Charlotte Mason talks about “seeing eyes” – truly looking and observing deeply the world and God’s creation in front of us.
One of the first things you notice in an Ambleside classroom is its distinctive timeline spanning the top of the room. Pictures, names, dates — all linked together by a seamless cord.
We started visiting Christian schools and the second school we visited was an Ambleside school. The Head of School answered our questions and we knew we were in the right place. We decided to take that next step, trusting that God would provide the tuition — which He did miraculously.
As an Ambleside teacher, we often discuss our “paradigm shift’ – from textbooks, grades, and stickers to “living books,” “narrations,” and “habits.” It’s difficult, for many of us. We’re not just learning about a method of education; we’re learning again how to learn.
Rarely do we see transformation in one simple step, and never have I seen it without tension. We can use that tension and decide that what we left behind was left behind us.
Charlotte Mason speaks of the family read aloud as a habit, 1-2 evenings each week for an hour. There are few stronger family bonds than this habit of devoting an occasional hour to reading aloud.
For Ambleside students in the home and school classroom, the handwork lesson is a time of rest, contemplation, joy and accomplishment. Emphasis is placed on the skill to be learned rather than the project to be produced.
