The Nature of Leadership

We all seek out leaders to guide us from time to time. Eton School is no different, often looking to Maria Montessori for inspiration. Among her many ideas, she believed education should “follow the child,” and implicit in those words is the students lead their own learning. Certainly, teachers and parents run ahead and leave guideposts to algebra, milestones for grammar, and other educational paths for the children to follow. Yet, they then simply observe the children’s journeys in wonder, watching the joy of them finding the spark and aha moments of long division, creative writing, friendship, and more.

With that, the children, parents, and teachers take turns leading and following. There is another helping though, often going unseen and uncredited, while also being right before all eyes and deeply revered. A true leader, preceding and inspiring all of our endeavors and innovations: nature. We struggle to record history and culture, while a river gorge easily displays sedimentary layers of previous eras and remains of ancient civilizations. We aspire to construct powerful processors and solid-state drives for computers, while the computational and storage abilities of our brains far outstretch our technological capabilities. We have invented many ways of harnessing energy, yet nothing compares to the efficiency of a simple leaf.

Nature is a great leader, always leaving guideposts for us to discover, and Eton embraces the chance to follow its lead whenever possible. For example, the fifth and sixth graders go to NatureBridge, an outdoor education program on the Olympic Peninsula. The rain forests, mountains, and lakes are the classroom for a week, providing many experiments, team building exercises, and discussions of environmental issues and regional history. The educators and staff often bring their own specialties to their lessons, such as botany or geology, and their passions lead and inspire the students. In fair turn, the students follow and return the passion and energy, helping to shape what will be studied, leading to new experiences and explorations for everyone.

Nature leads us through life. It provides infinite questions and answers, yielding what we are prepared for, while saving much for the horizon. It is simple, yet complex. Humble, yet assertive. Leader, yet follower. These characteristics may seem contradictory, but they are harmonious, as evidenced by Eton students each day. They master simple lessons, which lay the groundwork for complex applications. They are humble with their accomplishments, yet assertive in their abilities. They lead by example, yet also follow the example of others. So, whether students are raising their hands to speak or raising their eyes and ears to listen, whether they take

Follow the child, they will show you whatthey need to do, what they need to developin themselves and what area they need to bechallenged in. The aim of the children whopersevere in their work with an object iscertainly not to ‘learn’; they are drawn to itby the needs of their inner life, which mustbe recognized and developed by its means.

~ Maria Montessori

A Week at NatureBridge in Olympic National Park

Day One: Travel and Time to Settle In

The air buzzed with excitement as the fifth- and sixth‐grade students hauled their bags to the bus and then waited in the classroom to board. As soon as everyone was present, they boarded with enthusiasm and a high five for Mrs. Butler. As the bus pulled out, the parents waved goodbye and quickly the bus faded from view.

Upon arriving in Edmonds, the bus loaded onto the Washington State Ferry for Kingston and the students headed to the passenger area to hang out. With the sound of the Ferry’s horn as it approached Kingston, the students gathered once again and climbed back into their seats on the bus. They watched the ferry fade in the distance as they headed for Olympic National Park and NatureBridge.

After arriving at NatureBridge, they gathered for directions and with bags in tow hauled their gear to their bunks for the week. Soon afterwards the adventures and exploration started and continued until lights out.

Day Two: Exploring Rain, Rocks and a Group Game

In the morning, the groups went on the trails and learned about the rain cycle and rain shadows in the Olympics. We hiked along Barnes Creek to Marymere Falls where we had lunch. Scientific geology experiments such as the hardness test of rocks, sifting rocks to look at size, and the permeability of soil were conducted along the creek after lunch.

In the late afternoon, the groups came together to participate in a group game. The evening activity focused on rock basics as we learned about the rock cycle and how the earth recycles itself—sediment to soil or sediment to metamorphic rock.

Day Three: Ocean Expedition and Nightfall on the Lake

Wednesday morning, the students went on a field trip by bus to the ocean. They climbed up and over a bluff and across a lot of driftwood to reach Second Beach. After exploring tide pools and finding many different creatures, the students used the scientific method to try and find answers to their questions about the coastline. A picnic lunch and fun games rounded out their day at the beach.

In the evening, the students experienced a Crepuscular Crawl and created nature art work while listening to a Rock Symphony as the sun set. The beauty and quietness of nightfall on Lake Crescent was amazing

Day Four: Enjoying Both Water and Land

On Thursday, the sixth-grade students enjoyed both water and land. They boarded canoes and with paddles in hand, they ventured out on the lake with an occasional stop to explore the shoreline and trails.

Meanwhile, the fifth-grade students hiked up Mt. Storm King. Along the trail, the students gained an elevation of a couple thousand feet spaced over two to three miles. Despite the steep hike, everyone made it up and enjoyed an amazing view of Lake Cresent and the surrounding national park.

Day Five: Paddle, Tow, Farewell, and Home

Due to road construction that would add two hours to the drive, a decision was made to paddle north across the lake to Log Cabin Resort where the bus was waiting. Halfway across the lake, a speed boat lent a hand by towing each canoe to the shore. Everyone enjoyed this early morning activity including watching the sun come up over Mount Storm King. As they boarded the bus, they said goodbye to the NatureBridge educators and then headed back to Eton School via the Kingston Ferry. •