Our Educational Atmosphere

 There are so very many things I love about the Charlotte Mason method. The method is based upon a few wonderful principles to aide us in rearing a person who loves learning and seeks out knowledge for the sake of gaining knowledge. One of those all-important principles is "Education is an Atmosphere".

The theory has been,––put a child in the right environment and so subtle is its influence, so permanent its effects that he is to all intents and purposes educated thereby. Schools may add Latin and sums and whatever else their curriculum contains, but the actual education is, as it were, performed upon a child by means of colour schemes, harmonious sounds, beautiful forms, gracious persons. He grows up aesthetically educated into sweet reasonableness and harmony with his surroundings. -Charlotte Mason- Vol. 6 pg 94

Many make the mistake (as I have done in the past) of thinking we need to create a "child-like" atmosphere. We must decorate in bold, primary colors, create a theme for the nursery or, in the case of "school", we must have bright colorful posters and banners; classrooms must have bulletin boards and decorations. All of these things simply prove to be a false "bubble" we create for the children which softens them. In fact, they overstimulate the senses and create a child who may be distracted, hyperactive and unable to actually learn. A flower may grow in a terrarium, but once it's exposed to the elements, it suffers greatly. Better to plant the flower out of doors where it weathers the elements and grows to be a strong, beautiful flower.

To create a false environment shelters them from reality really. The world we live in is not all primary colors and planned activities. It is the real world, the natural world; the art and music to which we expose them; the people with whom they associate; the people within their home and daily errands who create the perfect atmosphere in which to learn.

But a school may be working hard, not for love of knowledge, but for love of marks, our old enemy; and then young faces are not serene and joyous but eager, restless, apt to look anxious and worried. The children do not sleep well and are cross; are sullen or in tears if anything goes wrong, and are, generally, difficult to manage......The fault has been in the atmosphere and not in the work. -Charlotte Mason Vol 6 pg 97

And this is probably one of my favorite things about homeschooling. Daily I take note of those beautiful, precious moments when I know my children are gaining knowledge unprompted or taking note in the beauty surrounding them.  Moments like these:

Last night, as we were crossing the street to my daughter's home:

Lorelai: "Mommy, look at the Sweet Gum! (in our front yard) It's so beautiful!!! You can see the top swaying!"
Me: "It is beautiful!"
Lorelai: "It looks like it's touching the sky! It makes the Camphor Tree look so tiny!"

Or perhaps the many, many times that my son has sat teaching them to play piano or paint a painting. "This is how you create light" he may tell them. These are the moments I cherish.

In fact, this painting was created by my son, Alexis and Lorelai.

Our mornings are spent on lessons, learning of the artists and composers; history and geography. But our afternoons (from 1-6pm) are spent out of doors. They play; help with yard work; have their niece and nephew out with them playing in a wheel barrow or climbing a tree or throwing yard waste into the fire pit. Perhaps they discover a new insect or flower or note that the leaves on the Camphor Tree are turning red in our Florida "springtime".

Perhaps the older neighbor lady has her dog out and stops by to converse with the children in the yard. Perhaps that lady is pushing her husband in his wheel chair and they stop to chat for a moment and the husband imparts a bit of knowledge about one of the trees in our yard and how to care for it. The children learn about those who are older; their pets; their lives. They learn that older ones have knowledge and value. They learn to socialize with someone who isn't in their own age range. They learn compassion for those who have a harder time getting around by seeing that lady lovingly push her husband's chair so that he can see the world and breathe in the fresh air too.


This is their classroom. This is the atmosphere. This is why I do what I do.


Happy Homeschooling!