About seven years ago I was introduced to St. Benedict and his teachings by a dear friend and kindred spirit. I had discovered Charlotte Mason about a year earlier and was in the midst of tackling her volumes for the first time. I was amazed to discover that many of Benedict’s teachings seemed to parallel those of Miss Mason’s. My soul was struck profoundly. It caused me to wonder whether or not Miss Mason had studied the 5th century saint herself.
By Jennifer Taylor How fortunate we are, how blessed to live in a time when Miss Mason’s ideas are alive and well in the 21st century, especially here in America. There are so many wonderful, talented people out there spreading the feast through research, writing and speaking on Miss Mason’s works. There are excellent books, articles, blogs and podcasts available at our fingertips. What a privilege to live in a technological age that allows us access to a seemingly endless amount of information at any time, any day. But do you ever feel that you’ll never have enough time, energy or resources to get through those volumes, attend that conference or listen to that podcast all while teaching your kids, managing a household and investing in relationships? It all can quickly become overwhelming. What to do? I have found that an answer lies with a Brit and a saint.
About seven years ago I was introduced to St. Benedict and his teachings by a dear friend and kindred spirit. I had discovered Charlotte Mason about a year earlier and was in the midst of tackling her volumes for the first time. I was amazed to discover that many of Benedict’s teachings seemed to parallel those of Miss Mason’s. My soul was struck profoundly. It caused me to wonder whether or not Miss Mason had studied the 5th century saint herself.
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Would you love to be able to attend the Charlotte Mason Educational Retreat but are unable to because of your family's current financial situation? Although we were able to greatly reduce our costs for CMER this year, we know there are some for whom this is still a stretch. We are excited to announce we have received money which we are to use for scholarships for the CMER. Please, contact us, if you are in a situation where for financial reasons you are unable to attend and a scholarship would be a blessing to you.
By Karen Canon In January of 2012, I had ten years of homeschooling under my belt, most of those using the methods and philosophy of Charlotte Mason. Ten years and I still had yet to meet in real life any other CMer. My husband, who had readily given his full confidence and cooperation when I told him about Mason and why I thought this was the right approach for us, had a busy job and ministry and little time to devote to becoming conversant in educational philosophy. So I was on my own to wade through Mason's philosophy and its application.
In those first ten years, I read Catherine Levison, Karen Andreola, and Susan Schaeffer Macaulay. I read Mason herself. Then I re-read Levison, Andreola and Macaulay again, to better understand what Mason was saying. As our internet access improved from dial-up to satellite to wireless, I slowly discovered bloggers who wrote about their CM homeschools and I developed one-sided relationships with Nancy Kelly and Tammy Glaser and Cindy Rollins and Amy Fisher. I was blessed by them and what they shared on their blogs, and I was very grateful to know there were others 'out there.' Then, everything changed. In the course of one spring, I learned of a small group of like-minded educators meeting to read and discuss Charlotte Mason in my city, and I heard about a national conference that would be convening in a few short months in the little town of Boiling Springs, North Carolina. Immediately I signed up for both. By Sarah Lancaster Happy Christmas, my friends. All of us on the CME Retreat team hope that your season is filled with joy and peace, that your home and your family is filled with the presence of our holy Savior. Some of us are wrapping up the Christmas celebrations while others have just finished off Advent and are entering into the twelve days of Christmas. In either case, 2017 is quickly heading towards us. I'm not a big Resolution-maker, but a new year does hold a certain promise. A new beginning always invites us to look back and take stock, then to look forward and make plans.
We at the CME Retreat know exactly what values drive us. We built them into our very name. Community, Motivation, and self-Education: these are the values that our leadership team is working to foster in ourselves and in the lives we touch. I love Charlotte Mason's principles because they are about life, not just education. In the past few years, I have been deeply challenged to embody the ideals that I want to pass on to my kids. If I want to raise readers who are curious, confident that they can self-educate, and willing to struggle through a dense book, I have to work to become that reader. In the spirit of self-education, would you consider joining me for a reading challenge this year? For many people, just finding time to read is a challenge in itself. Once we carve out that time, though, what shall we read? How do we keep our reading list challenging, varied, and enjoyable? By Dawn Rhymer Near the end of November, we went back out to the Ponderosa for a final walk through, much needed for our transition into the nitty-gritty details of our planning. Which location was best for each session? Where did we want to put refreshments? What made sense to decorate and what was best left alone? What was it like to walk between our separate buildings? You were high in our thoughts as we considered each question. Though there was business to accomplish, as we walked and talked, we drank in the beauty of the location. One shared how when her husband travels to amazing locations, he often may not even step outside of the self-contained building. We took joy in sharing with our tour host why Ponderosa seemed to be the perfect location for our small retreat.
There is only a week left before early bird registration closes. Though we attempted to make the CMER more flexible this year, we know we cannot address every situation. If there is something unique to your situation, please don't hesitate to contact us with your questions. We will do all we can to help so that you, too, may have the opportunity to go out to play.
By Karen Canon Architecture is a speech known and read for all men; and it is by its great buildings, even more than by its literature, that a country or an age is estimated by posterity. 'Hoc fecit Wykeham' Parents' Review, 1890/91. Charlotte Mason said in her final volume, "Next in order to religious knowledge, history is the pivot upon which our curriculum turns." (Vol. 6, 273) I take it that her point was, first, that "the knowledge of God is the principal knowledge" (Vol. 6, 272) and, second, that history gives us a reference upon which other subjects move, or literally oscillate or vibrate. History provides a scaffolding, a structure that is orderly and progressive in the sense that one time period leads into and influences all that follows. There is a context to all that takes place in men's lives. The ultimate purpose, though, of history---as well as other subjects---is to grow in our knowledge of God. If we consider the three broad subject areas suitable for children, the Knowledge of God, of Man, and of the Universe, we could imagine Knowledge of God as the apex of a mountain. The Knowledge of Man and the Knowledge of the Universe would be the sides of the mountain where we walk the pathways of history, literature, mathematics, science and so on and we grow in our relationship with our creator.
