A True Good Beautiful Life

Welcome to A TRUE GOOD BEAUTIFUL LIFE podcast!

ON THIS EPISODE

Today, for our segment on the True, I have the privilege of talking with Erin LaMont of Classical Conversations about her love and the importance of studying Latin. She discusses the joys and difficulties of the subject and encourages us to keep on keeping on. Her Master Thesis sounds intriguing so I hope you get a chance to read through her labor of love. Later in the Good segment of the show, I share about the practice of keeping a Commonplace Book and how you can do the same. And lastly, in our segment on the Beautiful, I describe how I introduce the wonderful art and stories of Beatrix Potter to my 1st and 2nd graders, along with baking and special art pieces. So please, join us! It's going to be fun!

Favorite resources Erin mentioned:

• ScorpioMartianus YouTube Channel
• "Utilizing the Classical Christian Study of Latin to Promote Intentionality" by Erin LaMont

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

We should hunt out the helpful pieces of teaching and the spirited and noble-minded sayings which are capable of immediate practical application -- not far far-fetched or archaic expressions or extravagant metaphors and figures of speech -- and learn them so well that words become works. - Seneca

It is the duty of the nation to maintain relations of brotherly kindness with other nations; therefore it is the duty of every family, as an integral part of the nation, to be able to hold brotherly speech with the families of other nations as opportunities arise; therefore to acquire the speech of neighboring nations is not only to secure an inlet of knowledge and a means of culture, but is a duty of the higher morality (the morality of the family) which aims at universal brotherhood. . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 2: Parents and Children, p. 7

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. Download Duo Lingo and try learning some new vocabulary from a foreign language that you have previously learned or want to learn. Or find a good curriculum and try teaching yourself or your child a new language.
2. Pick out a special journal where you can start writing down your favorite quotes from the books you are reading, or songs you're listening to or singing, or parts of speeches or sermons that really inspire or convict you.
3. Put the kettle on and brew yourself up a pot of tea and enjoy reliving your childhood by reading some of Beatrix Potter's little tales of bunnies, hedgehogs and puddle ducks. Share these lovely stories and artwork with your children and students and practice a little watercolor yourselves.

Happy New Year! Welcome back! It's been about six months since I started this podcast and so I thought I'd review what the purpose of this little dream is. Call me crazy but I just love learning about awesome ways to teach and encourage students, teachers, and parents . . . to help them find wonder, Beauty, and joy in the simple things in life as well as ideas to help them flourish as human beings and image-bearers of our Creator God. Because as I hope you all know by now, that education is more than academics, more than what you learn in a classroom or in your living room. To use Charlotte Mason's words– it is "an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life."

I have found that I have fallen in love with Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education as well as many elements of the Classical model of teaching and learning. Many of the educational things I have learned, I only learned about later in life, and so I want to reveal to our young teachers and parents today these precious truths about how children learn and what education is all about so they can implement these life-giving concepts into their homes and classrooms when their children and students are still young.

So the first 21 episodes of the podcast have focused on some of the main elements of a Charlotte Mason Classical education (like Nature Study, Living Books, atmosphere, and handicrafts), using the Classical transcendentals - Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. My goal is to introduce you to these concepts and show you how you can learn and experience them in your everyday lives, and introduce you to people who embody various aspects of these divine ideas, whether it be a serious study using the 5 Common Topics, fun hobbies like caring for houseplants, empathizing with the world through a study in Geography, tackling life skills needed for a home business growing flowers, or learning to deal with trauma across the ocean in a new land.

In this last half of the school year, I plan to discuss more in depth elements of a Charlotte Mason education and hopefully bring to you more book chats covering my favorite authors like Jane Austen, C. S. Lewis, Tolkien, and Beatrix Potter. I hope to also help you create peaceful moments at home, bonding experiences with your kids and students, and intriguing conversations with your classroom. I also hope to bring to your attention people in my life and outside my circle who have inspired me in one way or another and who I think will inspire you as well.

So with that little introduction, let's dive into today's episode! It's all about the TRUE, the GOOD, and the BEAUTIFUL of the theatre with my special guest, Adler Roberts of Innovate Academy!

