Hi all, and welcome back! This week's 'oldie but a goodie' Bitesize Inspiration comes from Charlotte Mason. If you don't know about Mason she was a British educator who dedicated her life to improving the role of education in children's lives in the nineteenth century. So much of what she believed and endeavoured to teach has been lost in our modern school system (at least from what I've seen in over seventeen years of teaching!) This quote is at the heart of her belief of what education should be - an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.
Let's have a quick look at each of these. Atmosphere refers to the environment in which we learn. This can be the school environment, but also the atmosphere at home and the attitude towards learning. Education shouldn't just refer to those thirteen years of registered learning - it should be a part of our whole lives (see here for my thoughts on being a lifelong learner). Discipline isn't about punishment and cruelty, as it is often thought of today, but rather refers to a routine, setting up good habits for learning, and being committed. It is about self-discipline. Finally, education is a way of life. We should want to learn more and improve our minds. There is so much to learn - as the old Latin saying goes:
Non scholae sed vitae discimus
We do not learn for school, but for life.
Wise words, don't you think? As I approach the end of the year in my own studies, I keep thoughts like this in mind and get myself to work, even when I don't feel like it. These days there are so many ways to embrace learning in our lives - books, documentaries, podcasts, even Youtube! I'd love to hear what education looks like in your life right now.
Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely, learning-filled week!
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