980 Research Park Dr.
Ann Arbor MI 48108
k-8
Ann Arbor Learning Community is committed to the rigorous development of student intellect, curiosity and cooperation with a focus on helping students value themselves, their peers and their community. A safe and nurturing environment supports the social and emotional development of children, which is fundamental for effective student learning. Our learning community – made up of students, teachers, staff and families working together -- affirms and supports a variety of learning styles and believes that students require multiple opportunities to demonstrate their mastery of concepts. Student’s understanding of how they learn empowers them. In our pursuit we promote participatory learning that is experiential, student-centered, developmentally based and individualized to student’s particular learning styles and strengths.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Harriet Tubman Free School
The Harriet Tubman Free School (http://www.tubmanfreeschool.org) is an offshoot of the Albany Free School. It is in its second year of operation and has 30 high school students, 3 full-time staff, and 2 interns. The school has 5 students that grew up going to the Albany Free School, but the rest are students that came from public school. There is a wide variety of reasons that the students have for going there and a wide variety of goals that they have. Some students were otherwise facing dropping out of school, and others hoped to graduate high school faster. The goals of the students vary: some want to graduate in 2 years and go to trade school and some want to take the regents exam and go to college.
The school day is scheduled loosely, but there are classes offered every day. However, the classes are not mandatory. The students meet with their advisor throughout the week to set goals and maintain them. The students are divided among the 3 teachers for advising, with each teacher taking a certain age range. The students are all working on building portfolio’s while they are attending.
I have spent quite a bit of time at the Harriet Tubman Free School. I teach math there once a week. I am one of two math teachers. I have a group of 3 students that regularly show up to my classes. They are all ninth graders and so far we have been working on percents, long division, multiplication, fractions and algebra. I have been pulling interactive mathematics activities off of the internet to do them with my class. My favorite so far was “How to win at Wheel of Fortune” which found the probability that letters will occur.
Another reason why I often go over to the high school is that they regularly host games of kickball, capture the flag, and whiffle ball. Many of the older students at my school like to go over and join the games there. The high schoolers are really great about including the younger students.
The school day is scheduled loosely, but there are classes offered every day. However, the classes are not mandatory. The students meet with their advisor throughout the week to set goals and maintain them. The students are divided among the 3 teachers for advising, with each teacher taking a certain age range. The students are all working on building portfolio’s while they are attending.
I have spent quite a bit of time at the Harriet Tubman Free School. I teach math there once a week. I am one of two math teachers. I have a group of 3 students that regularly show up to my classes. They are all ninth graders and so far we have been working on percents, long division, multiplication, fractions and algebra. I have been pulling interactive mathematics activities off of the internet to do them with my class. My favorite so far was “How to win at Wheel of Fortune” which found the probability that letters will occur.
Another reason why I often go over to the high school is that they regularly host games of kickball, capture the flag, and whiffle ball. Many of the older students at my school like to go over and join the games there. The high schoolers are really great about including the younger students.
Brooklyn Free School
This week I went on a full day trip with the 4th through 8th graders from our school to the Brooklyn Free School (the website is really cool, check it out: http://brooklynfreeschool.org/). The school has been operating for 3 years, and is already at capacity in their current building. We went to the school to attend the convergence of northeastern democratic schools that was being held there. There were several different democratic schools that were represented including the Brooklyn Free School, the Albany Free School, the Harriet Tubman Free School, and the Hudson Valley Sudbury School. Each school had between 20 to 40 students and 5 to 10 teachers. In the morning there was a meeting of everyone in attendance. Each school gave a report of news from there school, talked about upcoming events, and then the students proposed events for after lunch.
After lunch there were many different activities offered. There were 3 different walking trips to parks and walkways in the area. There was a discussion on schools and pedagogy. I decided to go to the room designated for board games and I played Scrabble with students for a few hours.
All in all the day was very Free School-esque. There weren’t any required activities; people chose what they wanted to do. The Brooklyn Free School is a little smaller than the Albany Free School. The Brooklyn school is housed in a church that still holds services on weekends. The student population is more diverse than the Albany Free School. A majority of the students at the Albany Free School are white, but at the Brooklyn Free School there was more racial diversity. That is a very interesting fact because the Albany Free School is housed in a neighborhood that has a very high population of black residents, but the school population does not reflect that. The Brooklyn Free School must be more rooted in its neighborhood, or perhaps the idea is more widely accepted in New York City.
The interactions between the students and teachers at the Brooklyn Free School seemed relaxed.