Favorite Resources:

• On Acting by Sanford Meisner
• Sight & Sound, Lancaster, PA
• Servant Stage, Lancaster County, PA
• Playhouse West, Philadelphia, PA (for older students/adults)
• SALT Performing Arts, Chester Springs, PA
• People's Light, Malvern, PA

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

"To be or not to be, that is the question." - Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act III, Scene I

"There is a danger in these days of much educational effort that children's play should be crowded out [or what is the same thing] should be prescribed for and arranged until there is no more freedom of choice about play than about work. We do not say a word against the educational value of games (such as football, basketball, etc.) … but organized games are not play in the sense we have in view. Boys and girls must have time to invent episodes, carry on adventures, live heroic lives, lay sieges and carry forts, even if the fortress be an old armchair; and in these affairs the elders must neither meddle nor make." -Charlotte Mason, School Education, Volume 3, p. 36-37

"Acting is living truthfully under imaginary circumstances." - Sanford Meisner, On Acting

"To become intimate with Shakespeare in this way is a great enrichment of mind and instruction of conscience. Then, by degrees, as we go on reading this world-teacher, lines of insight and beauty take possession of us, and unconsciously mould our judgments of men and things and of the great issues of life" - Charlotte Mason, Ourselves: Vol. 4, Book 2, p. 72

"beautiful things are difficult" - Socrates, Greater Hippias

"Talent develops in quiet places, character in the full current of human life." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (in other words what Adler explained: "The actor's career develops in public but his art develops in private."

". . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information." - Charlotte Mason, Home Education, Vol. 1, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. Watch a silent film or a ballet and see how a medium that doesn't use words informs how you look at storytelling. 2. Play a game of charades in your classroom or at home to get kids in the habit of acting things out. And make presentations or recitations a normal part of your classroom routine and home culture so that speaking in front of others becomes second nature to your students. 3. Seek out and attend an interesting musical or play at your local theatre. Look for interesting story arcs and note whether or not it has a redemptive theme and whether or not it is a comedy or tragedy. How can you tell? If you need help, listen to Episode 12, where I interview Dr. Kathryn Smith of the Templeton Honors College about the four types of literary genres.

Welcome to another episode of A True Good Beautiful Life! It is almost Christmas! Are you giddy like me? Are the twinkling lights reawakening the wonder of that first Noel?

Today I am letting you in on my first "Book Chat" with my dear friend Amanda Smedley, whom I have known for over 28 years, and is a great lover of books. Because this month I'm talking to you about Christmas things, starting last time with my discussion with Esther Anderson of Story of this Life regarding Advent and its history, today we continue by entering into the world of Charles Dickens' novella, A Christmas Carol. We could have talked for hours on this little book. I enjoyed it so much that I hope we can do it again sometime soon!

So for our TRUE, GOOD, and BEAUTY segments, we are going to dig into this classic Christmas text. Do you think it is possible to find TRUTH, GOODNESS, and BEAUTY in this story? Is there anything we can learn from this "ghost story of Christmas," a phrase used in Dickens' original title? Stick around and you will hear how this famous Christmas fairy tale shows how we are all like Mr. Scrooge and demonstrates the BEAUTY of a transformed life.

Some favorite resources:

• Read with Me Kids Classics: A Christmas Carol by Bushel and Peck Books
• A Christmas Carol: Book and Bible Study Guide
• A Christmas Carol: A Facsimile of the Original 1843 Edition in Full Color

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

"There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say," returned the nephew. "Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round – apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that – as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of , in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!" -spoken by Fred, A Christmas Carol, Stave 1

"But you were always a good man of business, Jacob," faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself. "Business!" cried the Ghost, wringing his hands again. "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business." - spoken by Jacob Marley, A Christmas Carol, Stave 1

"Ghost of the Future!" he exclaimed, "I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?" It gave him no reply. The hand was pointed straight before them. "Lead on!" said Scrooge. "Lead on! The night is waning fast, and it is precious time to me, I know. Lead on, Spirit!" - spoken by Scrooge, A Christmas Carol, Stave 4

