Guide Association

If children live with encouragement,
They learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance,
They learn to be patient.
If children live with praise,
They learn to appreciate.
If children live with acceptance,
They learn to love.
If children live with approval,
They learn to like themselves.
If children live with honesty,
They learn truthfulness.
If children live with security,
They learn to have faith in themselves and others.
If children live with friendliness,
They learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

As soon as I saw the brief for this week’s The Gallery I thought of this poem that I have displayed on my classrom door and in my home. It is a reminder that children learn what they live, education is about so much more than what is taught and learned in schools. Education is about family, community, experience, exploration and reflection.

I have always loved learning. I consider myself well educated, academically, socially and personally. I enjoy education.

The pictures I have chosen to share show me getting to grips with guiding something that played a huge part in my early years and a community that helped me learn who I was and who I wanted to be. This experience, the explorations, the people provided me with the values discussed in the poem that I used to start this post.

Children learn what they live, all life is an education, we are all learning all of the time.