Classroom Instruction
The Charlotte Mason Way
I have been homeschooling for almost a decade. My oldest is in 9th grade. I feel very confident in the way we do things at home. Though we are regularly making changes to suit our ages and activities, I know who we are and what we are about. But this year, I have been teaching in a classroom setting, and it has caused me to go back to the drawing board in terms of my understanding of the practical use of the Charlotte Mason method.
The biggest question I needed to understand and am still working out is, “Should a classroom environment look the same as a home environment or different, and if it is different, how so?”
My initial hypothesis was that it should look different, so I structured things differently than I do at home but quickly discovered that my best-laid plans went sideways because time management in a classroom and setting expectations that can be consistently met is different with a group of kids who aren’t your own. Also, much of the beauty that drew me to Charlotte Mason in the first place is easily lost in a traditional/typical classroom environment.
I have no experienced answers yet, but I thought I would try to compile some of what I am finding and learning for anyone else who is also interested in this topic.
I have realized that you need to know the right words to search when trying to discover new ideas about class vs homeschooling. The first key phrase I have discovered is “classroom management.” At home, this is simply called parenting. In the classroom, this is everything from keeping unruliness at bay to understanding how to manage group reading and narrations within a particular time frame.
I am still actively pursuing all I can on this idea of Charlotte Mason in the classroom, but this post contains the links I have found on classroom management inside the Charlotte Mason method of education thus far.
Educational Philosophy in the Classroom:
Character Development vs Manipulating Good Behavior: https://childlightusa.wordpress.com/2013/09/22/good-behavior-vs-good-character-a-redemption-story-by-dr-jennifer-spencer/#comments
On Giving Rewards: https://www.alfiekohn.org/article/risks-rewards/
Charlotte Mason’s Methods in the Contemporary Classroom: https://www.amblesideschools.com/main/library/comparison-charlotte-mason-contemporary-classrooms
Authority and Obedience in the Charlotte Mason Classroom: https://educationalrenaissance.com/2019/02/12/authority-and-obedience-in-the-classroom-reading-charlotte-masons-philosophy-of-education/
Using the Past to Inform Today’s Classroom: https://educationalrenaissance.com/2019/02/01/renaissance-education-looking-to-the-past-to-chart-a-course-for-education-today
Resource-Based Learning in the modern classroom: https://www.amblesideonline.org/PR/PRx07p006RelevanceEducationalChange.shtml
Fun vs Enjoyment in classroom activity within the CM method: https://simplycharlottemason.com/blog/your-questions-answered-the-place-of-fun-in-a-charlotte-mason-education/
Characteristics of a PNEU school: https://charlottemasonpoetry.org/characteristics-of-a-p-n-e-u-school/
Practical Lesson Planning for the classroom:
Charlotte Mason’s Teacher Critiques: https://sageparnassus.com/teaching-tips-from-charlotte-mason/
On Teaching Boys: https://charlottemasoninspired.com/charlotte-mason-for-boys/
An Example Day of Class Lessons: https://www.amblesideonline.org/PR/PR26p569ConferenceLessons.shtml
Can a classroom follow the timetables?: https://www.amblesideonline.org/PR/L191503p24Timetables.shtml
On Poetry: https://www.amblesideonline.org/PR/PR02p111TeachingPoetry.shtml
On Object Lessons: https://www.amblesideonline.org/PR/PR01p855TheObjectLesson.shtml
On Teaching Chronology Using a Century Chart: https://www.amblesideonline.org/PR/PR02p081Chronology.shtml
Notes on Lessons from the PNEU: https://charlottemasonpoetry.org/notes-of-lessons/
On Teaching Physics: https://charlottemasonpoetry.org/living-lessons-in-physics/
https://charlottemasonpoetry.org/physics-the-charlotte-mason-way/
On Recitation: https://amblesideonline.org/PR/PR01p092RecitationChildrensArt.shtml
On Teaching History: https://www.amblesideonline.org/PR/PR12p917TeachingofHistory.shtml
If you have a favorite classroom management article or website for teaching in the Charlotte Mason method, place it in the comments! I am just beginning my search and will continue to add additional resources here.
In-person Help:
I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that there are lovely in-person help available out there:
Alveary offers much help for the classroom, both for teachers and students, if you are using their program in your home or school.
My friends Sara and Nancy offer in-person assistance for classroom management:
Sara Timothy, of Red-Brick Academy
Nancy Kelly of Sage Parnassus
(Sara also offers a-la-carte curriculums for in-class use and complete academy lesson plans for grades 1-12 that can be used for 1,2 or 3-day academies. She can help you start your own academy using the model they have perfected over the years if you are interested! This is a shameless plug.)