"I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world." spoken by Scrooge, A Christmas Carol, Stave 5

"Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them . . . . His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him. He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny TIm observed, God bless Us, Every One!" - Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, Stave 5

"education is of the spirit and is not to be taken in by the eye or effected by the hand; mind appeals to mind and thought begets thought and that is how we become educated. For this reason we owe it to every child to put him in communication with great minds that he may get at great thoughts; with the minds, that is, of those who have left us great works ; and the only vital method of education appears to be that children should read worthy books, many worthy books." - Charlotte Mason, Volume 6: A Philosophy of Education, p. 12

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. This year, my husband, daughter, and I were able to catch a wonderful show of "A Christmas Carol" put on by a lovely local theatre right in the next town of Malvern, People's Light theatre. I was amazed at the quality of singing and the original music composed that incorporated traditional carols and the sound of bygone days. Ian Merrill Peakes played Scrooge and he made you feel the cold of his heart as well as the miraculous transformation of it as it softened and warmed with the help of the Christmas Spirits. People's Light still has performances up through December 31st, so if you are local to Chester County, PA, you still have time to enjoy this wonderful production. If you are not local, try and find your local production and see it for yourself! You will walk away a little transformed yourself!
2. A Christmas Carol is a short book. Take this next week to read through it with your family or students and see what kind of discussions will grow out of it. It may be a ghost story. It may be a fairy tale. But it is chalk full of deep thoughts and poignant life lessons that every person should consider right now.
3. Here's a thought: If you could see your future, how might that impact how you are living right now? Journal what you would change and how you would go about doing it. Consider memorizing the speech Fred declared at the beginning of the novel (quoted above) to help spur in you some Christmas Spirit. How can you help the poor and needy this Christmas and New Year? How does this novel show that having money doesn't ensure happiness? What does?

Merry Christmas!

Advent season is here! Today on the podcast I am so excited to talk with Esther Anderson of the famous parenting channel, Story of This Life! With a nice little mix of the True, Good, and Beautiful, we will be talking about the history of Christmas and Advent, some famous traditions surrounding Advent, and an example of a beautiful product that Esther and her team have created to help celebrate the first coming of Jesus that first Christmas day. The last part of the show I'm going to share with you a fun activity that I love to do as I prepare for the Christmas season – making wreaths with some of my friends.

So, grab a cup of hot cocoa, snag a gingerbread cookie if you have already started baking some (like me!), and cozy up and dream of sugar plums as we delve into a bit of Christmas charm.

Some of my favorite resources:

• The Rescuer Nativity Set by Story of This Life
• Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas by Ace Collins
• Hallelujah by Cindy Rollins
• Emmanuel by Ruth Chou Simons
• Slow + Sacred Advent by Jennifer Naraki

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. - The Bible, Luke 2:8-14, KJV

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior . . . . 4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you . . . -Isaiah 43: 1b-4a

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. Celebrate Advent by going through biblical or inspirational readings, or follow a specially created book like Slow + Sacred Advent or Cindy Rollin's Hallelujah , or use a fun calendar, like Esther's from Story of This Life. Dwell on the incarnation of Jesus and why He came that Holy Night.
2. Memorize the passage in Luke that tells of the birth of Jesus - Luke 2:8-14.
3. Plan a wreath-making party with your friends or students. Either provide all the materials or even better, have all the participants provide various supplies that you can all share. Create early in December so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor all season long.

ON THIS EPISODE

Have you traveled across the ocean? Have you taught a class in another country? Have you or your students experienced trauma that needed to be cared for? Travel opens up multiple opportunities for learning TRUTH and embodying GOODNESS. Today my special guest is another old teaching colleague of mine from Ad Fontes Academy in Centreville, Virginia. Kirsten and I taught together for several years and life later took us to different parts of the world, me to Pennsylvania and she to a completely new continent!

Grab a cup of coffee and immerse yourself in a new teaching experience in a new world and new culture through the exciting travels and difficulties of my dear friend. Kirsten has some poignant points about dealing with trauma and helpful tips on being present with her students that I know you will find beneficial.

