What Prairie Plants Can Teach Us About Self-Governance
A while back, I saw a rare interview of Justice Thomas. At the end of his interview, he shared a reservation about what unifies our country. He said, “We have our plur-i-bus, but what’s our Unum? What do we have that binds us—what do we have in common?”
As the head of a K-12 Classical School called Lafayette Academy, that got me thinking. What is the tie that binds us…or more concerning, if there is no tie that binds us, what then?
Our nation is dependent on individuals that are self-governed. But I asked myself: Is our educational system cultivating in our youth that essential ingredient of self-governance? Dr. Larry Arnn, president of Hillsdale College, tells us (paraphrasing) that our founders recognized a liberal education, which includes solid training in reading, writing, and arithmetic, equips individuals to be self-governed. This self-governance brings two key benefits:
- When an individual is self-governed, he is ready to contribute to the prosperity of a free society without management from outside influences.
- Through self-governance, we are empowered to oversee the government, rather than being controlled by it; we become the government ourselves, as our founders intended.
As a school, we want to educate excellently and to impart intelligence is a noble thing. And achieving high state and national test scores is a great achievement (of which we’ve done both)—but we’re after something longer lasting. We want our children to LOVE the learning process and to live in the light of virtue, which should be embedded in school curriculum and our daily lives. We want our students to desire and align their actions with high ideals and convictions because we know it will fill their lives with happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction. We want them to accomplish what it means to flourish as a human being—to think, to reason, to know—and to do it all as self-governed individuals.
To help illustrate the importance of self-governance and the strength it brings to both the individual and to all those with whom he interacts, take a look at the root systems of prairie plants.
The image of these roots resonates with me deeply, as it reflects my hopes for the children of our country and fuels my passion as an educator.
A friend explained to me some interesting facts about prairie plants and their root systems:
1. Prairies contain some of the richest soils in the world.
2. The first three years of a prairie plant’s life is spent stabilizing its root system.
3. The growth above the surface is slow at best. Yet meanwhile, below the surface, the root structure is catapulting itself downward, anchoring itself for a life of stability amidst storm or shine.
4. Furthermore, because of their fantastic root system, prairie plants can adapt under most weather conditions.
5. Intertwined prairie roots create a more resilient and stable ecosystem.
Let me illustrate how prairies teach us more about classical education…
Prairies contain some of the richest soils in the world. When I think about the “richest soil” in the world—an education steeped in the classics, the great books, the timeless truths, that defines our “mental soil.” As we study the classical virtues in great stories, real and imaginary, we see the whole of the human pageant. Like prairie soil nourishes prairie plants, a classical education nourishes our soul. Through the pages of history, we are touched and inspired to emulate or cultivate our best self.
The first three years of a prairie plant’s life is spent stabilizing its root system. In our youngest classes (K-2), we spend years stabilizing our students’ understanding, giving them a deep dive into phonics and explicit handwriting. In math, we show concretely what happens when you “borrow” or multiply. This is all taught with pencil to paper to etch the learning deep within their thought— their root system.
In all subjects, these building blocks of a “root system” cannot be fabricated on “faith” or “just do it like I told you.” A child’s root system needs to be built on understanding. All the while, skills such as independent, critical thinking and reason are developed and strengthened within a child’s thought.
Lastly, in order for an oak tree to stand, it must have deep and wide-reaching roots. For our students to stand they need truth and understanding to support them. Classical education stabilizes their “root system” and equips our children with the tools to rise above ignorance, foolishness, and superficiality. It teaches them how to think, rather than what to think. It equips them with a deep understanding of language, logic, truth, order, and moral values ,which is paramount in a self-governed society.
The growth above the surface is slow at best. Yet meanwhile, below the surface, the root structure is catapulting itself downward, anchoring itself for a life of stability amidst storm or shine.
