A Treasure Hunt
In the book of Proverbs, Solomon guides his son to maturity by passing on his wisdom to him. In Chapter 2 Solomon challenges his son to set out on a hunt for wisdom as if he were searching for silver or for gold. “Cry out for it” he tells him, “seek for it like you would for hidden treasure.” Solomon’s words are wonderfully instructive and have become a guiding light for us at Chapel Field. We challenge our students to be committed to a lifelong treasure hunt for wisdom. We encourage them to search for it as they would for money if they were told that $100,000,000 were hidden somewhere on campus. We challenge our students to seek it in the great books they read, the instruction of their teachers, the words of their parents, the lyrics of the hymns we sing, the sermons of their pastors, and every other conceivable place they find themselves. The quest for wisdom should be one from which they never rest. Their antenna should always be up and tuned to receive wisdom whether it comes from one of the great thinkers of world history or from the back of a cereal box.
As such, in the grammar school we cultivate the quest for wisdom by introducing the children to great stories, fables, fairy tales, and of course the Bible, where they meet wisdom incarnate in the person of Christ. As the students enter high school, we provide them with a gift from the school which we call their commonplace book. Throughout history, great men and women have kept personal commonplace books, journals in which they would gather wisdom in quotes from the great books they read. Their commonplace books would serve as treasure chests for their collected treasury of wisdom. Each high school student receives a commonplace book and collects quotes and ideas from their studies and life experience. These journals serve as part of their own personal education during their time at Chapel Field.
It was Charlotte Mason, a 19th century educator, who once said that all education is self-education. Teachers may guide students to great ideas, but the actual educating is ultimately something only the student can do. The practice of commonplacing has been a joyful and practical way for us to instill the principle of self-education. Students are not graded on them, nor are they ever told what quotes to put in them, but all students are required to have their commonplace books with them in every class and must share a quote from them when asked. Many of our classes begin with a student sharing a commonplace quote he or she has collected. This practice has become a culture changer for our school, embodying the pursuit of wisdom in a very real and practical way. Not to mention the absolute delight it is to have students sharing wisdom they have gathered with the rest of the class. Often you will see a student reach for his or her commonplace book while the class is reading a text or when a quote is shared by another student.
We want to encourage all our parents and the school community in general to join in this practice with us. Hence, once a week we will provide a quote from the commonplace book of one of our students or faculty members. We hope that each quote provides a source for contemplation and the pursuit of wisdom. May we all join the treasure hunt.
Read our first “From the Commonplace Book” entry, here…
Bill Spanjer serves as Head of Schools and Chairman of the Biblical Studies Department at Chapel Field.