Later in the show, I will explore another aspect of BEAUTY through the arts of hospitality and homemaking by organizing a Supper Club.

Some of Kirsten's favorite resources:

• Try Softer by Aundi Kolber
• Mindsight by Dan Seiglel
• Untangling Emotions by J. Alasdair Groves and Winston T. Smith
• The Soul of Shame by Curt Thompson
• Calm App
• Lectio 365 App
• @aundikolber
• @adamyoungcounseling/ The Place We Find Ourselves Podcast
• @kjramseywrites
• @dralisoncook / The Best of You Podcast

Some of my favorite cookbooks:

• The Forest Feast: Gatherings by Erin Gleeson
• Magnolia Table, Vol. 1 by Joanna Gaines
• Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon
• Holiday Open House by Gooseberry Patch (this has that amazing Christmas Eggnog Punch!)

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

Here is the whole secret of a successful holiday: the mind must be actively, unceasingly, and involuntarily engaged with fresh and ever-changing interests . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 5: The Formation of Character, p. 132

But the child . . . needs, like his elders, engrossing interests which shall compel him to think new thoughts. Fresh air for the lungs, fresh scenes for the eye, and fully healing and helpful only when the mind, too, is taken into account, and the jaded brain is spoon-fed, as it were, with new ideas. This is why foreign travel is delightful . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 5: The Formation of Character, p. 132

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. Create a classroom culture that promotes safety and empathy. Consider applying some of Kirsten's suggestions: self-care and self-attunement, a beautiful space, don't be afraid of awkward moments to address unkindness or confusion, be curious as to WHY your student is behaving that way, give your students the freedom to not be ok, and know that there is great comfort in being in the presence of God.
2. Commemorate the places you've been. Set up a world map that you can mark with pins or flags all the places you've visited. Or string up postcards from other countries to inspire you and to remind you of all your memories.
3. Call up 5 other friends and invite them to be a part of your Supper Club. You can do this every month or every other month and make it your own with however you want to do the food, include or not include activities, and how you want to work out hosting. Be consistent and you will find your friendships flourishing.

For our TRUE and GOOD segments, Linda Cerynik from Roots to Wings and I take a deep look into the infamous speech given by the late veteran New York state teacher John Taylor Gatto. His acceptance speech at his award ceremony for being New York state's "Teacher of the Year" in 1992, is often referred to a "The Seven-Lesson Schoolteacher" speech (also published in another of his books, called Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling) and in it he presents seven results of his teaching career. He claimed that he taught 1) confusion, 2) class position, 3) indifference, 4) emotional dependency, 5) intellectual dependency, 6) provisional self-esteem, and 7) that you can't hide. Pretty provocative to say the least. Hear about some of our experiences and remedies for some of these issues and consider how you would characterize your teaching at home or in the classroom.

In our final segment on the BEAUTIFUL, I share with you about a little gem of an art museum tucked away in the Brandywine River valley in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania -- The Brandywine Museum of Art. There you will discover art by the famous Wyeth artists -- N. C., Andrew and Jamie Wyeth. Not only do you see the museum's amazing collections and tourable homes and studios, they also host traveling exhibitions, two of which I share about on the podcast. See my website (aTrueGoodBeautifulLife.com) for pictures of our trips.

Some of our favorite resources:

• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
• The Underground History of American Education, Volume 1 by John Taylor Gatto (if you can find the big green complete book, even better)
• School: The Story of American Public Education by Sarah Mondale (with David Tyack, Carl Kaestle, Diane Ravitch, James Anderson, and Larry Cuban)
• https://youtu.be/UixZ7qWnBwg Brandwine Museum of Art YouTube video on Thiebaud exhibit

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

Education is an atmosphere. - Charlotte Mason

Children are born persons. - Charlotte Mason

The glory of God is man fully alive. - Irenaeus, an early church father

I am not a teacher but an awakener. - Robert Frost

We give our children two things: one is roots, the other, wings. - Hodding Carter

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. Read through "The Seven-Lesson Schoolteacher" yourself and evaluate how you are treating your students and how you can improve one element of your teaching this week.
2. Consider one way you can give your child/student the ability to choose something for themselves, whether it be how they structure their day, book selections, wake up time, music/art/sports options, how they spend their free time.
3. Visit the Brandywine Museum of Art or look up pictures online or check out library books on the Wyeth artists and discover their works. Whose art do you like best?

