The Development of Qualities

What are the highest possible human qualities, and how are they developed? These are questions the staff at Running River asks as individuals and as teachers. We want children to be nourished by their own inner qualities, and not just by their actions. Qualities stay with us as we change in life. Although they are invisible, they are clearly manifested in all our actions.

Nature is a great teacher of qualities. Nature instills and demonstrates inspiring qualities. Every aspect of nature is the expression of a universal quality or force. Spending time in nature is one way we help children identify, develop and become attuned to qualities. For children to feel solid in who they are, they need qualities such as patience, receptivity, sensitivity, objectivity, stamina, joy, strength, gratitude and more. We know that these qualities can take a lifetime to take root and flourish, but by all of us working together to develop these qualities, and having a focus on qualities in our curriculum, we hope to give children a strong sense of what qualities are.

For example, when we are learning about overcoming obstacles we might spend time studying how rivers move around rocks. Another example is building strength over a whole year so we can climb a mountain. We give children projects that allow them to hone in on the qualities that they may not have appreciated in themselves as yet. For example, patience is a quality required in raising rabbits, baking bread and making a book. Since we all desire that our children are able to meet life’s challenges, we want to provide them with the tools to make sound decisions and handle the obstacles that arise . We aspire to teach them how to listen attentively, be open to the input of others, to take responsibility for their actions, to be responsible to themselves, to have patience to wait until they have an answer which is true for them, and to be confident and respectful in expressing their feelings and ideas. These are just a few examples of the essential role qualities play in the development of our children