Little Red School House
and Elisabeth Irwin High School

A Pre-K-12 Progressive Education

Our Mission in Action

Mindful Middle School

Dave Edson, 6th Grade Humanities Teacher

Do you remember that feeling of timelessness when you were a child? Perhaps you are reminiscing about some happy feelings of an endless summer or a memorable sleepover with your friends. On the other hand, maybe you’re shuddering at the memory of a timed test or an impending due date for a science project. Either way, kids are much better at being truly present and in the moment compared to most adults. Babies are even better. And dogs are the absolute best. If only we could all be as present as dogs!

I write these thoughts about time and mindfulness and how they relate to the LREI Middle School experience as the movie, “Middle School- The Worst Years of My Life” is in theaters right now. What a title. Sadly, too many of us can relate to this title because of haunting memories of our own middle school trauma. On top of acne and body odor, we had to deal with bullies, horrible cafeteria “food”, and even teachers who appeared to not like teaching or kids in general. Ugh.

Time is funny. Just think of how time is used and expressed when it comes to school. We actually have our own school calendar and “school year”- but really it’s an erratic and broken up nine months. People say, “When is Winter Break?” “When is the next quiz?” “Well, I’m glad that’s over,” “Sixth grade was the best year,” “When’s lunch?” and then the cycle repeats itself.

So, how can we collectively ensure that our students’ experiences in Middle School at LREI are the most positive and present they can be so that perhaps a decade or two from now there will be a book series and movie titled, “Middle School- If Only the Rest of Life Could Be That Amazing”?

On a recent afternoon over the course of less than an hour, I checked in on what was going on around our Middle School. Among many wonderful things…

Dance majors were collaborating on choreography:

Mandarin class was in session:

Some were enjoying group discussions:

Or getting messy art:

Band was practicing music:

And some took an afternoon to visit the Geek Street STEAM Fair in Union Square:

What struck me about seeing all of these different classes in action was how present and mindful everyone was. I am super proud of all of our students and I am honored to call their teachers my colleagues.

Connecting the philosophical dots, this summer, I heard a bit of advice that rang so true to me. It’s a true story about a hiker who was traversing the length of the Appalachian Trail. One day, when he opened his map to get his bearings on the big picture of his journey, he became overwhelmed by the amount of ground he still had to cover. Several states and 1,568 more miles to go?!? How could he possibly achieve this?

And then this: A more experienced hiker simply told him, “Be where your feet are.”

Of course! When you think about it, what choice do any of us have? So, where are your middle schooler’s feet? Where are they literally right now? Are they upstate hiking a gorge trail while looking for signs of beaver activity? Are they in Colonial Williamsburg witnessing a historic reenactment? Or are they walking the streets of our nation’s capital during the most divisive and crucial presidential election of our time? You can check this Twitter feed to find pictures of all the LREI Middle School trips currently happening.

Taking this a step further, shortly after I heard the hiker’s advice, I came across this quote by Rumi:

“Wherever you stand, be the soul of that place.”

Wow. Once we accept where we are, can we then really own it and make it more beautiful? Again, where is your middle schooler? Where are they physically? And where are they academically? How about socially? How can we all be more mindful about being present and really owning who we are, where we are, and when we are? And how can we further embrace progressive education to empower our students to be aware of and accept where they are? Being progressive is being mindful. We must acknowledge and embrace where we are right now in order to move forward.

And lastly speaking of time, LREI Middle School’s now famous rotating blocks of time, “Big Time”, start soon. Big Time creates opportunities for students to pursue new curiosities, make discoveries, and to find new leadership opportunities.

This weekend, we encourage you to ask your middle schooler about their recent adventures on their trips and in their classrooms. And while they regale you with their tales, we hope you enjoy that special moment in time: the mindful, present moment.

Back