So what is the Classical Method, anyway?

When you hear the term, do you get an image of fancy dresses or white wigs?  The cast of Downton Abbey, perhaps?  Or does your imagination take you even further back...Togas, anyone?

You've heard me talk about how much I love it, but just what is classical education, anyway?

At its core, classical education is an approach that emphasizes not what to teach, but how to awaken the curiosity within ourselves that causes us to seek knowledge, chase wisdom and create beauty.

It begins with the premise that every child's mind is promising, fertile ground, especially when information is presented in a series of three developmental stages (referred to classically as the Trivium):

Grammar Stage (birth to approx. age 11): Children are naturally adept at memorization.  During this phase, we plant seeds by singing, chanting, rhyming, drawing and developing the vocabulary (grammar) of a subject.  In Classical Education, the greatest emphasis is not placed on developing skills such as writing or even reading (though, of course, those things happen during this time). This method assumes that a child's skills will develop naturally throughout his or her lifetime, and places instead an importance on growing factual knowledge during this window when the brain is particularly open to it.

Dialectic or Logic Stage (approximately ages 11-15):  Having developed rich background knowledge on a variety of subjects, the early teenage student is naturally more argumentative and begins to link ideas together, question validity, and seeks to learn the "why" behind the "what" they've already come to know.  In this stage, students are practicing reasoning, schooled in formal and informal logic, and learning to argue with wisdom and elegance. 

Rhetoric Stage (ages 15-18 and beyond):  As students gain greater independence and autonomy over their learning, we as educators begin to see the fruits of their study.  They are equipped to be independent thinkers and communicators, employing rhetoric that is persuasive, factual and pleasing to listen to.  They have gained mastery over wide variety of disciplines, and see the world not as a series of isolated subjects, but a tapestry of causes, effects and outcomes, powerfully - if often mysteriously -interwoven and worthy of careful consideration.  

Why I like it.

I like it because it follows what I know to be true about the progression of cognitive development.  As an educator, my Masters work was in neurological development, and I always struggled to reconcile what I knew to be true about the brain with what we consider to be "best practices" in the classroom.  

That struggle is absent with classical education: Children are presented with concrete facts which build their academic schema; middle schoolers test and challenge their perceptions with analytical thinking; older students cement their education as they practice abstract thinking and articulation.  In our world, with all its understanding of cognition from brain imaging, it is amazing to me that the methodology I find to work best was practiced for thousands of years, and has fallen out of vogue only recently in the midst of our modern, "progressive" era!  

But -- there's more.

As my children grow in this environment, the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty has woven itself into the very fabric of our family's culture.  Our teachers are the likes of Lewis, Shakespeare, Ingalls-Wilder, Homer, Haydn and Monet.  By virtue of our reformed education, we are able to commune with some of the great minds and talents and experiences history has to offer, until it becomes second nature to wonder, to enjoy, to discuss, to notice, to observe, and to find in one another kindred spirits whose souls are similarly awed, inspired and delighted by the journey.  

Plus... We read.

Together.  From great books.  On every subject.  Books that light up our minds and our souls alike.  All the time.

We are not reading books merely to check off a list or to be able to say we have read them.  We are reading to grow as persons, to know more that we may understand more, and ultimately, it is to be hoped, to act according to our great wisdom.

- Karen Glass, author and educator

Visions and ideals need a pathway; wisdom a road map.  What we find buried in the pages of great literature is courage to inspire us, ideas to challenge us, and friends to come alongside us.  

A rich inner life is developing here, day by day.  

It cannot be measured or tested.  It must instead be nurtured, inspired, and protected.  It is like a fire whose embers are carefully fanned and tended lest they be squelched and allowed to go out.  But, fed properly, the fire will grow into a strong and unquenchable flame that will carry them through the rest of their lives. 

I don't share this to incite arguments.  Neither do I wish to debate or belittle the merits of any other form of education.  I share for two simple reasons: 1) I love the classical method (can you tell?!).  When we love something and find it valuable, it is only natural to want to share it.  2) This is a form of education that, despite my MA in this very subject, I had never been exposed to.    

