The Peaceful Classroom 2

Today, we continue our exploration of the Peaceful Classroom. In our last post, we examined the principles of Preparing the Environment for Peace and Making Room for Peace Education; today we discuss Peace through Nature and Peace through Creativity.

Peace through Nature

“Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.” – George Washington Carver

The beauty of nature is a great balm to the soul. Children often seek out their own secret outdoor spaces, even if it’s only a corner of the backyard. Respect children’s need for private exploration and inner reflection that nature inspires. At our school, the outdoor environment is rich in peaceful garden spaces to work the soil with our gardener. Outdoor seating arrangements are comfortable places to spend with friends.

Peace through Creativity

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.” – Steve Jobs

Children need plenty of time for unstructured creative play and artistic endeavors. Unstructured creative time invites children to express their inner most personality and make profound connections between what they have learned and how they feel about themselves and others. During this time, adults keep a watchful eye, but remain unobtrusive to allow children to explore and develop the powers of problem solving through creativity.

Join us on next Tuesday as we conclude our look at the Peaceful Classroom by examining Peace through Giving and Making a Difference in the World.