Session 1, Week 4
What are you willing to trade your freedom for? This is a question that Jeanette, our Civ guide, has asked in a variety of different ways over the last 4 years. Are you willing to trade your freedom for security? Are you willing to trade your freedom for safety? How much freedom for how much safety? It’s an intriguing question to ponder. As we listened to the speakers at the Freedom Festival this Thursday we were reminded of the opposite question. What are you willing to trade to gain your freedom? From Joan of Arc, to those on the Mayflower, to those who were part of the founding of our country, we listened to hero stories of individuals who gave up so much to gain their freedom.
Freedom for our country definitely came with a cost. Freedom for our country definitely came with a lot of messiness. As I listened to stories, I thought about how it all related to CHOICE. As we reflected on our week, it was instructive to ask ourselves the question “What came with freedom at CHOICE this week?”
In the Spark Studio, during Montessori work cycle a few heroes became very interested in the globes. Miss Hannah was able to sit with them and support this spark of learning. They talked about the continents for a while. Then one learner said, “This makes me want to draw the world so bad.” So they did! They also colored the continents to match the globe. CHOICE’s freedom to be guided by the child’s interests means that when the child is ready to learn they will retain that information in a more powerful, meaningful way.
With freedom comes new ideas. When you are not bound to doing things one specific way, your thinking becomes more creative and innovative. Heroes this week showed this creativity and innovation as they found new ways to use Montessori works,
as they worked together in team building challenges,
and as they made up new games during CHOICE work cycle.
During CHOICE work cycle, an organic game of Gaga ball/dodgeball was created. Heroes found soft things to throw and contributed their own socks if needed. They created rules and made sure everyone agreed to the rules. They played several rounds and perfected their game along the way.
Heroes at CHOICE don’t have absolute freedom, they have freedom within boundaries. Those boundaries are just much larger than at many other places. Heroes agree to enjoying their freedom within those boundaries as part of being at CHOICE. A few boundaries are created by the school as they relate to safety. Most boundaries are created by the heroes themselves. A valuable lesson the Sparks learned this week is that rules make the game fun. If we are playing a game, but everyone is playing by different rules, then it isn’t as much fun. They have decided that the big game – each school day – is more fun if we all agree to and live within certain boundaries. They are in the process of creating those boundaries. Boundaries such as: active listening during discussions, cleaning up after yourself, and including others.
In the Fire Studio this week in World Summit, heroes completed creating most of their boundaries. They finished their Contract of Promises (studio rules) and Moolah System (accountability). These contracts give heroes the boundaries required for their freedoms to flourish, and the tools required to hold themselves and others accountable to those promises. The Fire Studio will have Town Hall throughout the year to change and adjust the contracts as they see fit.
Fire Studio heroes met Mr. and Mrs. Victim this week. Mr & Mrs Victim are a monster we sometimes encounter on our Hero’s Journey. Mr & Mrs Victim try to get us to blame others or something else rather than take accountability ourselves. “It’s not my fault” is a common phrase used by Mr & Mrs Victim. Heroes tried out the practices that can destroy this monster –feeling gratitude and taking responsibility. Heroes took turns choosing a Jenga block
and sharing something they were thankful for at home, at school, or in nature. Heroes expressed gratitude for the freedom they have at CHOICE. And each time they did, their guide silently expressed her own gratitude for the responsibility they are developing because of that freedom. With freedom comes responsibility at CHOICE.
One of the heroes responsibilities at CHOICE is to work through their conflicts together. This week, heroes discussed memories of when a conflict went awry, and they practiced holding a Resolution Room. A Resolution Room gives heroes tools to work through conflicts with a recipe of listening actively and seeking solutions instead of nursing a victim mentality.
At the Freedom’s Light Festival, heroes looked for and discovered many ways the historical heroes they visited used responsibility, solutions, and grit to overcome the challenges they faced on the road to America’s freedom. They also had a great time playing at the park afterwards!
During Quest, freedom in the Games Quest this week came with frustration when heroes didn’t take the time to follow the suggested process and establish clear rules in the beginning. It came with anger because the outcome is not controlled and sometimes we lose when we really want to win! It came with loneliness because heroes can choose to sit in the corner and feel sad because no one is playing a game with them, rather than take the initiative and go ask someone else to play… we found out that there are actually a lot of heroes who want to play with us and are also looking for someone to play with if we will accept the responsibility and go find them! Freedom also came with making new friends, learning new games and lots and lots of laughter this week.
As the DELTA heroes were sharing less than positive feelings about finishing their Rules of Engagement and the frustrations that the process brings, I reminded them that the alternative is that adults make all the rules for them. They stopped complaining. They believe that their freedom is worth the extra effort and responsibility that comes with it.
Extra freedom this year during Quest comes with a little extra frustration, more unknowns, more effort needed to figure out what you want to explore, and the opportunity to explore something that is really cool to you, but may not appeal to others. For example, one group this week is super excited about their go-cart creation, while another group is really excited about the new car that arrived that is available to take apart!
The freedom in the learner driven environment comes with many opportunities for the DELTA heroes to lead. With two guides gone this week, it was DELTA heroes who stepped up to lead the Fire Studio. They did an incredible job! It was also the DELTA heroes who were responsible for gathering the Fire Studio and Spark heroes and getting them to cars before and after our field trip. One parent asked me if the field trip was stressful with so many young people. My response: “Not with our fantastic DS heroes around!”
Four weeks into school I can step out to guide the Fire Studio for a while and the DELTA Studio finishes Core Skills, completes their Studio Maintenance, completes their daily huddle and organizes their own landing. I walk back in to them engaged in their landing and think, “Without a doubt, along with freedom comes increased capabilities and capacities.”
As heroes finished up their yearly goal setting this week, I was reminded that with the freedom of setting your own goals, comes the hard work and time commitment of setting your own goals. With that freedom also comes the ownership of your goals and the opportunity to choose what you do and do not want to focus on each year. I am so grateful each hero can tailor their experience to their needs.
What comes along with freedom during Core Skills? An infatuation with ukuleles, six heroes learning to play “Somewhere over the Rainbow” at the same time, and possibly a headache : ) What else comes? Heroes taking ownership of how they used their time and admitting when they did or did not focus. And a great sense of accomplishment when heroes choose to work hard as no one is making them do it!
As we reflected on our week, we saw that with freedom came frustration, messiness, sadness, anger, literal and figurative headaches AND the opportunity to take responsibility for all these emotions! We saw the extra effort and time that freedom requires, and with it recognized the leadership, increased capabilities and capacity, ownership, sense of accomplishment, accountability, gratitude, problem solving tools, creativity, innovation, meaningful work and responsibility that came with it. Just like our founding fathers were willing to sacrifice for their freedom, our CHOICE heroes are willing to sacrifice for their own freedoms. And just like the challenges and beauty that we have seen arise from our nation’s freedoms, we watch our children wrestle with the challenges and bask in the joys that come from their freedom. What comes along with freedom? Enough that it makes the sacrifices absolutely worth it!