Ila took me to the Amish school Henry attended as a child.
We sat on a bench in the back and just watched the last hour or so of school.
The atmosphere was peaceful, respectful, and organized.
Everyone seemed to know exactly what to do.
In one corner, some of the older children helped to score the work of the younger.
If someone finished their work early, they might start quietly reading a book or working on a creative project with crayons and scissors.
I couldn’t help but contrast this with the chaos of kids in public schools today.
It would have been a scene of mayhem and madness.
We got a lot of sideways glances with big smiles while we watched.
Especially when I sneaked a photo or two. (Shh!)
Toward the end of the day, one of the two gas lights sputtered and left half of the room in relative darkness.
The teacher reached up, absently turned it off, and work continued as if nothing had happened.
At the end of the day, a song, goodbye from the two teachers, and an excited but orderly row-by-row exit from the single room.
-D
