Principle #5 Seeing that we are limited by the respect due to the personality of children we can allow ourselves but three educational instruments––the atmosphere of environment, the discipline of habit and the presentation of living ideas. Our motto is: "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life."
Paraphrase: Education occurs in every part of a child’s life through the atmosphere of their environment, the habits they form, and the life they take in through books and experiences. We could also say: “Home is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life.”
Antithesis: Education is information. The way we speak to one another, the love or lack of love we offer, our habits of character and of body, the lifestyle we lead has no bearing on ordering the affections of our children. Education is utilitarian, impersonal, a rule.
Theological truth: “...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
Given that we cut out the use of fear or love, suggestion or influence (i.e. manipulation) and we are not to play upon the natural desires found in the hearts of our children in order to educate them because we must respect their minds, bodies, and souls— we are limited to three tools which are always at work and these are the atmosphere of environment, discipline of habit, and life-giving ideas present in each family. Now, in a classroom setting, these three are at play too, but in the home, which is the foundational growing place of each child, the child is educated by these whether we intentionally cultivate them or not. It’s difficult to separate them out because as you will see they are interconnected. The instruments work in harmony with one another as a plant combines the nutrients of the soil, the rays of the sun and the water from the heavens to gain nourishment so these tools unite to nourish the child.
Today we will take a brief look at these tools and consider how they interplay with one another and in the later episodes, we will look at each one in greater detail. When we find a child is having trouble with school work, an attitude, or even obedience, we can look to our tools of atmosphere, discipline and life and consider which one is at play. This requires us to be students of ourselves and our children, allowing us to evaluate and assess regularly how things are going in our homes and homeschools in order to help our families thrive.
To begin, the atmosphere is the essence of the home. It includes the attitudes we have about ourselves, the work at hand and towards our children. Things that shape the atmosphere of the home include the order kept in the home and how that order is kept.
Consider two homes: both are orderly, neat, and tidy. Meals come regularly and without fuss on the part of the mothers. But one mother is anxious about her children, fretting over all that they are missing and all that needs to be done; she changes her mind and her aims constantly. The other mother has confidence in her work and has a clear sense of her duty to her children and their duty to her. Both homes are in order, but one is kept in order through nervous energy while the other is kept in order through restful strength. This is the atmosphere and it starts with the adults in the home and radiates through the children.
Next we come to the discipline of habit. Mason tells us that “habit is ten natures” and what she means is that our habits (which are intentionally cultivated OR learned by default) are more powerful than the gifts, abilities, and personalities that we were born with. Habits are excellent servants and poor masters. This is why it’s good to think through the habits that we have and to be thoughtful about which ones we hope to cultivate in ourselves and our children.
It’s easy to work to develop a habit and make it the Ultimate Thing. I’ve done this with our school schedule. Instead of allowing our routine to support our family so that we can all understand what’s expected of us, I’ve often allowed it to become a spur forcing us through the day. When this happens, we aren’t able to allow the ideas we are engaging with to work upon us because I’m trying to rush us onto the next thing. Discipline is a servant, not a master. And we must remember our personhood as we look at this tool, it is in the service of a living, breathing person who needs to learn self control, but not to be controlled by yet another external force. A self controlled man is a free man-- we want our children to be free.
Finally, we arrive at the life-giving ideas and lifestyle that educates our children. The living idea is spiritual in nature, but manifests itself in what we do: Right thinking leads to right acting. We are fed good, true, and beautiful ideas through the stories we read, the virtues we cultivate, and the Bible passages we meditate upon. But the “life” Mason refers to is not only found in words, but is also found in how we live. These are the activities we enjoy as a family through camping, music, athletics, art etc. What we find is that each family has their own unique interests, abilities and resources that begin with the parents and flow into their children. Our husbands interests in sports, hunting, or whitewater rafting or what have you, will shape what our children love. It is the same thing for the mothers affections. What we love, spend our time thinking about and cultivating will spill into our family life because children are imitators. Children are shaped by their family life. Whether it is a family culture of video games and movies or books and sports and anything in between, these choices order the affections of our children.
The home’s atmosphere, discipline, and life work together in the lives of children to educate them in good ideas and good living. Over the next few weeks we will dig into these more and see what they look like when put to work in a modern home with 21st century children.
I’ll leave you with a quote from Ms. Mason:
“Ideas may [adorn] as an atmosphere, rather than strike as a weapon. 'The idea may exist in a clear, distinct, definite form, as that of a circle in the mind of a geometrician; or it may be a mere instinct, a vague appetency towards something, . . . like the impulse which fills the young poet's eyes with tears, he knows not why: To excite this 'appetency towards something'––towards things lovely, honest, and of good report, is the earliest and most important ministry of the educator. How shall these indefinite ideas which manifest themselves in appetency be imparted? They are not to be given a set purpose, nor taken at set times. They are held in that thought-environment which surrounds the child as an atmosphere, which he breathes as his breath of life; and this atmosphere in which the child inspires his unconscious ideas of right living emanates from his parents. Every look of gentleness and tone of reverence, every word of kindness and act of help, passes into the thought-environment, the very atmosphere which the child breathes; he does not think of these things, may never think of them, but all his life long they excite that 'vague appetency towards something' out of which most of his actions spring. Oh, wonderful and dreadful presence of the little child in the midst!” (Vol 2, p. 36 & 37)
Reflection questions:
Principle #4 shows us that we have limits because we owe children our respect as persons. We may not manipulate them. How does Principle #5 offer freedom in what we can do in regards to their education?
Was there anything surprising to you in regards to this principle?
How does each principle build on the one before it to arrive at Principle #5?
What truth stands out to you the most?
If you want to be effective with your Nature Study work, check out my Nature Study Hacking Guides at www.naturestudyhacking.com. Learn how to get outside and use those lovely nature journals.
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