There are so many great resources and ways to learn more!  A small sampling (yes, several of these are Charlotte Mason.  The more I learn, the more I am convinced that Charlotte's principles underscore and reinforce much of the classical methodology) is below.

It is a rabbit hole whose adventures you won't ever be sorry you embarked upon!

Books:

The Well Educated Mind by Susan Wise Bauer

The Core by Leigh Bortins

The Case for Classical Christian Education by Douglas Wilson

Educating the Whole Hearted Child by Clay Clarkson

A Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason

Podcasts:

A Delectable Education

Read-Aloud Revival

Institute for Excellence in Writing

Happy learning, friends!

4th Fun

If you've been around here a while (or know me at all...), you know that holiday and family traditions are among my favorite things to cultivate inside our four walls.  

It is my firm belief that, though we inherit history, we also create it.  In between the menial tasks of dishes and laundry, it is this calling that keeps me pushing forward: to set in motion a narrative that fills the heart and souls of my children; a narrative that will bring delight in times of joy, and echo in their minds at the moments when they most need direction.  A narrative of heroes and home and life well lived that can be gladly handed down.

And so our narrative begins.  It is a legacy of red-white-and-blue pancakes and crisp bacon, eagerly anticipated. 

Of crafting during a reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Of patio lunches and lemonade in the shade, while John Phillip Sousa's works blast their patriotic refrain. 

Of backyard obstacle courses,

and potato sack races.

A legacy of love, hugs and laughter.  A holding place for all that is beautiful, holy and worth having.  

"The growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life." - George Eliot, Middlemarch

It is worth recording: this was my favorite Fourth with miss Livvy Joy.  Oh my.  Her enthusiasm and awe were palpable.  Her sweet little voice laughed and rejoiced with pure wonder at each explosion in the sky.  The colors, sounds and textures overwhelmed her in the most beautiful ways possible.  

Oh that we should all experience life that way!

Plus, life is just sweeter when there's a baby to share it with. :)

On the Honeymoon that wasn't, 8 years later

Despite the fact that we were married not once, 

  

but twice,

one of the things we never quite managed to fit in was a honeymoon. 

In 2008, I was student teaching and was asked to take over as the primary classroom teacher after another teacher left.  Unfortunately, that position began on Monday following the Friday we'd planned to elope.  So we put it off, anticipating that a honeymoon would naturally follow our "real" wedding the next year. 

Of course, a year later I was already 16 weeks pregnant with Leah and our priorities had shifted rather enormously.  

And so our honeymoon got back-burnered, and has continued to sit, out of sight-out of mind, for the past 7.5 years.  

Until, that is...

recently. 

Casey was already scheduled to be working in Orlando, and he had the brilliant idea that I should fly out and join him, and we could spend a few days together - without the kids - at Disney World.

What I didn't know was that he was already plotting to turn our special weekend into the honeymoon we had never taken.

We stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside, and I arrived to find that our room had been prepared with the most wonderful surprises!

The room was alight with candles, and Casey had decorated and worked to make it a beautiful and memorable celebration, the kind we might have had if our wedding rings were freshly in place.

It was the most magical surprise - and that takes into account that we were already in the most magical place on earth!

I so love that husband of mine.  For oh so many reasons, but to walk into a room that had been specially prepared, with such love and time and effort, was just a phenomenal gift that brought me to tears.

It was almost too much to leave, but we got changed, hopped a river taxi and headed to Disney Springs.

We enjoyed a wonderful meal at Morimoto Asia where we sat and talked, ate delicious food, and marveled at what a gift it was to get to spend time together, one on one.

We got up early the next morning and went for a run, and the grounds of the Riverside are just spectacular in the early morning light. 

It was so quiet on the grounds, and so breathtakingly beautiful.  There was a large part of me that wanted to stay there all day.

But, we had a very busy schedule to get to, so we wasted no time.

Our first stop was Animal Kingdom, which is the park that I've had my eye on visiting since before we were married.  It didn't disappoint!