Welcome back to another episode of a True Good Beautiful Life! Today, my friend Lindsey Habegger of Chaos Thriving and I will be discussing the amazing and breathtaking Grand Canyon for both our TRUE and BEAUTIFUL segments of the show and afterwards for our GOOD portion of the show, I will share with you the seven principles of the "Leave No Trace" concept, which will help us be better stewards of God's creation as well as better humans to one another. Charlotte Mason believed that traveling and enjoying nature were wonderful ways to learn and appreciate the wonders and glory of God. What better way to do this than to explore the Grand Canyon!

"The Leave No Trace" website and the "52 Week Hike Challenge" website both have helpful articles on the seven principles of "Leaving No Trace," used when you are hiking or camping. The principles include the following: 1) Plan Ahead and Prepare, 2) Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces, 3) Dispose of Waste Properly, 4) Leave What you Find, 5) Minimize Campfire Impacts, 6) Respect Wildlife, and 7) Be Considerate of Other Visitors. There is a lot that is involved in each of these aspects of caring for the places we visit and so I encourage you to check out either of these websites for further information.

I do want to highlight a few that I found interesting:

With regards to Principle #1- Plan ahead and Prepare: Be prepared by bringing the 10 essential hiking items: fire (matches, fire starter), first aid, insulation (extra clothing, layers), sun protection (lip balm, sunscreen/sunglasses), knife (other tools/repair kits), illumination (headlamp/flashlight), navigation (map/compass), nutrition & hydration (extra food and water), and an emergency shelter (bivy, blanket).

With regards to Principle #2- Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces: you'll want to look for a spot that is Resilient and Resistant and at least 200 feet away from any water source, like a lake, stream, or river. These include: hard soil, rock, snow, gravel, dry grass, and a built platform.

Other tips with traveling on durable surfaces:

• Walk On the Trail - if you take shortcuts, you can hurt the microsoil and vegetation and damage the ecosystem.

• Hike Single File - try not to make the path wider than it is

• Camp On Established Camp Areas– search for a place that looks like a tent has already been there, such as noting a flat area that has been cleared of rocks and branches

With regards to Principle #3- Dispose of waste properly: for human waste, dig a cathole at least 80 steps away from your campsite, water source or trail and try and find a sunny spot as the light will help break down the waste faster once you've done your business and covered it up. Seal up your used toilet paper and pack it out. There are also particular rules about using soap and disposing of trash and dirty water, so be sure to look those up.

With regards to Principle #5- Minimize Campfire Impacts: It's easier and safer to use a camp stove instead of a campfire as not all places allow you to have a campfire

With regards to Principle #7- Be considerate of other visitors

• Downhill hikers yield to uphill hikers.

• Hikers yield to equestrians.

• Mountain bikers yield to equestrians and hikers.

• If you're mountain biking, be courteous by announcing your presence.

• Use a soft voice when addressing equestrians as horses can spook easily

Some of our favorite resources:

• 52 Week Hike Challenge
• What are the Leave No Trace Principles? article by Brianna Flores
• Leave No Trace: The 7 Principles
• Frommer's Arizona & Grand Canyon (Complete Guides) book
• The Ultimate Visitor Guide to the Grand Canyon - Everything You Need to Know by "Scottsdale Travel Chic" YouTube channel
• The BEST of the Grand Canyon - 17 Things To Do by "We're in the Rockies" YouTube channel; they start with their visit to Las Vegas so you may want to skip over to their main section on the Canyon
• More Than A View - Grand Canyon in Depth, Episode 1 by the Grand Canyon National Park; there are several episodes in this series that you can watch

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. If you can schedule a trip out to the Grand Canyon, go for it! It is something spectacular to see! If you can't, try watching some of the videos listed above to see what it is like.
2. For a fun school project, have your kids draw out a large map of the Grand Canyon with all the various sights and landmarks and interesting facts and stats around the edges that they researched. They can even decorate the border with Native tribal designs, drawings of the local flora and fauna, and photos printed off at home.
3. Put together a hiking backpack that contains all of the 10 Essentials supplies for hiking and keep in the back of your car for spur-of-the-moment adventures!

