Quest activities this past week included introducing the stages of the Hero's Journey and sketching corresponding scenes from Charlie in small inter-pod groups of three, making "Boo Bubbles" out of dry ice (our apologies if your children are now pestering you to supply them with dry ice at home!), and my personal favorite: the Limitations Challenge. We tested the theory that limitations actually encourage creativity by unleashing the ES kids on the Tinkering Lab and allowing them to each fill one shoebox with supplies. Using only those supplies, they could work alone or with a partner to invent a Wonka-Worthy candymaking machine. I loved seeing their ingenuity at work! The results were about nine very different "machines" that could produce the imaginary candy of their dreams.
A few glimpses of them admiring each other's work. No close-ups of their creations, because you get to admire those on Exhibition Night!
Cyrus and Genevieve found an old speaker in the Tinkering Lab that they wanted to dissassemble for their creation. They tried a hammer. They tried getting a Middle Schooler to wield the hammer. They even recruited Mrs. Blair, a bystander who had unsuspectingly come to school to drop off a taekwondo uniform, to run the thing over in her SUV! None of the above worked on the stubborn old gadget, but they got props from their classmates for our highlighted character trait of perseverance. (And by the way, they tried all those tactics with zero input from me. Props for resourcefulness as well!)
One thing I as a Guide am struggling a bit with as I plan projects is how to budget time. My Holy Grail, if you will, is to give them adequate time to really dig deep into a project -- but that includes time to listen to the parameters and time to clean up. I don't want the projects to be superficial, but I also don't like to rush the kids. I REALLY don't like rushing them.
As with many aspects of this model we are all adapting to, I expect finding that balance will simply take time. But I'm also praying for wisdom and insight and listening to ideas from others, including these persevering and resourceful children of yours. And YOU! Please know that although I may not be instantly accessible to you, especially during or immediately after every school day, I am happy to hear from you with any questions, ideas, concerns, etc. I know Tiffany would say the same -- not only is she Head of School, but she also spends time in the ES classroom each day. We know it's not easy to send your kids off all day and wonder what on earth they are doing, beyond the photos you see on GroupMe or these blog posts. Part of that is the letting go process, but we want to support you in that to the extent we are able.
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