Trancendental schools

This week we had to create a Trancendental school and present it to the class. The trancendentalists beleived in simplicity, connecting to nature, and individuality. Schools in our systems today have rules that limit individuality, complicated lives that are far from simplistic and often the closest we get to nature is the documentary about reproduction in biology class. Some groups had creative and innovative ways to create trancendental schools. Many had outdoor classrooms and or gardens. Some had drawings each day to decide the class schedule for that day as well as to avoid a pattern of life. I thought that this was exceedingly smart because many other groups simply let you choose what classes you take which is similar to what we have now anyways. Regarding nature many groups had bird watching clubs and classes outdoors. Many had environmental science which helps to connect to nature. For the project it was required to make a model of the school. Some had pictures, others had small scale 3-D boards.
Thinking about what a trancendental school would be like is interesting. Every student must maintain individuality and must not respond to others with feelings of jealousy, envy, or any other strong emotion. This in of itself would be extremely difficult since it is often times almost impossible not to compare yourself with others. A trancendental school however, may seem to be more laid back due to individuality and non conformity. This means that often, these model schools would have had only a few classes a day or short classes depending on the teacher's schedule for the day. There is a constant change of atmosphere for the children of these schools. When comparing this type of school to the type we have now, it is extremely different. We often have some sort of drama going on in one place or another and there are clubs that keep people together and on a similar schedule. This is the opposite of nonconformity and individuality. There are other interesting differences in the way that a trancendental school would be focused on connecting with nature and feeling your outside surroundings through calm and slow days while now we focus on how to work the next big piece of technology or study research effectively. We also have busy schedules that often keep us running around until dark or later. I find it interesting that some people lived like this at one point and right now it is impossible to imagine how they survived. Overall I think I prefer the way my life is lived now, active and conformed.