for a refreshing focused look at the work ahead, parenting and educating.
This beautiful mess of parenting can be all consuming to those well-intentioned. Being so focused on doing our best can often catch us unaware. Like Jason Fiedler said in his plenary session, he was just working on making tree houses for his kids' gifts and something bigger than he realized was calling for his attention. It took him a little before he realized more fully what was landing in his lap. But even though education is not a job that can be reduced to its essentials and even though the result may be unknown, we can rest knowing we may not be meant to know. But God knows and is with us and is enough. Jason's honest snapshot is refreshing.
to stand nearby as helper (or hinderer.)
This daily impacts life, home, and education.
So, at this year's retreat I especially appreciated Art's break down of the painting which he has been blessed enough to view twice in real life. In his session he asked another of his ever thoughtful questions of Mason's ideas on The Great Recognition saying, Yes, this sounds awesome, but how true is this idea? He proceeded to take us through Bible references and scholarly quotations and chronologically through Mason's writings breaking down the Great Recognition into its 3 main ideas. 1. The Holy Spirit is the supreme educator 2. of things spiritual and natural and that 3. there is co-operation with the human teacher and the divine. The bottom line of this deeper look helped me understand that The Holy Spirit is intimate with knowledge, and every fruitful idea comes from Him. It is His role to draw us to Christ. And when we learn about these subjects, spiritual or natural, we are drawn closer to Christ. I am looking forward to re-reading Mason's words in the book that was unveiled at the retreat. It pairs the painting with a few texts that explain the theological insights, from Charlotte Mason and John Ruskin.
The many aspects (how and when and where) of this idea are worth meditating on.
"The LORD of Heaven's Armies is a wonderful teacher, and gives ... great wisdom."
Isaiah 28:29 NLT
Listen, don't look back, be not afraid.
Sing in the face of ill.
Send our roots rain.
Call the Sabbath your delight.
My vocation = a call to worship, prayer, in the small now of our present lives.
Retreat- a going to, letting go of assumptions, holy, set apart for work to do,
to wrestle with the holy we put off. Trapped into retreat. Never to walk the same again.
Be process focused not product focused.
Allow rest time before narration. Not always immediate. Let them formulate the thoughts!
Motivation: If they don't learn it, they won't know it.
We are to educate like princes- to know a little of everything.
20% of our calorie intake goes to our brain. It's always forming new pathways. Habit formation will help or hinder a child's unique given nature. Visualize new habits. Think like this: If I do xyz first, then I will get to do xyz later.
Light touch. Sincere words. Have no anxiety.
My ideas are worth risking.
Earliest narrations may be the point at which memory begins.
Audiotape kids narrating and let them listen to themselves to enhance narrations.
Encourage children's sense of place- "I know this land and I'm connected to it."
Don't let frustration override wonder.
Establish roots. Teach model inspire. Watch for opportunities to give grace.
Share the sorrow of a child's poor choice.
We need the discipline of failure as well as of success.
I am made for Sabbath rest.
I love hearing people's thoughts on it.
These are some of the phrases I heard from those attending as the weekend transpired.
"Charlotte Mason gave me permission to do all these things I knew in my soul.
It filled in all these blanks."
"This is almost too beautiful to trust."
"It has changed me/ our family."
"This is richer than anything I'd been able to provide my students."