After lunch there were many different activities offered. There were 3 different walking trips to parks and walkways in the area. There was a discussion on schools and pedagogy. I decided to go to the room designated for board games and I played Scrabble with students for a few hours.
All in all the day was very Free School-esque. There weren’t any required activities; people chose what they wanted to do. The Brooklyn Free School is a little smaller than the Albany Free School. The Brooklyn school is housed in a church that still holds services on weekends. The student population is more diverse than the Albany Free School. A majority of the students at the Albany Free School are white, but at the Brooklyn Free School there was more racial diversity. That is a very interesting fact because the Albany Free School is housed in a neighborhood that has a very high population of black residents, but the school population does not reflect that. The Brooklyn Free School must be more rooted in its neighborhood, or perhaps the idea is more widely accepted in New York City.
The interactions between the students and teachers at the Brooklyn Free School seemed relaxed.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Rainbow Camp
The Free School community owns a cabin on Grafton Lake that they call "Rainbow Camp". It is about a half hour drive from the city of Albany. The cabin is an old inn, which is somewhat rundown these days. There is one large common room on the first floor, along with a rap-around porch and a kitchen. The upstairs has several rooms and beds and is rumored to be haunted.
We did our first "all school" overnight this weekend out at Rainbow Camp. The school owns one large 15 seat van. We also had to drive 3 more mini vans to fit everyone. We left Thursday morning around 10:30 a.m. and returned the following day at 3:00 p.m. When I say "all school" that really means the "downstairs students" or the 1st through 8th grades. The "upstairs students" are the preschool through kindergarteners.
There was one large glitch in our original plan: lice was discovered on a student on Wednesday. Therefore we spent the first hour and a half of school before we left searching every child's head before they were allowed to board the vans.
On the way to Rainbow Camp I rode in the 15 passenger van with all of the 1st through 3rd graders and another teacher. As we were driving along the highway we began smelling a burning rubber smell. We wrote it off as the smell of new asphalt until we got off of the highway and noticed smoke coming off of the rear wheel. Turns out the parking break had been on that whole time: oops.
Many of the students had already been to Rainbow Camp before, and many of them were seasoned veterans. Some of the students had never been to Rainbow Camp before, let alone been on a school overnight before.
As soon as all of the vans had arrived we had a meeting regarding rules while we were at Rainbow Camp. Despite some people's misconceptions, at Free Schools the students do not do whatever they want all the time. A catch-phrase popular among Free Schools now, originally said by A. S. Neill, the founder of Summerhill a leader in the Free School Movement is, "Freedom, not license"
"I define license as interfering with another's freedom. For example, in my school a child is free to go to lessons or to stay away from lessons because that is his own affair, but he is not allowed to play a trumpet when others want to study or sleep."
So anyways, many of the rules had to do with safety and respect for the site. We set up boundaries, and if you wanted to go beyond those boundaries you had to check with a teacher. The students weren't allowed to go off by themselves. They were asked to be respectful of the neighbors and encouraged to play outside while there was still sunshine and daylight. The students were allowed to wade into the lake if they had warm things to change into, but they weren't allowed to swim because a lifeguard was required by lake policy.
There were some popular places where many of the students wanted to go. The "fairy steps" were a set of stone moss-covered steps that led into nothing more than a fern covered wooded plateau. Legend has it that if you walk silently up the steps you are granted a wish at the top. The "dinosaur rock" is a giant rock out of place in the middle of the woods. The cemetery is a dilapidated cemetery from the early 19th century. Some of the headstones are still erect and legible, while others are barely noticeable due to the earth and leaves which have come to cover them. Another hot spot is what the students call the "witches cabin", which is an abandoned house up the hill. There is a creek which leads into the lake and a bridge over the creek for cars to drive over and, it seems, for children to play under. Then there is the large grassy shaded area directly in front of the cabin, which is good for football, tag, and imaginary games. Over the weekend several of the students could often be found at the picnic tables playing Magic or Yu-gi-oh. And finally there was the lake front, with a boat and two large climbing trees that looked out over the lake.
It was incredible to see the change in the moods of the children as soon as we arrived and as the overnight went on. Their moods changed from anxiety at being in the car to peacefulness at being close to nature and to have the space to explore. Groups of 4 or 5 children would head off to one of the locations I described and the conflicts which are inevitable during the school day seemed so distant at Rainbow Camp. The older children were allowed to go off without an adult, whereas the 1st and 2nd graders were asked to stay within vision or to have an adult with them. There was very little conflict or tension. Only one council meeting was called the whole trip, and it was called on a first grader named Logan because he waded completely into the water, fully clothed, and decided to go swimming. The consequence that the students proposed and that was passed was that Logan was not allowed past the grassy area with the picnic tables for the rest of the day.
