The Fellowship of Learning: Adventures in Education at Lorien Wood

Like many grandparents, we received a call one day from our son, Marcus. He had an interesting suggestion: wouldn't it be nice if we moved from Iowa to Northern Virginia to be closer to our family in Vienna? How thoughtful! How tempting! Then, doubts set in. Isn’t it more expensive in Virginia than in Iowa? How far is that again? We’ve lived here sixty-eight years and have deep roots. Will we find a good church? Nonetheless, we took that leap of faith (no pain, no gain), and the rest, as they say, is history.

We are now very settled and quite content with our new home. In retrospect, our connection with Lorien Wood School in Vienna, Virginia, has been a large and meaningful part of our life story here. Our volunteering experiences have embellished our lives with wonderful opportunities, meaningful relationships, and rewarding instructional experiences. You see, we are teachers. That’s who we are. We are also volunteers. That’s also who we are. This is how we have spent more than fifty years of our lives, and it has been time well spent.

Here is what we are currently discovering about all of that: it is hard to take the volunteer out of the volunteer, especially when it feels like Lorien Wood is the place we want to be on Fridays. I (Steve) was given the privilege of working with Form 3 (4th & 5th Grade). I have most recently been working with Mrs. Grizzard and Ms. Kime, whom I fondly refer to as "my teachers." That is because, yes, they have taught me a thing or two along the way. It is also because we are like a team, helping, encouraging, and blessing each other! Together, we do the same for each individual student!

They might say that my role is leading a "Reading Seminar." I tend to say that I am just "doing my thing." This means that I love to interact with the students. I try to develop them in various ways such as their critical thinking skills, spirituality, focusing on others, and finding pleasure in reading, just to name a few.

In class, we read books that connect with their Social Studies units. Every single book over the two-year rotation is outstanding. We find many important things to stop and focus on as we learn to read slowly and thoughtfully. For example, as we read Banner in the Sky, Rudi finds himself alone and stuck high up on a mountain. He is basically unprepared to spend the night, and as the sky darkens, he becomes fearful. His thoughts turn to his Father in heaven and to his earthly father who died on this same mountain, perhaps even near this same location. His thoughts turn to The Lord’s Prayer, and he begins to recite it out loud.

We stop reading to let the students share their thoughts and feelings. Together, we take a good look at the Lord’s Prayer. I suggest to them that this is a gift which Jesus has given to each one of us. It is the prayer that we can pray when we don’t know what to pray. It is the prayer that teaches us how to pray.

We proceed to watch the Andrea Bocelli version of this prayer set to music, and they are enthralled by it. These young ones are so open to spiritual things, and I love these times of stoking wonder and awe in their learning! We can’t wait to continue reading to find out what our next discovery will be.

We draw from a variety of reading materials. Even the most simple can sometimes yield useful and profound lessons.

"Think! Think and wonder. Wonder and think. How much water can fifty-five elephants drink?"

You may have guessed that the author is Dr. Seuss and the book is Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!. In class, we discuss this wonderful skill that we can use just about all of the time! What is the author’s message to us? Wonder and then think. We talk about "wonder" in terms of proposing questions (I wonder why ___?), and then we talk about thinking in terms of considering many and varied possible answers to the questions which we have generated. (Maybe it’s because ____.). At this point, it is interesting and helpful to turn to neighbors and share ideas with each other. Wonder and think about the world around you. God’s world. Lorien Wood School effectively nurtures a Biblical worldview.

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

This mental exercise leads us to an increase in our knowledge base and a better understanding of God’s wonderful creation. It is so heartwarming to actually see the results of a Lorien Wood experience in these young lives. They demonstrate the good thinking skills that have become a part of who they are. I love hearing their many and varied ideas, often equally valid. Marlena and I have been very warmly accepted by the Lorien Wood community. They have given us both the amazing and wonderful opportunity to combine our previously separated teaching experiences, religious and secular, into one very fulfilling teaching position.

Listen to Andrea Bocelli - The Lord’s Prayer HERE.