Spokane Learning co-op From December 2nd newsletter
What's been happening the last two months!
The Spokane Learning Co-op has now been going strong for two and a half months! We couldn't be more pleased with the wide variety of experiences that have emerged as a direct result of our Self Directed Education modality. From building their own houses out of wood, discovering principles of physics by building their own adjustable slide, and experimenting with catapults, to going on hikes, climbing trees, and marveling at our own resident porcupine, the kids are finding endless opportunities to learn from real life.
This past month, I was interviewed for a podcast episode of The Unschooling Lifestyle. You can listen to the episode here. If the link isn't working for you, go to Spotify and search for "The Unschooling Lifestyle Podcast." I'm Episode 11!
That's not all -- at 4 o'clock on Thursday, December 5th, I'll be a guest on Robert Sevilla Naudon's Creative Minds show on KYRS. If you can't catch it live, you can find the recording on the KYRS website.
We're looking for a few simple things to add to our Co-op that perhaps you have and no longer need: a wooden spoon, a hammer, small bottles of acrylic paint, a wagon, a cooking pot (without nonstick coating), and scotch tape.
As always, we appreciate your continued support. Thank you for helping us provide Spokane kids with opportunities for adventure and real life learning!
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A WORD FROM OUR CHAPLAIN
Peace in Conflict, and Comfort in Confusion
In times of turmoil, and disagreement, it can be easy to lose sight of perspective and to remember, we all want the same things, for ourselves, and for others.
Fear is a plentiful commodity and is often used as a weapon, by ourselves, towards ourselves, or towards others. This can keep us stuck where we are, create division, or may be used to persuade others to support our cause.
Fear left unchecked, can lead to hostility and acts of violence, creating enemies out of friends, and monsters out of loved ones. Combine this with stubbornness and ego, and it’s a recipe for disaster. We begin to dehumanize one another, convinced that THEY are intentionally trying to ruin our lives, and destroy all that we hold precious and dear, and they have no idea of what is really going on, because if they did, they couldn’t possibly support this. Once we dehumanize our enemy, shaming them, personally or publicly, hostility, and violence become more justified.
Fear is nothing more than the unknown. But it’s powerful. It leads us to fight, flight, fawn, or freeze, and act in accordance to these defense mechanisms.
Peace in conflict and comfort in confusion, is a call to maintain a sense of calm, even when faced with challenging situations. It’s a call to find stability, even in external turmoil. It is about accepting the unknown, as unknown, and leaning into acceptance of the confusion that can accompany turmoil. It invites us to refuse to allow chaos to disrupt our mental state.
All conflict, all fear, is an opportunity to explore in ourselves, what is ego, what is old programing, and what needs healing. But it is a call to look within ourselves first.
When we take some time to practice mindfulness, which is observing our thoughts, and emotions without getting swept away by them we become more grounded.
Being more grounded allows us to have hard conversations, rooted in love and understanding. It allows perspective, giving us opportunities to see situations from different angles and understand the complexities and motives with greater clarity. It calls us to heal old wounds we may not have realized we have or are still with us.
Ways to achieve this
Breathing exercises: Slow deep breaths with a pause between inhale and exhale, help to calm the nervous system, in stressful situations.
Positive self-talk. Replacing negative thoughts with positive affirmations can help maintain a positive mindset. Nothing is against you.
Journaling: Writing down your thoughts and feelings about a conflict can help determine what is fact, what is emotion, and what needs healing. This allows us to determine, what is ego, and what we may be contributing to the conflict.
Seek Support: Talking a trusted friend, family member, or therapist can provide valuable perspective and emotional support.
Daily meditation: Helps us to find calm, in body, mind and spirit. We have less fear, and less emotional responses to conflict allowing us to process conflict in love, for ourselves and for others.
This doesn’t mean we will come into agreement, with what we are opposed to, but it does allow the opportunity for reasonable discussion with respect for one another. It brings us to a place where we can understand our position, along with the position of others, and safely, explore a way to finding middle ground, and what we agree on. And that is when wonderful things begin to happen.
Remember you are love, and you are loved. Everything is for your greater good.
Stephanie Michelotti,
Unity North Chaplain