We had a wonderful time wandering through the park at our own pace - which usually included running from site to site - and riding all the rides we knew would have terrified our children.

We sat in the back for a thrilling, bumpy safari where we enjoyed up close and personal views of some amazing animals. 

It was every bit as awesome as I had imagined!

We were able to score some fast passes, which we used to zip through Animal Kingdom and were able to see the park before lunch time, so from there we went on to Hollywood Studios. 

We had a ball walking around, but weren't willing to commit to the hour-plus line-standing it would have taken to ride the rides.  Instead, we took in the sights in the name of our children:

Darth in honor of Logan

Elsa for Leah and Livvy (plus, a much-needed opportunity to sit out of the sun and enjoy a snack!)

and Storm Troopers for Logan.

After that, we took a quick detour back to our room for a nap and to change, and then it was on to Epcot!

Epcot is so cool.  Not exactly heavy on the rides, although we did enjoy a few,

but the park itself is impressive to take in.

The best part of the visit was sitting down to dinner at 9:30 at night in the Disneyfied version of Morroco (at the Spice Road Table - YUM!!!!).  We had a delicious meal, and so enjoyed the fireworks show.

We began walking back to the front of the park, and had it almost entirely to ourselves.  It was so much fun to stroll leisurely through the park, hand in hand with my husband, taking our time and enjoying each other's company - way past our children's bed time!  It was midnight when we got back to our hotel, and we were exhausted in the best way after our busy day.

The next day, we were on to the main event: the Magic Kingdom!

Ring in the New

I've been thinking a lot this week about one word: intentionality.

We're a pretty intentional bunch, we Strassners.  Even Logan will tell me with all the assurance of his three years: Mommy, if I keep working at it, I know I can do this.

There is something particularly hopeful about January 1st.  In the rhythm of my year, I always tend to undervalue the importance of a new beginning, a fresh start, in the midst of mourning another wonderful year come to a close.

But it's there.  Can you feel it?

The promise of possibility, change and renewal.  It is not so much resolution as it is review that appeals to me; to take stock of what has worked, what needs to be cut, and what can be adjusted as we move our lives away from simply being to really thriving - which is what we are chasing after in our home and family.

As I've pondered the things that have filled my soul in 2015, and those that have cost me in time, energy and emotion, there are a few things that become clear:

1. When I am not at peace, nothing in our home is at peace.
2. We are uniquely created in the artistry and expression of God's love.
3. Great freedom and happiness is the result of living fully into the precious gifts, personality, strengths and weaknesses that were chosen specifically for us by a creator who knows and loves us.
4. Home is our place of safety, acceptance and belonging that cultivates and nurtures possibility.
5. Grace must be the life's breath of our homes.  Minute by minute, both in imparting over our little ones, and accepting for ourselves.

We have grown - as individuals, as a family unit - in tremendous ways this year.  It has been a year of embracing what works, fine-tuning our priorities, honing our ideals, accepting our limitations, and moving closer to the kind of life we each seek to live.  Perfection hasn't been the goal; instead, we have worked to value the imperfect progress that makes up real life. As I have told my sweet, perfectionist, detail-oriented Leah on so many occasions: He doesn't call us to be perfect - only willing. 

So as we prepare to open a new chapter and write the story of another year, I am so looking forward to continuing to find beauty in the mess and extra-ordinary in the mundane.  Continuing to chart a course that is unique to our family and responsive to our calling, even if it is different from so many of those around us.  To define the legacy we want to leave for our family and children, and step fully into its life-giving design.

I'm also realizing how critical my own role in all of this is.  Not the significance of the job - that's one I feel blessed to have embraced long ago - but how important it is for me to be able to run the marathon of motherhood with endurance.  To invest in God's word to nourish my spirit, to invest in exercise to keep my body strong, in stories and art and music to nurture my mind, in friendships to keep me laughing and grow my heart; in short, to invest in... myself.

That's a pretty novel concept in my world.  To think that I matter.  To think that my health and wellness and sanity matters.  I've written my #1 above after great reflection and with great intentionality, because it is very true: if I am stretched and weary and overextended, I simply cannot bring the other items on that list through to fruition.  And it is such blessed and important work, I have to do a better job of creating daily moments of rest and refreshment to pour back into myself so that I can do this big job of pouring out.

