The Foundations of Joy

As you listen, use our study guides to assist you in making meaningful connections and increasing comprehension and memory.

 Chapter 1: The Foundation of Joy from Ambleside Schools International on Vimeo.

One of the most important responsibilities of a teacher is to set an atmosphere of joy in the classroom. The sense of joy is non-verbal, “in the air and breathed in” by the children – it’s what Charlotte Mason called Atmosphere. Bill and Maryellen St. Cyr, of Ambleside Schools International, discuss the difference between happiness and developing a deep sense of joy. Often when people visit Ambleside member schools, they say, “There’s peace here, a peacefulness, there’s a sense of expression here by the students and by the teachers that’s genuine, that’s full of delight, full of joy….