Welcome to A TRUE GOOD BEAUTIFUL LIFE podcast!

Here we will discuss all things Charlotte Mason in light of the ideas of the TRUE, the GOOD, and the BEAUTIFUL! I am your host, Jennifer Milligan, and throughout this series I will share with you how to find and cultivate various elements of TRUTH, GOODNESS and BEAUTY in our homes and classrooms through conversations with homeschooling parents and classroom teachers; interviews with experts, entrepreneurs, and artists; discussions regarding the great books, great minds, and great resources; fun travel and field trip summaries; and practices and creative experiences that embody the TRUE, the GOOD, and the BEAUTIFUL life. Over 100 years ago, British educator, Charlotte Mason, declared that, "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life," and so today, I hope you will join me on this adventure in education.

ON THIS EPISODE

Nestled amongst nature and beauty, happy children are busy learning and creating. This magical place is Sundial Classical Farmstead, located in South Lansing, Michigan, and is the creation of Sarah Kwilinski, my guest on today's podcast. She has inspiring ideas and strategies to create a lovely space for anyone, even those with special needs, to be seen and to flourish. Some of the things we talk about during our TRUE segment are the use of audio books, short lessons to avoid fatigue, setting up multi-age ability-based instructional groups, practicing talking less (ie. Masterly Inactivity), engaging in Picture Study and Narration to help develop the muscle of attention, and the benefits of inviting parents into the classroom. In our segment on the GOOD, Sarah shares about how she teaches Hospitality in the classroom and how that helps develop ideal relationships amongst people. In our last segment on the BEAUTIFUL, Sarah explains how their program engages with the Fine, Common, and Performing Arts to round out an excellent Classical Liberal Arts program. Some of our favorite resources are:

• "Memories of a PNEU Education" essay by Christine Verspaandonk
• Mind to Mind: An Essay Towards a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason and Karen Glass

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. How can you divide your students up so that they can get more individualized attention with people with their shared abilities? Is the environment causing some problems? What steps can you take to help your students thrive?
2. Contemplate and put into practice how your classroom exhibits Hospitality, in general ways as well as serving as a "Hospital" and a "Hotel."
3. What Fine, Common, and Performing Arts can you add to your students' life experiences? Can you involve the parents perhaps?

Welcome to A TRUE GOOD BEAUTIFUL LIFE podcast!

Here we will discuss all things Charlotte Mason in light of the ideas of the TRUE, the GOOD, and the BEAUTIFUL! I am your host, Jennifer Milligan, and throughout this series I will share with you how to find and cultivate various elements of TRUTH, GOODNESS and BEAUTY in our homes and classrooms through conversations with homeschooling parents and classroom teachers; interviews with experts, entrepreneurs, and artists; discussions regarding the great books, great minds, and great resources; fun travel and field trip summaries; and practices and creative experiences that embody the TRUE, the GOOD, and the BEAUTIFUL life. Over 100 years ago, British educator, Charlotte Mason, declared that, "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life," and so today, I hope you will join me on this adventure in education.

ON THIS EPISODE

Can you remember a poem that you learned in Elementary School? Or a Bible verse from Sunday School? How about that speech you did in 9th Grade History class?

Today I'm going to mix things up and start us off with our segment on the GOOD as I talk about some helpful habits to assist you and your students in memorizing material or practicing physical skills. Following that, I have an intriguing conversation with David Mathwin, the Dean of Students and History teacher at Ad Fontes Academy in Centreville, Virginia, the place where I first heard and learned about Classical Education. For our TRUE and BEAUTIFUL segments, Dave will share with us his philosophy on teaching and how he uses elements of BEAUTY to inspire and instill in his students the TRUTHS of History and life. So put your thinking caps on and let's delve in!