The sad truth is that I am actually uncomfortable putting myself on the list, which seems ridiculous, but it's completely true.  Last year, I carved out exactly 25 minutes for myself everyday.  This year, I'm going for much more than that.  Dear 2015 Melissa: I'll see your 25 minutes of exercise, and raise you reading for pleasure, quiet times, fostering friendships and getting reasonable amounts of sleep.

That's right.  With apologies to Queen, I want it all.  I want it all, and I want it now.

So wherever you are in the world, as this wonderful year comes to a close, I wish you a joyful season of reflection.  The gifts you bring serve a marvelous and unique purpose, one that only you can fill.  If you chose to do so.

Cheers to 2016.

California: Disney!

You know how there are certain things in life that you look forward to for so long that you actually ruin with your own level of intense anticipation?  Those things that you've built up in your mind so much that the reality could never hope to live up to the fantasy?

Disneyland was not one of those things!

Sure, there was a bit more crying than I had hoped for.  A few more temper tantrums and blood-sugar meltdowns.  The crowds were bigger than I'd anticipated.  In short: it wasn't a perfect trip.

But oh my.  OH.  MY.  It was so good!

Watching my family walk down Mainstreet was one of those moments.  We'd barely even made it into the park, and I already had tears in my eyes.

Our first ride of the day was the Jungle Cruise.

Which wasn't exactly their favorite.  In fact, it was "too scary."

So naturally we felt the need to traumatize them even more by taking them on Pirates of the Caribbean.

I won't lie, it resulted in some tears from both kids.  But that's part of the experience... right?

We stopped for a photo op with an evil queen before heading over to the Nemo submarine ride.

Which was far and away Logan's favorite!  We rode this one three times in two days.

And then the Disneyland classic:

'

I won't even say the name, because Lord knows that song will get stuck in your head the moment I do.  Out of the goodness of my heart, I'll just spare you that one.



It was marvelous for everyone, but this is one that Miss Livvy particularly enjoyed. And, I SWEAR it was entirely by magical, Disney accident that it just happens that I took the above picture of Olivia right here, with Ariel in the background, five and a half years after we took this one:

I know you're about to call shenanigans on me, but really.  It wasn't until I was going through the photos when we got home that I found that sweet connection.

There were so many highlights of the day, but I have to record two of my favorites, and I didn't snap any photos to go along with them.

The first was Leah's absolute insistence that she wanted to ride the Matterhorn.  She has never been on a roller coaster in her life, and she had just finished crying on Pirates of the Caribbean.  Still, she must have said it ten times.  "I just can't stop looking at the Matterhorn!"  "Mommy, please can we do the Matterhorn next?!"

We spent a few minutes watching it go so that she could see how fast it was.  She was absolutely decided.  Even the fact that it's a single rider - so I couldn't sit next to her, she would have to sit all by herself - didn't shake her resolve.

So we agreed to let her give it a try.

When we finally got to the front of the line, they put us in the very front.  I tried to dissuade her from sitting in the first car with me behind her... but she was so excited to be in the front!  I fully admit, I was nervous. I mean, the kid was brought to tears by Pirates of the Caribbean, which is gentle enough that even Livvy could ride it. They strapped us in, and I reached over the seat so that she could hold my hand, as she had requested.

Although it did go pretty fast, there weren't any big drops like roller coasters so often have.  There were twists and turns, but nothing too scary.  And my kid?  She absolutely loved it!  It was her favorite ride of the entire trip.  I was so glad we decided to chance it!

The other moment that was beyond wonderful was watching my big girl meet the princesses.

It was an amazing moment, as I watched this little girl transform.  I watched her eyes, listened to her voice, and got an advanced glimpse of the woman she will one day become.  She was so awed, her little face just lit up with wonder and joy.  Somehow, though, she still managed to remain incredibly poised. She spoke with each one with such an amazing, grown up elegance that it just blew me away and brought tears to my eyes.  She was so precious, so brave, that wonderful girl of mine.  It was my favorite moment of the whole trip - and it was a really, really good trip, so that's saying something.

