back to school

Bare trees and the hazy rain.  It seems a strange time of year for back to school.

Though we are in the midst of the rainy winter season my first day of school is quickly approaching.  It's not the idyllic fall leaves back to school scene but this back to school isn't really like any I've experienced before...as an educator or a student.  I'm still grasping with the idea that this time I will be the student again.

I am starting at George Fox University in their Masters of Arts in Teaching program.  The process to get here has been a long and round-about road.  First it was discovering my passion for education.  Then I had to realize that I would need more preparation than my BFA would afford.  Though I looked in transition to teaching programs in Indiana I was hard-pressed to find one that would transition with an art undergrad.  If it did, it would have required relocation.  If I was going to move, I was going to head to a place with people that were important to me.  With this program I will be officially licensed to teach - and won't be left at the mercy of whether a state wants to honor my accreditation or not.  Surprisingly enough, there were quite a few programs throughout the Portland area that worked well with my Fibers degree.  After comparison I was very impressed with the program at George Fox.  The program they offer works very well with life and the professors are so very passionate about education.

After nearly five years of not being in school the idea of going back has been a bit daunting.  I am excited but I also know the amount of work it will be.  I have been slowly mentally preparing myself.

I have been reading a bit to get my mind back into the habit.  It has been a while and finding the time to read in the chaos of 2013 was pretty difficult.

Over Christmas Rachel and I were given a tour of a fantastic Montessori school in Denver.  It really struck a cord.  Since then I have been doing some research into Maria's method.  Although I had heard of Montessori before I was unaware of her extensive research - fifty years.  She was a physician that became interested in education.  She began her work with mentally disabled children in asylums.  

About a quarter way into Montessori: The Science behind the Genius I paused to read another book - Montessori from the Start.  It was quite interesting and a quick read.  I very much enjoyed what it had to say.  The following excerpt from a section pertaining to limiting the objects in children's lives really caught my attention:

"We cannot protect our children from life, but we can prepare them for life.  We can teach our children to respect money and to choose their belongings and possessions with care.  How much we can afford is not the issue.  The issue is wastefulness and lack of thought about what we are given.  Affluence implies responsibility and an understanding that surplus is for sharing with those who are less fortunate."