I've come to better understand and appreciate this two-fold blessing: that history provides a structure and sense of order to the study of other subjects and that the other subjects in the realm of the Knowledge of Man---literature, citizenship, composition, languages, art and so on---'vibrate' about the story of mankind in time, harmonizing and deepening my understanding---and my relationship---with each other. It has been, for me personally, the key to unlocking a paradigm shift, setting subjects free of their isolated compartments and truly experiencing a relationship with learning. One of those topics that pivots about history is that of Architecture. At the Second Charlotte Mason Educational Retreat I will be hosting an immersion session on Architecture. That means, rather than talk about architecture in a Mason education, we will dive in and experience some actual lessons on the topic. Our session will be full and yet there is much to say about the topic and how it relates to a Charlotte Mason education that might be of interest. So I thought a post would be timely to lay just a bit of that groundwork and whether you can come to the workshop or not, you might, hopefully, be inspired to consider the study of architecture. By Dawn Rhymer "Beauty awakens the soul to act." Dante I have been reflecting recently on my journey toward beauty. Only a few years ago, there was little place for beauty in my life. (You can read a small part of my journey in A Charlotte Mason Story). Beauty was a waste of time, money, and energy. Beauty was not pragmatic, and the few times I made a feeble attempt at beauty resulted in failure, bolstering my conviction it was best left to others who didn't have anything better to do. (You may, at this point, sigh and shake your head with the sadness and frustration of one who knows better.)
Recently, my family had the opportunity to perform a shortened version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It was chaos, and it was beautiful. As we were standing in front of our church about to begin, I looked around and--while trying to keep my voice steedy and calm--asked, "Where is Scrooge?" Scrooge was being played by my six-year-old daughter, and she was not to be found. One of my older children yelled from behind a curtain, "She's in the bathroom!" One could do nothing but laugh. However, as I reflected on Scrooge (the character--not my daughter), I have to admit, I saw a bit of my former self in him. By Jennifer Taylor Yesterday marked the first day of Advent. This season of expectation is present everywhere you turn. People are bustling with their Christmas shopping, smells of cinnamon and warm cookies fill the air, and the town transforms into a magical wonderland of twinkling lights. The atmosphere is rich with the anticipation of this most wonderful time of the year.
One of my most favorite things about the Advent season is the beautiful music that comes bursting on the scene as if packaged and tucked away for a whole year only to explode in glorious song at the close of the Thanksgiving holiday. Music is such a vital part of Advent that I don't think it would be the same without it. Concert halls resound with orchestral Christmas classics, churches echo the angelic choruses from the choir lofts and carolers warm the hearts of neighbors with their simple harmonies. Some of my personal favorites are those nostalgic Christmas tunes I grew up listening to on the family record player: Bing Crosby's White Christmas, Nat King Cole's The Christmas Song and Gene Autry's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I loved that last one so much I begged my mother to sing it to me every night of the year! There is something about music that touches the human soul. By Sarah Lancaster Every day I get up, read a bit, brew my coffee, and turn on my iPad. With a quick tap on the screen, I can connect to other Mason educators, scroll through ideas on Pinterest, order a book (2 day delivery, please and thank you), catch up on news, share a joke, or enjoy a picture of my best bud’s darling new baby. I can also waste time and money, get sucked into fruitless arguments, covet my neighbor’s new things, and generally breed dissension in my community and dissatisfaction in my own heart. The internet‒or, as I like to say in my best Suspicious Granny voice, “the Interwebs”‒is a double-edged sword, isn’t it? How do we, as home educators, harness it’s potential without letting it run away with our satisfaction and sense of peace?
Right off the bat, let me say that this is not another rant against social media. As an extrovert who doesn’t get much time to go out, but who hungers for actual adult interaction, I happen to enjoy social media. I have an active Facebook feed, I regularly interact on a homeschool forum, and obviously I blog for the CME Retreat. I have a few podcasts and blogs that regularly feed my soul and correct my steps. I have met some incredible friends online, some of whom have become real-life friends also. The Interwebs and I... we’re good friends. However. I have moderated in the AmblesideOnline forum for almost five years now. In that time, I see some of the same questions, fears, and insecurities rising up again and again. Let’s take a look at a hypothetical homeschool mom; we’ll call her Joan. Joan has been reading Charlotte Mason, and she is inspired and excited. She has settled on the curriculum she is going to use, but she has a few details to work out. Like many good 21st Century educators, she hops online. Let the mind games begin... By Karen Canon It is that time of the school year. You spent your summer soaking up the sun, pre-reading books, making lists and envisioning days of happy learning in your home. Perhaps you are a veteran homeschooler and you carefully crafted your school term and learning plans, relying on experience to anticipate obstacles ahead. Or, perhaps you are newer to homeschooling and it was your idyll, supported by a clean school room and fresh school supplies, which carried you along. Either way, you started out strong. Everything went along swimmingly and yet, at the end of the term, the results were less than satisfying. All the lovely lessons of the term are not there at instant recall and the children's exams leave you tempted to be discouraged, disappointed and your confidence in those warm days of books enjoyed and narrated together is shaken.
It happens. It is why structuring your school year in a series of sprints makes the long distance we have to go do-able. We build in time, not just once a year, but intermittently, like rest stops on a journey so that we can look behind and ahead and make those corrections to our course that might be needed. Charlotte Mason was familiar with this. She even wrote a letter to her 'Dear Bairns', former students of her teaching college, offering them wise advice. |
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