Ambleside Education Observation

This past April, I was able to attend the Ambleside Internship held in Colorado, along with two others. Each day started by us coming together with a group of approximately eighteen others to read, narrate and discuss Charlotte Mason's ideas. We were also given set times to observe in the classrooms. When I was able to attend different classrooms, I quietly sat and observed the teacher and student engage different subjects and ideas. Each classroom was a peaceful atmosphere to sit with the text (be in picture study, bible, math, composer study, frobel, or phonics) remain the focus of each lesson. Teachers moved about the room giving support to each child’s individual weaknesses, and yet remain an alley to form a connection with the big ideas. I was able to take part in classrooms from Kindergarten through Sixth grade, learning new ways to bring the children the vast table of information set in front of them. It was also a great reward for me to revisit the Colorado school as this is where I attended my week long institute along with some of the staff currently teaching. On Thursday during lunch the staff came to have lunch with us and we were able to talk with a few about any questions we had after visiting their classrooms.
During the seminar style

discussions certain topics and ideas struck me in a new way and helped me to grow both as a parent and as a teacher. It was during the discussion. “Some forms of liberty”, we discussed the meaning of must as well as the three mistakes parents and/or teachers make. This was not my first time discussing this topic and ideas, but it was the idea that there is truly a difference in making a choice to not due as we ought verses weakness or ignorance. To make a choice to behave or do as one ought, means there must be a pause to think and then pick one path over another. If the pause never happens, there cannot be a choice made, suggesting that the individual has a weakness or ignorance in this area. It then falls on the teacher/parent to take the time to instruct the weakness and help the child to grow. If it is clear the individual has had a pause, even only a second or two, and then does that he should not, it could be rebellion or another area that the teacher must to call attention to. This point stood out to be in that not all actions kids make are necessarily choices, but a weakness due to ignorance. As part of this set of mistakes made by parents or teachers, never discipline or correct out of emotion or embarrassment. Give both parties time to destress, settle to a calm state and then address the choices that were made and develop a plan to change and grow. We learned that when you are in a reactive state your brain is 30% less active than when calm and being proactive. Eighty percent of training should be proactive, setting habits and correcting behaviors in a peaceful place.
Since returning from our trip, I have begun to use a few of the teaching ideas of other Ambleside staff and ideas discussed in our small group.

Overall this trip gave me an even deeper understand and desire to share this teaching method with others. To keep the idea, text, good, true and beautiful at the focus for all persons to grow. Thank you to all those who gave towards the teacher appreciation fund, as the chocolate covered strawberries we delicious. I was able to use the gift card to help with my expense for the week, and even have a little extra to visit the Denver Museum on Thursday with the other teachers. It was a wonderful trip where we were all able to become the students to learn and grown

ourselves.