Thought I was feeling inspired to write up a new post for today. I wrote and wrote. Usually a theme emerges, occasionally different than what I originally intended, but somehow it always seems to come together. Not so much today. Hopefully, I can come back to all that content and find some nuggets to work with, but to stay on track with my daily publishing, here’s the next Remtana installment.
This is part 12 of the Remembering Montana series that chronicles the three weeks my family got to spend in Montana the fall of 2018 thanks to trustedhousesitters.com, location independence, and my family’s willingness to indulge me in this somewhat crazy experience. Most are slightly adapted social media posts written during our stay. Scroll down and navigate back to read more about our Montana adventure.
Days 13 and 14, October 2-3, 2018:
I think this may be the longest I’ve made it through a post challenge I’ve given myself (Until now! July 25, 2019 On day 50 of a 60day blog challenge!)–even if I am making up for not updating yesterday! More about the boy’s and my 3-day side trip to Helena:
I have met some amazing people since discovering Agile Learning, then joining the Alliance for Self-Directed Education (www.self-directed.org). The Cottonwood founders were no exception. They insisted that the boy and I stay with them rather than book a hotel and they treated us with tremendous hospitality.
Our littles played happily together, while we three adults had long, energizing discussions about self-directed education and the implications of this “educational” approach for the future of humanity and the planet we inhabit. We shared stories and resources and established a support connection, promising to collaborate and create together. This visit absolutely reinforced the magnetic pull I felt to the ALC network and while intimidated, I’m so super grateful for them (and all the other ALC founders and facilitators) for their courageous trailblazing and generosity with their hard-earned wisdom.
While at Cottonwood, I had the privilege to have several conversations with a 16yo girl who left traditional school to be there. Prior to making the transition to an ALC, she experienced anxiety-induced migraines and other physical and emotional symptoms of an unhappy life. I can testify that she now has the demeanor of someone who is excited about and highly engaged in life.
When I asked her about the biggest difference she’s experienced between her traditional high school and the agile learning environment, she said two words: trust and freedom—that she’s trusted by both her parents and the agile facilitators to choose her own path and direct her own day, to show up to those things she’s committed to. I dug a little deeper and asked how she feels about that trust and freedom, and in her very animated way, she launched into an explanation of the immense responsibility she feels to maintain that trust. This girl may come and go from the center as she pleases, but typically when she’s not there, it’s because she’s at another of her scheduled commitments including community college classes. She seemed keen to engage in philosophical discussions with me and I must admit, it’s pretty impressive to get the insights of a 16yo girl regarding Machiavellian influence on current politics!
I could continue sharing stories about the 14 yo girl who spent much of her time distributing resumes and following up with potential employers, the 15yo boy who is starting his own business and spends much of his time at the center creating YouTube videos, the ongoing discussion as the kiddos try to establish a video gaming policy (adults weigh in too, but they do not exercise veto power), the continuous self-directed making that happens in the workshop, the amazing benefits of the Improv class for those who choose to attend, and so many more, but instead I’ll finish this post by expressing immense gratitude for the 3 days of freedom and play (aka learning) that the boy and I got to experience with the Cottonwood Agile Learning Community.
Restoring Justis 