Over the last half-dozen years, classical educators’ recovery of a more holistic practice of memory has permeated my own understanding of learning, pedagogy, and virtue. I have come to believe that what a student has learned is revealed in what she remembers, rather than what work she has done or what experiences she has collected […]
Freedom is gained only through discipline. Discipline is regular, continual effort to enact self-governance in some way. Discipline comes in many shapes and sizes, from budgeting to exercise to reading. In each of these examples, one applies oneself to self-govern in order to enjoy a future freedom. We budget in order to enjoy financial freedom.
Habit Training Part 2: The Practice of Habit Training Read More »
As classical Christian educators, we place a high value on cultivating such qualities as wisdom, virtue, and piety in the students God brings into our care. A question that has challenged educators down through the ages has been how to effectively train students in these qualities. Do we put on the hard press, systematically breaking
In my previous two articles I discussed narration as a tool of learning and as embodying the classical principle of self-education. I bemoaned the departure from this principle in much of modern education. At the same time, it’s worth recognizing the value of modern research in neuroscience and cognitive psychology, especially where it is confirming
In my last article, I submitted Charlotte Mason’s practice of narration for consideration as another lost tool of learning. My main contention in its favor followed Charlotte Mason’s claim that narration is a natural gift of children as persons made in the image of our storytelling God. For those coming late to the party, narration
Narration and the Classical Principle of Self-Education Read More »
“If a human being were a machine . . . the work of the educator would be simply to adopt a good working system or set of systems. But the educator has to deal with a self-acting, self-developing being, and his business is to guide, and assist in, the production of the latent good in
“Every Capacity for Good”: Advice from Charlotte Mason for Planning A New School Year Read More »
The beginning of springtime, when the fleeting beauty of the outdoors sometimes overshadows the perpetual urgency of lessons, is a good time to be reading Charlotte Mason, who insisted that time spent outside is integral to the child’s formation and education. Here are some of her ideas for creating an “out-of-door life for the children,”
“An Out-of-Door Life for the Children”: Six Ideas from Charlotte Mason Read More »
My view of classical education is far more concerned with the real thing than with the word “classical.” So drawing from the very long Chrisitan classical tradition, I would include Charlotte Mason in that tradition every bit as much as any body else because she: 1. Was a metaphysical realist (which post Dewey progressives are
6 Reasons Why Charlotte Mason Was Part of the Classical Tradition Read More »
The following is taken from this month’s Mere Motherhood newsletter, the email companion to the Mason Jar Podcast.
“Children are born persons” is the first of Charlotte Mason’s principles. A person has a voice, or wants a voice, or should have a voice, especially children. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he indicates as much, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in
Here at CiRCE we believe there’s strength in numbers. If the Christian classical renewal is going to be truly meaningful and lasting then we have to work together, wherever and in whatever setting we are teaching. In some ways we need to think of ourselves as one large community. So we thought why not explore
What Can Homeschoolers Learn from Traditional Schools? An Interview with Cindy Rollins Read More »
In his book, Christ and Architecture, Donald Bruggink says, “A church interested in preaching the Gospel must be interested in architecture as well. For the architecture of a church either augments the preached word or conflicts with it.” This is true of the classical, Christian school as well. A classical, Christian education places a high
From Parking Lots to Bulletin Boards: Why Aesthetics Matter in a Classical Classroom Read More »