Our Favorite Resources:

• Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel
• Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons From the Science of Learning by James Lang
• Home Education Series Bundle by Charlotte Mason
• The Language of Creation: Cosmic Symbolism in Genesis: A Commentary by Matthieu Pageau
• A Study of History, Volume 1: Abridgement of Vol. 1-6 by Arnold Toynbee
• The Histories by Polybius
• The Histories by Herodotus

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

If you restudy something after failing to recall it, you actually learn it better than if you had not tried to recall it. The effort of retrieving knowledge or skills strengthens its staying power and your ability to recall it in the future. - Make It Stick, p. 203

. . . [it is often assumed that] a baseball player who practices batting by swinging at fifteen fastballs, then at fifteen curveballs, and then at fifteen change-ups will perform better than the player who mixes it up. But the player who asks for random pitches during practice builds his ability to decipher and respond to each pitch as it comes his way, and he becomes the better hitter." - Make It Stick, p. 206

Mixing up problem types and specimens improves your ability to discriminate between types, identify the unifying characteristics within a type, and improves your success in a later test or in real-world settings where you must discern the kind of problem you're trying to solve in order to apply the correct solution." - Make It Stick, pp. 206-207

Here, too, is a subject which should be to the child an inexhaustible storehouse of ideas, should enrich the chambers of his House Beautiful with a thousand tableaux, pathetic and heroic, and should form in him, insensibly, principles whereby he will hereafter judge of the behavior of nations, and will rule his own conduct as one of a nation. This is what the study of history should do for the child. . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 279

Next in order to religious knowledge, history is the pivot upon which our curriculum turns. History is the rich pasture of the mind – which increases upon the knowledge of men and events and, more than all, upon the sense of nationhood . . ." - Charlotte Mason, Volume 6: A Philosophy of Education, p. 273

How greatly is the reading of histories to be esteemed, which is able to furnish us with more examples in one day, than the whole course of the longest life of any man is able to do. Insomuch that they which exercise themselves in reading as they ought to do, although they be but young, become such in respect of understanding of the affairs of this world, as if they were old and gray headed and of long experience. Yea, though they never have removed out of their houses, yet are they advertised, informed and satisfied of all things in the world. - Jacques Amyot via Charlotte Mason, Volume 6: A Philosophy of Education, pp. 273-274)

The beautiful, almost without any effort of our own, acquaints us with the mental event of conviction, and so pleasurable a mental state is this that ever afterwards one is willing to labor, struggle, wrestle with the world to locate enduring sources of conviction – to locate what is true. - Elaine Scarry, On Beauty and Being Just, p. 31

. . . beauty is a starting place for education. - Elaine Scarry, On Beauty and Being Just, p. 31

Half of the teaching one hears and sees is more or less obtrusive. The oral lesson and the lecture, with their accompanying notes, give very little scope for the establishment of relations with great minds and various minds . . . . The art of standing aside to let a child develop the relations proper to him is the fine art of education . . ." - Charlotte Mason, Volume 3: School Education, p. 66-67

Children have other ways of expressing the conceptions that fill them when they are duly fed. They play at their history lessons, dress up, make tableaux, act scenes; or they have a stage, and their dolls act, while they paint the scenery and speak the speeches. There is no end to the modes of expression children find when there is anything in them to express. The mistake we make is to suppose that imagination is fed by nature, or that it works on the insipid diet of children's story-books. Let a child have the meat he requires in his history readings, and in the literature which naturally gathers round this history, and imagination will bestir itself without any help of ours; the child will live out in detail a thousand scenes of which he only gets the merest hint. - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 294-295

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. Make flashcards or use an online program like Quizlet or X-tra Math to practice vocabulary or facts. Incorporate interleaving and space out your study times.
2. Think about a game you can implement in your classroom that will bring your subject to life for the students.
3. How can you practice saying less or masterly inactivity in the classroom? What can you replace some of your lectures with?

Welcome to A TRUE GOOD BEAUTIFUL LIFE podcast!

