Seeing the Fruits of Our Labors
And then it happened.
A great moment for me as a teacher. 🙂
My girl said, “The variety of flowers is so amazing,” and in her voice
were the sounds of awe and amazement.
What? Even though I have been unfaithful so many times to do nature study, she still has learned an appreciation for nature?
Our feeblest efforts, even our smallest endeavor’s can still yield results.
Little By Little
by Natalie Sleeth
Inch by inch,
Day by day,
Step by step,
All the way,
Piece by piece,
Bit by bit,
Little by little you’re there!
If you can’t climb a mountain, then
climb a hill,
That’s much better than
standing still…
And really, that’s probably been how our study of Nature has gone. “Bit by bit, little by little.” We’ve had Nature Study on the school schedule and have tried to keep to it but really, more often than not, we’ve been unable to get outside like I wanted. I feel sad about that but instead of calling it quits, I continue to try.
If we keep our study of nature as Charlotte Mason suggested, how good that is.
Milkwort, eyebright, rest-harrow, lady’s-bedstraw, willow-herb, every wild flower that grows in their neighbourhood, they should know quite well; should be able to describe the leaf––its shape, size, growing from the root or from the stem; the manner of flowering––a head of flowers, a single flower, a spike, etc. And, having made the acquaintance of a wild flower, so that they can never forget it or mistake it, they should examine the spot where they find it, so that they will know for the future in what sort of ground to look for such and such a flower. ‘We should find wild thyme here!’ ‘Oh, this is the very spot for marsh marigolds; we must come here in the spring.’ –Charlotte Mason Home Education Volume 1, pg. 51
But what if our study of nature doesn’t resemble what Miss Mason taught? Should we make the decision of omitting that subject from our children’s education? Maybe because we have no time or the interest seems slight?
I would have to say no.
Nature testifies of a Creator and his greatness and any little thing we can do to give our children an appreciation for God’s wonderful creation cannot be in vain.
2 Comments
Lucille
Love this! Wow…Arizona can produce some great flowers if that bouquet was hand picked!
Blooming Flowers
really very beautiful pictures..its so beautiful..