31 March 2011

Imagine

Here in the United States education is a mandatory stipulation for parents raising children. To make the task simple, public institutions of learning are free and abundantly placed throughout neighborhoods, convenient for youth and families. It has been this way for decades but it seems as though over the same period of time our collective fervor for learning has diminished. Somewhere between the mandate to school and free resources, the excitement for education and discovering passions has been thwarted. Many strong starters barely complete the warm up before the big race of life after high school begins. Things change when you leave the highly formulated constructs of traditional education and step into the "real world". I have never understood why their wasn't a practice run before the real world. Ahhhhhhh but wait. Stay with me fore a minute and imagine a different educational process.
Imagine a child, happy to go to school.

Imagine learning spaces with endless opportunities to explore.

Imagine being encouraged to get even better at what you're already good at...

Imagine career readiness training from the time you start walking.

Imagine dictating your own promotions.

Imagine self-less teenagers who understand giving is the best gift.

Imagine those teenagers trying to get others to understand it.

Imagine adults who care about what youth have to say.

Imagine things being changed because the adults listened to the youth.

Imagine happy youth.

Imagine a toddler sanitizing her own hands.

Imagine running a business at 12 years old.

Imagine youth raised in this environment.


Can you imagine all this? I can't help but imgine it, every day. Our family is a part of it. This week I saw that toddler self dispense AND sanitize her hands as if she had read one of those bathroom signs that states "employees must wash hands before returning to work". I was amazed how second natured it appeared as she rubbed her plams together literally taking matters into her own hands. To me, it was a metaphor in motion, a vivid comparison, a representation, of sustainability. I am learning that DGM children (and families) are encouraged to be self-directed, independent learners who can change their world. Given the opportunity to practice, use and share those skills with others, what happens is you end up with individuals who have these beautiful tendencies embedded in their nature and it creates a self confident personality that last a lifetime. Tuesday morning I sat in an "Imagine" breakfast with about 400 people. It was an event meant to share the past accomplishments, present activities and future vision of the Desert Garden Montessori School. What a wonderful start to my week. I felt honored to be amongst visionary people who have the capability of turning hopes into reality. I want to teach our sons to do that same thing. I feel encouraged, optomistic, passionate, included, responsible and protected. When you TRULY want to make something happen, you'll put in the honest effort to do so. It's incredible when you have a support system helping you along the way. Salaam, Joronda

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