Here we will discuss all things Charlotte Mason in light of the ideas of the TRUE, the GOOD, and the BEAUTIFUL! I am your host, Jennifer Milligan, and throughout this series I will share with you how to find and cultivate various elements of TRUTH, GOODNESS and BEAUTY in our homes and classrooms through conversations with homeschooling parents and classroom teachers; interviews with experts, entrepreneurs, and artists; discussions regarding the great books, great minds, and great resources; fun travel and field trip summaries; and practices and creative experiences that embody the TRUE, the GOOD, and the BEAUTIFUL life. Over 100 years ago, British educator, Charlotte Mason, declared that, "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life," and so today, I hope you will join me on this adventure in education.

ON THIS EPISODE

It's Fall! Time for a new season of the podcast and I have more fascinating people and ideas to share with you as the autumn leaves begin fall and as we get underway with school. Have you ever heard of the Common Arts? Do you know what paper sloyd is? Well, if these words are new to you, or you want to know more about them, please stick around and listen to my inspiring conversation with Rose Tomassi of Martin Saints Classical High School in Oreland, Pennsylvania. She has a lot of experience incorporating these valuable arts in her school and classroom, as well as in her personal life. Some of our Favorite Resources:

• Common Arts Education by Christopher Hall
• Paper Modeling by M. Swannell
• Cardboard Modeling by William Heaton
• A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander
• Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work by Matthew Crawford
• Simply Charlotte Mason article on Paper Sloyd
• Only The Lover Sings: Art and Contemplation by Josef Pieper
• Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

" . . . we fancy ourselves connected, we are in fact distanced and disjointed. We're connected to the internet, but not to the soul. We're connected to networks, but not to the hearth, the kitchen, the workshop, the woods. We spend time enjoying them, but at arm's length, rather than apprehending them in our heads, hearts, and hands. We are tourists now, rather than natives." - Christopher Hall, Common Arts Education, p. 19 "The common arts are the skills that provide for basic, embodied human needs through the creation of artifacts or the provision of services. . . . The common arts formed the baseline rhythms of home and hearth around the world for millennia." - Christopher Hall, Common Arts Education, p. 19 "Man's ability to see is in decline. Those who nowadays concern themselves with culture and education will experience this fact again and again. We do not mean here, of course, the phys­iological sensitivity of the human eye. We mean the spiritual capacity to perceive the visible reality as it truly is. To be sure, no human being has ever really seen everything that lies visibly in front of his eyes. The world, including its tangible side, is unfathomable. Who would ever have perfectly per­ceived the countless shapes and shades of just one wave swelling and ebbing in the ocean! And yet, there are degrees of perception. Going below a certain bottom line quite obviously will endanger the integrity of man as a spiritual being. It seems that nowadays we have arrived at this bottom line." —Josef Pieper, "Learning How to See Again", Only the Lover Sings, pg. 31 "Again we know that the human hand hand is a wonderful and exquisite instrument to be used in a hundred movements exacting delicacy, direction and force; every such movement is a cause of joy as it leads to the pleasure of execution and the triumph of success. We begin to understand this and make some efforts to train the young in the deft handling of tools and the practice of handicrafts. Some day perhaps, we shall see apprenticeship to trades revived and good and beautiful work enforced. In so far, we are laying ourselves out to secure that each shall "live his life"; and that, not at his neighbor's expense; because, so wonderful is the economy of the world that when a man really lives his life he benefits his neighbor as well as himself; we all thrive in the well being of each." - Charlotte Mason, Volume 6: Philosophy of Education, p. 328

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

• 1. Pick something from your History or Literature class and have your class practice it -- such as baking cookies from the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie book, taste-testing different flavors of Turkish Delight from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, learning how to weave while reading The Odyssey, grow seedlings by the window or under grow lights as you read The Secret Garden, practice illumination as you study Medieval History, put on a play as you read through Shakespeare, churn your own butter with a Mason jar as you study U. S. Colonial History.
  2. At home, take a class or teach yourself how to knit or crochet. YouTube how to change a tire or replace the brakes on your bicycle. Start a Craft Circle with your homeschool group, church friends, or neighborhood and have everyone bring what they are working on or have someone teach you all something new. Try learning a new dinner recipe to try Saturday night.
  3. Support a local artisan by asking about their work and purchasing their designs.