16 August 2011

welcoming a new children's ministry blog

I ran across a new blog last week: "Motley Play." (Isn't that a great title?)

 German Federal Archive
The author, Cathy, says she wants her blog to be "a place to discuss the pedagogical, wrestle with the theological and decide to act on the illogical".  And she's certainly jumped in with both feet, with a post entitled, I wonder ... Is Godly Play Ethical?  She sets up a dichotomy: those adults who feel that "raising up children in the way they should go" requires a fairly heavy hand vs. those who are genuinely inspired by the Montessori principles behind Godly Play (and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd), feeling able to trust to that the Holy Spirit will move in the classroom and touch all the children where they need to be met.

Although I felt that she was preaching to the converted in my case, it was a good reminder to me that I need constantly to be letting go in the classroom. I sometimes get disappointed that the children so often choose art materials over the story materials, for example. I mustn't let myself start over-selling the story materials, or trying to coax out the sort of responses that I want or expect. Let it go. Trust.

Welcome, Cathy. I hope you get the kind of dialogue you're seeking!

1 comment:

  1. goatreader16 August, 2011 18:36

    Although I no longer work with children, I can understand the dilemma. Even with adults it's hard to not push for the "correct" answer we are looking for.

    ReplyDelete

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