Trusting the Natural Intelligence of Children
“Let’s Begin with a Moment of Silence.”
At Oak Grove School in Ojai, California, we often share moments of silence with our students, from preschool through 12th grade, as a whole community, in small groups, and individually. We begin, and sometimes end, assemblies, events, and meetings with silence. Silence is weaved through our learning and teaching practices, including academics, arts, and outdoor education. We trust the natural intelligence of children and believe that self-understanding is essential to the full expression of that intelligence. These things are at the core of our ethos as a school.
What is a Moment of Silence?
A moment of silence can be an act of remembrance, tribute, prayer, compassion; it may be a form of meditation and mindfulness. Often silence is found in relationship with nature, in deep academic attention, and in complex problem-solving.
A Practical & Important Practice
According to scientific research, silence can assist us to concentrate, be more creative, achieve a higher level of awareness, cultivate more patience, provide a sense of calm, and encourage a higher level of learning and productivity.
“…if I think back to my schooling at Oak Grove, silence speaks loudly to what Oak Grove tries to foster in its students. We were never really instructed in what to do with the silence. It was not time for prayer, although maybe some use it that way. It was not a time to “think about what you did.” Actually, it was more like ninja training than either of those. It cultivated our long-forgotten attention spans. The silence we held together worked. You didn’t have to believe anything for it to work, it still worked, in the sense that it honed our abilities to sit with ourselves, in a very practical way.”
– Juna Rosales Muller ’06
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The Mirror of Relationship
J. Krishnamurti, world-renowned teacher on the entire field of human consciousness and founder of Oak Grove and schools in India and England, wrote many letters during 1978-1980 to stay in touch and convey his philosophy “that these schools are not only to be excellent academically but much more.”
In this short video from 2019, students read excerpts from his 1978 Letter to the Schools emphasizing the meaning of relationship and intelligence.
The Whole Movement of Life Is Learning
Blog, Parent UpdateFrom the Head of School The intention of Oak Grove School was established by our founder, J. Krishnamurti. He communicated this intention through dialogues, talks, and written works, most explicitly in Letters to the Schools, which he wrote from 1978 to 1981. Although Krishnamurti shared a great deal on the topic of education, he […]
The Purpose of Outdoor Education
Blog, Parent UpdateFrom the Head of School On Friday our Junior High and High School students returned from the annual Secondary School camping trip to El Capitán State Beach. Over several days, they surfed and kayaked in the ocean, participated in fireside talent shows, storytelling, and sing-alongs. As I shared here last year when our Seniors […]