Remember the Oak Tree. Undoubtedly one of the mightiest, most resilient trees on Earth, it’s roots grow so deep and wide that if it can find its own water source, even in dry weather. Oak Trees live up to a thousand years, providing shade for ten generations! And yet, the mighty oak tree grows so very slowly. Originating from an acorn, its sapling growth is as slow as 30-40 cm per year.
And so it is with our children. They grow and learn ever so slowly, and sometimes we just want them to hurry up. We want instant results in their education. We delight in them being “above grade level.” We can’t wait until they are making speeches about all of the wonderful things they know. Shouldn’t they be in advanced algebra by now? Why learn the phonics? lLet’s just rush right into reading – their peers are already reading chapter books. There’s a lot of rushing in education these days. The result? Step skipping. Students that struggle when harder concepts are introduced. Why? Because they skipped a step and their foundation is crumbling.
At CSA, we want our students to develop long, deep and wide roots so that they can reach the “water source” and grow mighty and big. Their love of learning should last for years to come, and they will tower above the others who skipped steps. We must be patient and let them grow at a slow and steady pace. So, patience, my parents, is the word of they year. Let us be patient with their growth and teach them to be patient with others.
By Katherine Earles, Head of School
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