Feeling Alive
Recently, we asked Dante, a Prep teacher at Griffin, to reflect on her DiG journey, one that is just beginning. Here is what she told us:
What surprised me?
Wow, Digging with Preps, who would have thought that is possible? But then again, is that not the essence of a DiG; to shift our thinking, to discover outcomes we never deemed possible? At least that was what a DiG meant to me.
My own personal DiG brought me to a place of self-belief. A place of new possibilities. A place of excitement. A place of finding me and discovering who I can be. My DiG made me look at my own perceived weaknesses and helped me to discover the strengths found in them.
It gave me a new appreciation for individuality and the beauty that diversity brings. It helped me to see myself and others in a different light and that was refreshing, life-changing even.
I discovered that time and hours did not matter anymore, but that excitement allows you to do so much more, Dig so much deeper. You don’t want it to stop and in some ways it never does.
Your mind becomes wired to see connections and possibilities in every moment of every day. You are not only seeking knowledge but understanding of what is taking place and the different roles each person plays.
What delights me?
Growing up my mum used to compare me with a growing tree. I had big dreams and frequently came up with daring ideas. Each time I shared these spontaneous thoughts, my mum would respond by saying: I can see you want to grow wide and wild again today. She was right, I was a tree that did not like being pruned. Rules, procedures, etc just seemed to suck the life out of me, when I just wanted to be free to be me.
When you DiG you are told there is no right or wrong, no step-by-step instruction, no predetermined outcome, no criteria to meet, etc. All I heard was FREEDOM. A place I can grow wide and wild. A place where I am my own limitation. It can go as deep and meaningful as I will allow it to be. I am the only barrier. I LOVED IT AND IT MADE ME FEEL ALIVE.
I was sleeping less than 3 hours a night, but it did not matter, in fact, I had more energy than ever. It made me think if it could do this for me, how enriching could it not be for us as a learning community. As a child I just wanted a space to dream big and see these things come to be.
Today I am in a position where I can invite my learners on this journey of discovery. What a privilege? What could be more exciting than this? It already is.
My wondering?
Now that we are no longer ticking boxes but creating our own individual learning journeys, where would that lead? What amazing things might we achieve that we never thought possible? How much more involved might our families be? What appreciation might we develop for each other’s individuality?