Around 3 p.m. I went with another teacher and 8 other students on a short drive to the Grafton Peace Pagoda (http://www.geocities.com/dharmadoors/grafton_peace_pagoda.html). I had heard talk of this place for some time, and assumed that it was a project of students of the free school. I learned that the Peace Pagoda was built on land that originally belonged to an indigenous American man. He donated the land to the Free School because he liked what the school was doing. Then the school donated the land to the Peace Pagoda. The peace pagoda was built with the help of monks, nuns, community members, teachers and students. It was made in the Buddhist tradition with scaffolding constructed of lumber. The 14th anniversary of the pagoda being built was celebrated the weekend after we were there.
So we were going to the Peace Pagoda, walking through the woods towards it. I was incredibly surprised when the path we were on came to a plateau, the trees parted, and there was the peace pagoda. The place resonated with spiritual vibes. The pagoda is not something you can go inside, instead it is something to walk around and observe. On the side of it's walls are images that tell the story of the Buddha.
We went to the altar house and were greeted by several volunteers visiting from Japan. They called on Jun Son, the leader of the peace pagoda, and a Buddhist nun. Bowing to us she led us into the altar room. She chanted to welcome us and then led the students in drumming. Then she asked us why we had come. We told her we wanted help her prepare for the coming anniversary celebration. She gave us the chore of weeding the gravel area surrounding the pagoda and invited us back for tea after we were done. The students started out with lots of complaints and disbelief at how many weeds there were and how small they were. However, before we knew it it had been an hour and we had made a serious dent in the weeds. We went back to the altarhouse and Jun Son was waiting there for us with tea and cookies. We thanked her for allowing us to come. One of the young volunteers gave us all pinwheels, made out of paper and pencils, with images of peace drawn on the paper.
The trip to the peace pagoda was by far the most moving and enjoyable part of the trip for me. Jun Son is an incredible person who emanates peace, joy and acceptance from her.
We did our first "all school" overnight this weekend out at Rainbow Camp. The school owns one large 15 seat van. We also had to drive 3 more mini vans to fit everyone. We left Thursday morning around 10:30 a.m. and returned the following day at 3:00 p.m. When I say "all school" that really means the "downstairs students" or the 1st through 8th grades. The "upstairs students" are the preschool through kindergarteners.
There was one large glitch in our original plan: lice was discovered on a student on Wednesday. Therefore we spent the first hour and a half of school before we left searching every child's head before they were allowed to board the vans.
On the way to Rainbow Camp I rode in the 15 passenger van with all of the 1st through 3rd graders and another teacher. As we were driving along the highway we began smelling a burning rubber smell. We wrote it off as the smell of new asphalt until we got off of the highway and noticed smoke coming off of the rear wheel. Turns out the parking break had been on that whole time: oops.
Many of the students had already been to Rainbow Camp before, and many of them were seasoned veterans. Some of the students had never been to Rainbow Camp before, let alone been on a school overnight before.
As soon as all of the vans had arrived we had a meeting regarding rules while we were at Rainbow Camp. Despite some people's misconceptions, at Free Schools the students do not do whatever they want all the time. A catch-phrase popular among Free Schools now, originally said by A. S. Neill, the founder of Summerhill a leader in the Free School Movement is, "Freedom, not license"
"I define license as interfering with another's freedom. For example, in my school a child is free to go to lessons or to stay away from lessons because that is his own affair, but he is not allowed to play a trumpet when others want to study or sleep."
So anyways, many of the rules had to do with safety and respect for the site. We set up boundaries, and if you wanted to go beyond those boundaries you had to check with a teacher. The students weren't allowed to go off by themselves. They were asked to be respectful of the neighbors and encouraged to play outside while there was still sunshine and daylight. The students were allowed to wade into the lake if they had warm things to change into, but they weren't allowed to swim because a lifeguard was required by lake policy.
There were some popular places where many of the students wanted to go. The "fairy steps" were a set of stone moss-covered steps that led into nothing more than a fern covered wooded plateau. Legend has it that if you walk silently up the steps you are granted a wish at the top. The "dinosaur rock" is a giant rock out of place in the middle of the woods. The cemetery is a dilapidated cemetery from the early 19th century. Some of the headstones are still erect and legible, while others are barely noticeable due to the earth and leaves which have come to cover them. Another hot spot is what the students call the "witches cabin", which is an abandoned house up the hill. There is a creek which leads into the lake and a bridge over the creek for cars to drive over and, it seems, for children to play under. Then there is the large grassy shaded area directly in front of the cabin, which is good for football, tag, and imaginary games. Over the weekend several of the students could often be found at the picnic tables playing Magic or Yu-gi-oh. And finally there was the lake front, with a boat and two large climbing trees that looked out over the lake.
