I grew up in a Christian household(s). My parents divorced when I was a baby, but each were influential in my upbringing. My mother taught us the principles of the Bible. She taught us to love others as ourselves. She told us of Jesus’s teachings. Turn the other cheek. Judging others is an unkind and... Continue Reading →
To Require Proficiency is Counter-productive
In an attempt to standardize, leave no child behind, and reach rigid benchmarks, traditional public education introduces detrimental elements into a child’s school life. Because schools and districts are under immense pressure to show that their students are proficient, the typical American classroom requires proficiency from each child at a specific date in his development.... Continue Reading →
Horses and Carts
For decades we have been trying to push a cart with the nose of a horse. The Horse The horse is strength, freedom, individuality, and desire to run unfettered—to take an idea and explore it to its logical end, to self-direct, to be free to empower your own discovery, and, as such, your own... Continue Reading →
…ever seen a toddler waste time?
A toddler is constantly bumbling around from engaging activity to engaging activity, often choosing activity over food or sleep, sometimes getting herself into trouble. A toddler is frustrated when she is bored. She will demand interaction. She is not in the mood to waste her moments--ever. She soaks up every new stimulating lesson and indulges... Continue Reading →
A Child’s Natural Habitat
A Child’s Natural Habitat As our school developed, I came to realize that the happiness and success we observed in students was because they attended school in a place that truly was a child’s natural habitat. A child’s natural habitat includes many important factors. Humans are dynamic, diverse beings, and the ultimate learning environment for... Continue Reading →
Sameness
Unfortunately the US educational system encompasses an environment based on sameness. In an educational setting, sameness leads to confusion, doubt, lack of confidence, underachievement, lack of engagement, lack of passion, diminished potential, and in many cases bullying. Sameness begins with age-based grouping and is further sculpted by age-based benchmarks and standards. Students of the same... Continue Reading →
A Very Small Summary…
Once upon a time there was a wonderful little school named Orsch. This little school made countless wonderful discoveries about children and what they truly need in their educational world, what makes them feel whole and happy, what leads to a love of learning, and what helps give them skills and tools for life. Now,... Continue Reading →
Serrated Edge
Now can be as delicate as a soft loaf of fresh-baked sourdough straight out of the oven. To cut through the surface requires a fitting tool because progress is messy, and the cut is vulnerable and delicate. The cutting edge is not a tidy or pretty place. The cutting edge is a place where norms... Continue Reading →
I don’t really want to be perfect.
Written June 5, 2018 It just isn’t me. Asking me to be perfect is like asking a cat to bark, or asking a dog to meow. 🙂 It is like asking a bird to shovel dirt, or forcing a dancer to sit all day. I set out from a very early age to fulfill my... Continue Reading →
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