This Charlotte Mason education podcast episode explores our responsibilities in teaching. If we have agreed to take on homeschooling as our work, what are the attitudes and practices that will make us good at our job?
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“Our co-operation appears to be the indispensable condition of all the divine workings….
The contrary is equally true. Such teaching as enwraps a child’s mind in folds of many words that his thought is unable to penetrate, which gives him rules and definitions, and tables, in lieu of ideas––this is teaching which excludes and renders impossible the divine co-operation.”(2/274)
“As we have had occasion to say before, in this great work of education parents and teachers are permitted to play only a subordinate part after all. You may bring your horse to the water, but you can’t make him drink; and you may present ideas of the fittest to the mind of the child; but you do not know in the least which he will take, and which he will reject. And very well for us it is that this safeguard to his individuality is implanted in every child’s breast. Our part is to see that his educational plat is constantly replenished with fit and inspiring ideas, and then we must needs leave it to the child’s own appetite to take which he will have, and as much as he requires.” (3/127)
“The task God has given to mothers must always be the most responsible committed to any human being. It is nothing less than the training for His Service of His own children–children whose bodies must be sound and healthy, whose minds must be disciplined and alert, whose souls if they are to fulfill the purpose for which He has sent them here” (In Memoriam)
“Now, the eager soul who gives attention and zeal to his work often spoils its completeness by chasing after many things when he should be doing the next thing in order. … It is well to make up our mind that there is always a next thing to be done, whether in work or play; and that the next thing, be it ever so trifling, is the right thing; not so much for its own sake, perhaps, as because, each time we insist upon ourselves doing the next thing, we gain power in the management of that unruly filly, Inclination.” (4a/171)
“We are waking up to our duties and in proportion as mothers become more highly educated and efficient, they will doubtless feel the more strongly that the education of their children during the first six years of life [although I would propose that she means this for all of the years we educate our children] is an undertaking hardly to be entrusted to any hands but their own. And they will take it up as their profession––that is, with the diligence, regularity, and punctuality which men bestow on their professional labours.” (1/3)
“But we are not a faint-hearted body; we mean, and mean intensely; and to those who purpose the best, and endeavour after the best, the best arrive.” (3/148)
“The mother is qualified,” says Pestalozzi, “and qualified by the Creator Himself, to become the principal agent in the development of her child; … and what is demanded of her is––a thinking love … God has given to the child all the faculties of our nature, but the grand point remains undecided––how shall this heart, this head, these hands be employed? to whose service shall they be dedicated? A question the answer to which involves a futurity of happiness or misery to a life so dear to thee. Maternal love is the first agent in education.” (1/2)
…”in the faith that mothers work wonders once they are convinced that wonders are demanded of them. (1/44)
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Episode 3: The Role of the Teacher
This was such an encouraging & helpful episode! I know I will replay it often. Thank you so much! I was wondering if you would be able to share a sample schedule of when CM began & ended each of the 3 terms per year and the break weeks in between, if possible.
I don’t know how we missed this comment!
All we can say is that CM started her term 1 on September 15th, then resumed term 2 in January, scheduling the break to fall over Easter (which even meant shortening a term to 10 weeks if Easter “fell low”) and then had the month of April off.
That’s helpful!
Thank you so much!
This was such an inspiring episode for me. I have struggled a lot with the fact that I just can’t fit everything into the day, even though I only have two children. This episode made me realise that’s just not surprising given that I do have to cook everything from scratch: I spend 2.5-3 hours on food prep most days and have some other challenges in the day too.
While it doesn’t change the situation, listening to this has changed how I’ve been thinking about it; it’s reduced my sense of frustration and it’s helped me work out where to focus habit training to get my children to help more, or to do more for themselves. Thank you!
Katie, sometimes it is all about perspective, isn’t it? I know it can be a game changer for me. We’re thankful we could come alongside and give you new ideas for making the days more peaceful and fruitful.
~Nicole
I would be really interested in a link to the study about homeschooled children not being others focused and more self focused. This is something that has really puzzled me about my own children and others I know.
Dear Sarah,
I have no “link” to that study. It was a huge government survey that was done that I was informed about by an academic friend who had read the results; he shared with me only in regard to the point I shared
about the self-centeredness of homeschooled students.
I think your observations of the reality of this situation are a good prompt to inspire you to guide your children into service of others and one another and follow Mason’s lead to have them learning about
things going on in the world that they must know, as age and ability allows.
Liz