It was incredible to see the change in the moods of the children as soon as we arrived and as the overnight went on. Their moods changed from anxiety at being in the car to peacefulness at being close to nature and to have the space to explore. Groups of 4 or 5 children would head off to one of the locations I described and the conflicts which are inevitable during the school day seemed so distant at Rainbow Camp. The older children were allowed to go off without an adult, whereas the 1st and 2nd graders were asked to stay within vision or to have an adult with them. There was very little conflict or tension. Only one council meeting was called the whole trip, and it was called on a first grader named Logan because he waded completely into the water, fully clothed, and decided to go swimming. The consequence that the students proposed and that was passed was that Logan was not allowed past the grassy area with the picnic tables for the rest of the day.
Around 3 p.m. I went with another teacher and 8 other students on a short drive to the Grafton Peace Pagoda (http://www.geocities.com/dharmadoors/grafton_peace_pagoda.html). I had heard talk of this place for some time, and assumed that it was a project of students of the free school. I learned that the Peace Pagoda was built on land that originally belonged to an indigenous American man. He donated the land to the Free School because he liked what the school was doing. Then the school donated the land to the Peace Pagoda. The peace pagoda was built with the help of monks, nuns, community members, teachers and students. It was made in the Buddhist tradition with scaffolding constructed of lumber. The 14th anniversary of the pagoda being built was celebrated the weekend after we were there.
So we were going to the Peace Pagoda, walking through the woods towards it. I was incredibly surprised when the path we were on came to a plateau, the trees parted, and there was the peace pagoda. The place resonated with spiritual vibes. The pagoda is not something you can go inside, instead it is something to walk around and observe. On the side of it's walls are images that tell the story of the Buddha.
We went to the altar house and were greeted by several volunteers visiting from Japan. They called on Jun Son, the leader of the peace pagoda, and a Buddhist nun. Bowing to us she led us into the altar room. She chanted to welcome us and then led the students in drumming. Then she asked us why we had come. We told her we wanted help her prepare for the coming anniversary celebration. She gave us the chore of weeding the gravel area surrounding the pagoda and invited us back for tea after we were done. The students started out with lots of complaints and disbelief at how many weeds there were and how small they were. However, before we knew it it had been an hour and we had made a serious dent in the weeds. We went back to the altarhouse and Jun Son was waiting there for us with tea and cookies. We thanked her for allowing us to come. One of the young volunteers gave us all pinwheels, made out of paper and pencils, with images of peace drawn on the paper.
The trip to the peace pagoda was by far the most moving and enjoyable part of the trip for me. Jun Son is an incredible person who emanates peace, joy and acceptance from her.
| www.flickr.com |
Monday, October 1, 2007
Resource book update
I completed my original page for the resource book. I made copies of it and presented it at staff meeting. The teachers were all enthusiastic about the idea. I am coordinating the resource book with the volunteer coordinators (who are two of the teachers). There is one folder of blank pages, and one folder of completed pages in my mailbox for now. Once we get more, I will create a binder to place them in.
So far the volunteer coordinators say they have been really helpful. It helps to get to know the volunteer better and to open up discussion about their experience and skills.
The completed pages have not been made available to the students yet. However, yesterday I had a conversation with an alumni who said her major critic of the Free School is that when students express interest in a certain topic the teachers are still too hands off. She said that if a student is interested in gardening, for example, they might not know where to start learning about it. Another critique she had was that students sometimes don't know that they might be interested in a certain subject, or know that it is available. I think my idea for a resource book could help alleviate these problems by giving teachers people to connect students with on problems and by giving students ideas of different subjects to learn.
From here, I need to encourage volunteers who are already active in the school to fill them out, along with teachers.
So far the volunteer coordinators say they have been really helpful. It helps to get to know the volunteer better and to open up discussion about their experience and skills.
The completed pages have not been made available to the students yet. However, yesterday I had a conversation with an alumni who said her major critic of the Free School is that when students express interest in a certain topic the teachers are still too hands off. She said that if a student is interested in gardening, for example, they might not know where to start learning about it. Another critique she had was that students sometimes don't know that they might be interested in a certain subject, or know that it is available. I think my idea for a resource book could help alleviate these problems by giving teachers people to connect students with on problems and by giving students ideas of different subjects to learn.
From here, I need to encourage volunteers who are already active in the school to fill them out, along with teachers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
