Practical Paideia

Lindsey Ralls (Summit Christian Academy)

During the first week of Christmas break, we traveled to Tennessee with my parents and spent a few days at a cabin in the Smoky Mountains. On the last day of our trip my oldest daughter, myself, and my parents decided to do a short hike at the base of the resort we were staying at. My husband and our youngest daughter stayed back at the cabin because she wasn’t feeling too well. I remember telling them that we wouldn’t be long because we were only planning to do the first 1/4 mile portion of the hike (Trip Advisor suggested stopping after the first 1/4 mile). I remember us telling Lilly (my daughter), as we drove to the trailhead, that it wouldn’t be too strenuous or long because we were just looking to enjoy a quick, short, easy, walk. 

We parked at the trailhead where there was an old cabin marking the beginning of the trail. Leaning against the cabin were walking sticks of all sizes and Lilly was excited that there was even one for her. After grabbing the walking sticks, we started hiking. The first quarter mile was a flat trail that led to a small water fall. Once we arrived at the water fall we all kind of looked at each other and said, “I guess we can keep going…let’s just go up there to where the trail curves.” Once we got to the bend in the trail there was a small stream that we had to cross, which of course sounded like fun so we did that. And then we kept going. The trail shifted from being nice and flat to becoming fairly steep, but up we went. Every fifteen minutes or so we’d ask each other if we wanted to keep going, and each time we decided that we did…at least to see what was around the next corner. 

Two hours after we began we reached the point where we could see for miles, even our cabin where John and Charlotte were! It struck me as we were walking down, that none of us had intended to walk that much, or conquer the mountain in the way that we did. It wasn’t even a remote possibility when we started out, and frankly seemed like too hard a task – but we ended up doing it. Why?

When there’s an enormous obstacle in front of you; it’s easy to view it as overwhelming. For our students, this might look like conquering geometry, writing a senior thesis, or memorizing multiplication tables. Focusing on the end result and the feeling of accomplishment that comes with it, usually isn’t enough to spur you on when you’re at the bottom of the mountain. When we began that hike, we all knew the view from the top was going to be great but that wasn’t reason enough for us to commit to doing that whole hike. At each point, when we questioned whether we should keep going, we chose to continue because the road was full of wonder, the community was encouraging, and we had the tools to succeed. 

Around each curve was a new challenge…but one that looked exciting and achievable. Climbing the entire mountain was too daunting, but crossing the stream looked fun. Climbing the entire mountain was formidable, but going up the next steep incline for a few hundred yards seemed like an adventure. When the road offers small challenges along the way, we stay engaged because we keep wondering, “what’s next”. 

We also had one another. Had any of us gone it alone, we certainly wouldn’t have kept going after the 1/4 mile stroll. Community is often a catalyst for adventure and that was true for us. We could do the hard thing because we had one another to spur us on. We enjoyed good conversation, we teased each other, and we laughed a lot…all of which ultimately distracted us during the more challenging portions of the hike. 

Finally, we had the right tools for the job. While the walking sticks just seemed like a fun accessory in the beginning, they proved to be a necessary tool later on when we forged a river, clambered up steep inclines, and even more so when we started our descent. 

As teachers, we ask our students to conquer mountains every year. For them, these mountains often seem impossible, overwhelming, and paralyzing. Instead of just pointing them toward the end result, lets help them accomplish small victories along the way by being creating a road full of wonder, being an encouraging community, and providing them with the tools to succeed.