Like so many of Charles Dickens’ wonderful characters, Thomas Gradgrind is a caricature but a caricature with a point.
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.
When we think of relationships, we usually think of those persons whose lives have touched our lives – family, friends, and co-workers. As important as these are, we must expand our vision.
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.
By Education is a discipline, is meant the discipline of habits formed definitely and thoughtfully, whether habits of mind or body.
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.
The aim of Ambleside Schools is student growth, and one of the distinctives is that student growth is not measured by grades.
