Charlotte Mason DIY High School: Introduction
Follow our journey as we embark on a DIY Charlotte Mason High School!
The Beginning of Our Journey
It was December 2017. I was in my fifth year working as an elementary classroom teacher. At the time, I was working at a private Christian school. My daughter was in first grade at the same school. Throughout my, relatively short, time working as a classroom teacher, in both public and private schools, I became increasingly weary in my vocation. I once held dear idyllic dreams of my life as a classroom teacher, and now those dreams were long gone. Instead of reading beautiful books, we read literature anthologies. In place of engaging stories from history, we were given dry history textbooks. Instead of letting children grow as they could, we had to require students to write five paragraph essays by the end of 4th grade. Data collection, state standards, and educational trends had stolen away the joy for all in elementary school.
The Turning Point
I was also weary of my own daughter’s experience with modern education. I did not want this for her. It broke my heart that she might think education was fill-in the blank worksheets, cramming for weekly tests, & book reports. I just knew there had to be something different. Then one day, seemingly out of nowhere, I had a thought: I wonder if homeschooling would be a good fit for us? Fast forward a few months, and we, my husband and myself, decided that homeschool most definitely would be a good fit for us.
A New Beginning: Homeschool
Now, we were homeschooling! I found a homeschooling Facebook group, purchased some recommended workbooks, & we were off. There was just one problem: the workbooks were just like the so-called education we were trying to escape. Out of my own ignorance, we kept plodding along, doing workbook page after workbook page. We looked busy. We had a lot of paperwork to show for our efforts. But where was the education I was seeking? There was still a missing piece to this puzzle.
The Missing Puzzle Piece: Charlotte Mason
Then, one day, as I was scrolling through the Facebook group and looking for answers, I stumbled upon a post about someone named Charlotte Mason. Apparently, she had a theory of education. Interesting. I took an Educational Theories class in college and was not introduced to her. Being the curious, eager student I am, I quickly entered her name in an internet search. With every word I read, I could feel my heart swell more and more. Here was someone articulating the education I wanted my daughter to have. The dreary clouds of modern education faded, and the sun was shining on a new day, full of possibilities. I found Ambleside Online, purchased the Year One books on Amazon, and the rest was history!
The Next Step on the Journey: DIY High School
Fast forward seven years and, while much has stayed the same, much has also changed. My sweet daughter is now on the brink of entering high school. She and I have both grown immeasurably over these years. It brings me to tears as I consider the beauty of the time we have shared in our home. This blog will reflect on the past a bit, but, mostly, it will look to the future. For the high school years, we have decided to make our own plan. “A Charlotte Mason DIY High School”, you could call it. Please join us on our journey, as we continue to learn, grow, and seek out true education.