Back to the photos I did remember to take...

Little Livvy took her nap on me again that day.  The fact that she's not yet walking and so willing to stay a baby really paid off during this trip.  The other two - Logan, in particular - would never, ever have consented to be carried around or nap on the go.

We stayed for the afternoon parade, which we only caught the end of, but it was really fun.

Because, oh my goodness, how great are these faces?

We just had time for a churro and a quick show.  The Frozen kind.

And then it was time to go back to the hotel.  Which, if you're my kids means

you don't worry about the fact that you've had a busy and exciting day at Disneyland!  You take an evening swim while Mommy puts the baby to bed.  Obviously.

The next day, we woke up early and got to the park as soon as it opened.

Two hours and more meltdowns than I can count later, we had three kids who were a complete and total mess.  They were hot.  They were hungry.  They hadn't ridden anything, nor would they on account of the fact that they were totally miserable.

So we called it and went back to the hotel for lunch and a nice, long nap.

At about 4:00, we headed back into the park, and Casey and I were amazed.  It was a totally different story.

We watched the Disneyland Band perform, and watched the entire parade.

Leah and her new favorite princess, Belle.

Logan was so happy to see Mary Poppins, the chimney sweeps and Burt.  I think they were his favorite.

In a totally random coincidence, we also ran into a friend of mine, a girl I went to elementary school with.  It was crazy!  We have known one another since we weren't much older than our daughters.

We met up for dinner, and it was such a wonderful surprise to unexpectedly get to see her and meet her family!

After that fun surprise, we stayed to watch the lights parade.  The kids did better at 10 p.m. than they had done at 10 a.m.

Casey and I had one more surprise for the kids.  One of the things we are most proud of when it comes to our kids is the fact that they truly have hearts of gratitude.  Here we were at Disneyland, surrounded by all the things and stuff, and not once did either of them ask for anything.  Not one single thing, with the exception of rides they wanted to go on.  Their sweet little hearts were content to look and experience without asking for more.

So, we agreed that they could each choose one thing, anything, that they wanted to remember their trip.

This is an opportunity that they have really never had before, to actually select for themselves, and it was so wonderful to watch the expressions of their hearts.

Each of them chose something so perfectly fitting their character.

Leah selected a Belle dress, after her new favorite princess.

Logan chose a Darth Vader doll.  Seriously, for the boy who is constantly surrounded by girls, girl toys and girl-y dress up and is so wonderfully tolerant of it all, Darth was the absolute perfect gift he could have selected.  Literally the most boyish toy possible in all of Disneyland.  He has no idea who Darth Vader is, and has only seen Star Wars in the form of those giant cut-outs they had a Target for the release of the new movie.  But I was so happy for how very happy this toy makes him!

And Livvy.  Sweet, darling Olivia Joy.  I spend a lot of time letting her explore her world.  When we go to the store, she gets to pick up the produce and put it in the bag.  If there is something she wants to touch while we're out and about, I try to make time to let her explore it or feel it.  But I have never, ever seen her react to something the way she reacted to the toy we ultimately got for her.  She was freaking out.  Lunging, grabbing and pointing.  She wanted that thing!  What was the object of her desire?

This guy.  The Lotsa bear from Toy Story 3.  She would not put it down once she got her hands on it.  She hugged and kissed that bear over and over, it was so adorable.

The best part of her choice is that, because the character in the movie is an old toy, this stuffed bear is all matted, off-color and looks like he is actually old toy (he's really adorable and impossibly soft, for the record).  So here she is, my precious third child who has had very few things new, and when she has her first chance to select something brand new, she ends up falling head over heels in love with something that already looks old.

I loved their choices so much, I haven't even paused to think about what it means that two of my three children selected villains.

It was a wonderful trip.  Filled with so many precious moments that I know I will remember forever.  I hope it won't be our last visit to the Magic Kingdom, I'm already looking forward to going back!