The Duty of the Mason Teacher
“Our part is to remove obstructions and to give stimulus and guidance to the child who is trying to get into touch with the universe of things and thoughts which belongs to him.”
-Charlotte Mason The Glorious Universe of Thoughts and Things
The Mason student will get in touch with the universe of things and thoughts that belong to him or her as naturally as the air surrounding the earth beneath their feet. They will form objects out of clay, build birdhouses, examine beehives and cocoons, paint pictures of nature specimens, carve things of wood, memorize beautiful poems, sing hymns and folk songs, learn to play an instrument and enjoy the great paintings, sculptures, architecture, and music of the past.
They will wrestle with scientific formulas and difficult mathematical concepts, and they will read books that come alive with the daring feats of past men and women who accomplished great things in and for the world. No dry facts will do. These things should be removed from your learning environment: Twaddly books should be removed from your shelves, but don't go overboard -- you need to keep some easy readers to stimulate the excitement that comes from newly acquired skills in speedy decoding and growing comprehension. These obstacles should be removed from the path of your students: 1. I'm no good at this. 2. Absolutely anything that leads to the comment, "this is boring." Here's why. Even a great book can be tedious and boring if your students lack the skills required to interact with it. Put the book away, put it on hold, write yourself a note that says, "pull this one back out in two years." Do what you can to make sure you are presenting your students with materials that make them come alive with anticipation. |