The growth in your child may not, at first, seem tangible. How many times have we said, “Time to clean your room” or “Have you done your homework yet?” At times, I’ve wondered if they even hear me. But then, one day—you’re amazed as you see them thinking ahead or considering others entirely on their own. Their “self-governance” raises its head to peer at the world, and at that moment, we know those roots are indeed anchoring themselves solidly. It becomes evident their understanding is growing and developing.
Because of their fantastic root system, they can adapt under most weather conditions. A child’s “root system” is their understanding, which is shaped by becoming a master of the English language, a competent writer, a skillful mathematician, a curious scientist, or more. With a strong foundation and a well-developed character, such an individual is able to adapt and withstand challenges or temptations.
We know a prairie, with its deep root system anchoring it firmly, requires minimal external care. We don’t have prairie plant farmers tending prairies. The prairie takes care of itself. It’s completely self-governed. Similarly, a student with strong discernment, deeply rooted in logic and reason, needs little management from the outside. Through years of classical education, a child is given the time to practice, apply their knowledge, and engage in opportunities to problem-solve and think deeply. As a result, we have young individuals ready to…
- Contribute positively to society
- Take care of themselves and their progeny
- Be a contributor rather than a consumer
- Govern themselves
Intertwined prairie roots create a more resilient and stable ecosystem. Lastly, it’s a known fact that as prairie plants grow, their roots intertwine. That intertwining creates a more resilient and stable ecosystem. Not only does this improve plant stability, but this type of root system prevents soil erosion by wind or water. Additionally, such a root network helps aerate the soil and increases water filtration, making the land more drought resistant. Lastly, those interconnected roots support rapid recovery after major disturbances like a prairie fire or animal grazing. Because everything is intertwined and connected, the plants can quickly regrow from the existing roots.
So let’s take this final prairie lesson and apply it to our children. It’s a known fact that as children grow, their knowledge (mental soil) intertwines with previous knowledge gained. That mental intertwining of knowledge creates a more resilient and stable thought process—activating and combining logic and reason. Not only does this improve a child’s mental stability, but this type of fortified mental root system prevents disintegration (or erosion) when feckless or misaligned ideology presents itself to the student. Additionally, a strong, educated mind shows the child what’s possible, which stirs them to be curious and to wonder—encouraging them to love the learning process. Lastly, classically educated individuals find joy in conversing with one another and forming relationships with other classically educated individuals because there is a shared history and shared love of learning. Further, their mental root system is closely aligned. Just like roots intertwining, one person’s “mental soil” connects with another’s, and then with others, creating a rich culture born from a shared passion for knowledge, learning, and the cultivation of beautiful ideas. A strong network of resilient people forms. As a result, this network of independently thinking, capable, self-governed people can more easily recover from major disruptions such as a national emergency, a town burnt to the ground or a community member facing great hardship. Because their shared knowledge is deeply intertwined and their paideia has been purposefully nurtured, the community becomes self-governing, able to find solutions and recover more efficiently.
In closing, our children are those prairie plants. Our children contain some of the richest soils in the world— their minds are that rich soil. Years are spent nurturing and stabilizing their root system. The growth above the surface is slow at best. But all the while, below the surface, their root structure is catapulting itself downward, anchoring itself for a life of stability amidst storm or shine. Furthermore, because of our children’s fantastic root system, they can adapt under most weather conditions. They need little management from the outside as they are self-governing and self-sufficient. Finally, as our children’s knowledge intertwines with that of the adults in the community, our collective mental root system forms a more resilient and stable foundation, enabling us to self-govern based on what is good, true, and beautiful.
So what is our “Unum?” What unifies us? It’s our shared root system—our shared paideia and knowledge based on the western tradition of independence and self-governance with a compass toward virtue. If we unite to strengthen each child’s root system through a rich and robust education, what’s the outcome? We create an educated and elevated community that, together, will endure storms of ignorance, illiteracy, and indifference. While storms continue to arise, the strength of our “prairie”—our children and their character—will determine how we weather those storms and thrive as we are meant to do.
