Homeschooling Downunder
"'Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.' Charlotte Mason A Philosophy of Education
"When we say that education is an atmosphere we do not mean that a child should be isolated in what may be called a 'child environment' specially adapted and prepared, but that we should take into account the educational value of his natural home atmosphere both as regards persons and things and should let him live freely among his proper conditions. It stultifies a child to bring down his world to the 'child's' level. "
I have seen "education is an atmosphere" in many Charlotte Mason books. I needed no further explanation; the quote encompassed it all—or so I thought! To explain my interpretation of that statement prior to reading this chapter I would have said, "A good learning environment stimulates a child's education and facilitates holistic growth."
The cult of aesthetics, still present today, holds the belief that parents should painstakingly provide an environment that is "perfect for the child". Lovely surroundings of beauty, nice books and lots of cotton wool are used to shield children from the harsh adult world. Charlotte Mason believed this carefully constructed artificial environment is not beneficial to a child, for it makes them morally weak and prevents them maturing. She wanted a children's environment to be one that nobody has been at pains to constitute (a natural environment).
This atmosphere was not meant to be "come what may", but rather to be one where the child's intelligence is respected, where their ability to acquire knowledge is encouraged and self education is promoted.
At home it is easier to provide such an "atmosphere" rather than school. Why —because school can take the lessons to a child's level in a watered down, sweetened condescending way. She encouraged her teachers to make sure that school had "the bracing atmosphere of truth and sincerity". I agree home is a natural place for raising and educating our children. Home life offers many opportunities to learn about the things of the world.
At home there is a danger though that we can succumb to the "cult of aesthetics" —only providing our children with "nice things". As the 'mummy' I want to shield them and make their life easy. This means that I may remove natural consequences for actions. For example, sloppy work becomes acceptable and hard work is not expected. As parents we can molly-coddle our children and this too produces children with a weak demeanour that are ill prepared for a life of renown.
Cultural "norms" need not be our benchmark. We need to set standards that respects them and prepares them for the future. A modern book that encompasses some of these ideas is "Boundaries with Children".
There are two courses open to us in this matter. One, to create by all manner of modified conditions a hot-house atmosphere, fragrant but emasculating, in which children grow apace but are feeble and dependent; the other to leave them open to all the "airts that blow," but with care lest they be unduly battered; lest, for example, a miasma come their way in the shape of a vicious companion.
This chapter encapsulates much of Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education. I have gleaned many insights into what we need for an inspiring education. Charlotte Mason reveals why the atmosphere that she proposes works.
By this formula we mean the discipline of habits formed definitely and thoughtfully whether habits of mind or of body.
Charlotte Mason's teaching on habits reaches far beyond the educational realm. She emphasises how important it is to have "lay down the rails" of good habits in our children's lives (and our own).
In this chapter Charlotte talks about the habits that we need to instil into our children to ensure that they develop good habits in their educational pursuits and personal lives.
We have lost sight of the fact that habit is to life what rails are to transport cars. It follows that lines of habit must be laid down towards given ends and after careful survey, or the joltings and delays of life become insupportable.
Teach them how to stay on the rails
Establish good habits! It sounds simple but it is not easy. The will is often present but the ability to implement these good habits can elude us.
If we fail to ease life by laying down habits of right thinking and right acting, habits of wrong thinking and wrong acting fix themselves of their own accord.
Identify the habit. When we identify a new habit that we want to establish we then need to work at that habit. Charlotte wisely encourages us to only work on one habit at a time. I do agree that too many habits worked on at once leads to failure but as a mother I do work on more than one at a time. My two current ones for the children are, put your plate in the dishwasher after you use it and clean up the bathroom after you have a shower. For school work with one child I am teaching them not to dawdle over their maths. I sit with them encouraging them to keep pressing on with the sums and I am keeping the lesson short.
Spiritual Habits.
A major goal for me as a parent is to lead my children into a strong relationship with God—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is a relationship and I don't want it to become a mechanical habit absent of true communion with God. But there are spiritual disciplines that I know will help them in this relationship. Bible reading, prayer, devotion, worship, giving and church attendance are all habits that need to be established for an effective Christian life. Therefore I make sure these habits are practiced in our home.
Housework Habits.
I have tried to set up chores in my house so that the children can have success. There is no point trying to set up a habit that has a slim chance of achievability.
Educational Habits.
This is hard in the early years before they can read but once they can read for themselves they need to start coming in to contact with the books themselves so that they can perform the act of knowing.
I used to wonder how to do this. How could I organise their day in such a way that they did the work for themselves? In the early days of homeschooling everything was so dependent on me and if I fell of the rails so did everyone one else. Since I have been using the workbox system I have found it so much easier to keep them going when I was off on a needed detour.
Physical Habits.
This encompasses personal habits plus exercise. I need to work on the physical exercise one!
Mind Habits
It is as we have seen disastrous when child or man learns to think in a groove, and shivers like an unaccustomed bather on the steps of a new notion. This danger is perhaps averted by giving children as their daily diet the wise thoughts of great minds, and of many great minds; so that they may gradually and unconsciously get the courage of their opinions.
Allowing our mind to stretch and digest new ideas.
A more modern speaker on this topic is Steven Covey. Here is an interview he did for homeschool.com. Seven Habits of a Highly Successful Homeschooler
Again I have been challenged by the power of setting up good habits in my family and homeschool. We do have many established good habits already in our home that I am pleased with, but there are still many more to work on.
Proverbs 22:6 (New King James Version)
" Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it."
So many times I have said to non homeschooling friends that homeschooling is a lifestyle not school lessons at home. That is exactly what Charlotte Mason is saying by this statement.
Education becomes a lifestyle of learning—feeding our mind with the mind food of great ideas. Charlotte Mason encourages us to make sure we put quality ideas into our children’s lives.
What is an idea?
An idea is a live thing of the mind. It strikes, seizes and catches hold of us. Ideas form the basis of our inspiration. An idea can possess us. Without ideas life is dull.
Ideas in Education
Charlotte argues that in many schools the concept of ideas is curiously absent. Curiosity is stilted with dull textbooks, wrote learning and dry facts—I would add force feeding of political agendas and peer group pressure. Before children receive the ideas of others it is watered down, pre-digested and often manipulated.
Giving Children Great Ideas
Charlotte Mason wanted children to be exposed to great thinkers and great ideas; these thinkers nourish their mind and feed their life.
Education is a life. That life is sustained on ideas. Ideas are of spiritual origin, and God has made us so that we get them chiefly as we convey them to one another, whether by word of mouth, written page, Scripture word, musical symphony; but we must sustain a child's inner life with ideas as we sustain his body with food.
As the educator living literature is an instrument for giving idea. It allows the child to touch the author’s mind with their own words. This literary powerhouse helps them connect with these thinkers. Ideas clothed upon the factual stories seem to be recalled; for the delivery of an idea seems to require much padding.
Charlotte Mason cautions us to not to confuse opinions with ideas. Allow the children to express their own thoughts and ask them questions before you express your opinion.
All roads lead to Rome, and all I have said is meant to enforce the fact that much and varied humane reading, as well as human thought expressed in the forms of art, is, not a luxury, a tit-bit, to be given to children now and then, but their very bread of life, which they must have in abundant portions and at regular periods. This and more is implied in the phrase, "The mind feeds on ideas and therefore children should have a generous curriculum.
*Quotes unless otherwise stated are from Charlotte Mason "A Philosophy of Education Volume 6". Read the whole chapter online at amblesideonline.com
This article originally appeared on my blog as part of a series on the Principles of Charlotte Mason.