The ABC's of a Charlotte Mason Education

E is for Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, and a Life

Jul 25, 2023

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I think Ms. Mason must have loved mottos. This fits perfectly when we consider, that for her the “inspiring idea” was to be the catalyst for action; a motto represents a shortened way to hold on to a big thought.

She had a student motto (I am, I can, I ought, I will), a motto for teachers (For the children’s sake), a motto to sum up her thoughts on the essence of education (Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life), and others. She even recommended that students keep their own Book of Mottos, something apart from the Commonplace Book.

When approaching the world of Charlotte Mason, we see these mottos on t-shirts and mugs, thrown around here and there. There is an assumption that we all know the big thought behind them, which isn’t always the case. For Ms. Mason the mottos were to come after an understanding, a quick reminder of something already apprehended. But in our times of posts and memes, we often have the disadvantage of bumping into the mottos first and sometimes, inadvertently, wrapping our own ideas around them.

Since this one is pivotal, let’s have a closer look. (We will take a closer look at the Student Motto under W- is for I Will.)

Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.

When we hear the word atmosphere many minds read, ambiance. We want the perfect environment for our homeschool; of course, we are CM mamas and so this isn’t a traditional school setup – but an informed space. The right seating arrangements, the right décor, the perfect resources and manipulatives displayed and on hand. In fact – like some of those pictures we see on Instagram! That is where the magic could really happen!

While there is nothing wrong with cute spaces that function well, this was not what Ms. Mason had in mind. The big idea behind *Education is an Atmosphere* is that all of life is an education. In the same way, we live in the atmosphere of our planet yet are mostly unaware of it – the atmosphere of a child’s life will be the dominant shaping factor in his development, his education. The natural world, everyday family life and culture, the unexpected visits and happenings, the expectations, the accidents and conflicts, the moods and values of family and friend groups, these are the things that shape a person; these are the things that the wise parent values and makes use of. This motto reminds us that education isn’t something separate from real life, a separate place with a separate set of experiences, something that happens between certain hours and then ends, something applied from the outside; but rather the whole of what a child experiences.

As if knowing where we would be tempted to misinterpret, Ms. Mason specifically warned against creating a cloistered, artificial, child-centered environment. It is for this reason that homeschooling has the potential to be the optimal educational experience. This part of the motto reminds us to not try to recreate school at home, but rather that, where the home ideal is not an option, the school should strive to mimic the home. We have the upper hand from the start.

*Education is a Discipline* might bring to mind dunce caps and rulers rapped on knuckles, after all, Ms. Mason did live at the turn of the century! Here again, assumption clouds her purpose. The word discipline has a myriad of meanings for just as many people. For Ms. Mason, it was synonymous with the word – habit, and while milder, this word still carries the implication of a compulsion needed for its formation. The part the parent must play is strategic and the goal must be carefully understood. If the pivot point of education is Ideas and the germination of those ideas, a process that happens from the inside out; then the compulsion must hinge on Idea - must have as its goal the training for self-compulsion, self-discipline – self-education. The big idea behind *Education is a Discipline* is a clarification that education is not a willy-nilly basking-in-an-atmosphere only, but that there is a definite way and an ought. Habit makes for smooth and easy days – but there is a compelling effort required for the right habits to form.

The final portion, *Education is a Life* reminds us that in educating our children we are literally nourishing a life. Beyond what we do as parents in offering sustenance for their physical bodies, there is an unseen life, a spiritual life (for lack of a better phrase). This final part should remind us that our children, from birth, are fully human, capable of taking in and processing all that they need. This idea should inform what we do and what we offer. Only life can beget life, “Thought breeds thought”. Our children are not buckets to be filled but lives to be nourished. Facts and scraps won’t be sufficient to sustain and grow and reproduce with. Complete and living thought, living ideas, and living books offered directly to the living mind of a living human being is what is required.

The big idea behind *Education is a Life* is that this thing is bigger than us, beyond what we could begin or what we can sustain. It tells us that education is quite literally the children’s bread. It asks us, what we will offer them?

Sara Timothy 2023

Common Place Quarterly

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Common Place Quarterly

E is for Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, and a Life

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