Week 18 in Review: What binds a tribe?


 

What a fun Exhibition last night! Thanks to all who participated.

At The Forest School we value real-world feedback. If you're curious, you can see feedback from last night's experts here—Elementary feedback and Middle School feedback

Middle School Update

What binds a tribe?

Coming back from a two week break provides Heroes a prime opportunity to step back from the daily life of the Studio and reflect on the larger picture. We started the session by going back to the Hero's Journey - Who am I and what am I after? Have I answered the Call to Adventure, or have I hesitated? Who has helped me along the way? What has hindered me? Where have I triumphed and where have I failed? What stretch of the journey still lays before me?

In reflecting on this process, Heroes come back to what unites them - each and every one of them are journeying forward, in ways both great and small. There's something binding about knowing that we, as a group, aren't quite the same people who started this journey six months ago, that we all have taken steps together, and that we still have a lot of growing before us. Isn't that what school should be about?

Elementary Update


Horse blinders are firm leather squares that attach to a horse’s bridle to prevent the horse from seeing behind or beside him. Lisa showed the heroes a picture of a horse pulling a carriage with blinders on and posed the question “Why is it important for the horse to only see straight ahead?” The heroes instinctively answered, “So that he doesn’t get distracted by something he sees and runs off the road.” 

So, how did young learners put on their own “blinders” in the Studio to stick to their course and finish 2018 strong and focused? By relinquishing a bit of their coveted freedom and choosing to sit in the front room at a table, working silently and diligently.

As one wise hero put it: “When you choose to focus on a goal, the only option is to look ahead.”


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Tyler Thigpen