Excerpt from Learning to Live: Embracing the Abundant Life of a Mason Educator
By Amber O'Neal Johnston
Perhaps the most obvious is also the most profound. Charlotte Mason's own daily reading habits were not for the faint of heart. She reportedly broke up her day with specific genres of reading: Beginning each morning with Bible reading and personal prayer, grounding herself spiritually before turning to her work. During a mid-morning break, she allowed time for light reading—perhaps a bit of social satire from Punch or a novel by Anthony Trollope. She spent about ten minutes reading from a classical author such as Plato or Aristotle, keeping her mind engaged with deep and challenging ideas. After dinner, she would often read aloud from a travel book or biography, while after tea, she devoted a full hour to reading from a beloved novel—works by authors like Charlotte Brontë, George Eliot, Thackeray, Meredith, or Jane Austen. Evenings brought more shared reading, this time from the newspaper, travel writing, literary essays, or memoirs. And just before bed, she would settle in with a Waverley novel by Sir Walter Scott.
Now—wow! That is something to live up to. And I don't know about you, but sprinkling my day with ten-minute doses of Aristotle and a hearty helping of The Times doesn't quite fit into my current life season. Between driving kids to activities, cooking meals, lessons, folding laundry, and hunting down that one Lego piece that somehow controls the fate of the entire universe, there's not a lot of unclaimed time just lying around.
But what struck me wasn't the length or intensity of her reading plan—it was the fact that she had one. Mason didn't read only when she had extra time or when the stars aligned and the house was perfectly quiet. She had a plan. And that's something that we, as educators, ought to pay attention to—because who among us regularly finds ourselves bored with nothing to do? Exactly. No one.
So how do we practically live into this idea? We can choose to set aside intentional, specific time in our days—or at least our weeks—for reading. Even ten minutes upon waking in the morning, while waiting at the dentist, or at the stove while dinner simmers, can be reclaimed for reading with a bit of preparation. Knowing what to read and having it on hand matters just as much. Mason began with the Bible, and so should we. Beyond that, I've often followed a simple yet powerful pattern that I first read in an 1892 Parents' Review article titled Mother Culture, and I know some of you are familiar with the idea too: “The wisest woman I ever knew—the best wife, the best mother, the best mistress, the best friend—told me once, when I asked her how, with her weak health and many calls upon her time, she managed to read so much, 'I always keep three books going—a stiff book, a moderately easy book, and a novel, and I always take up the one I feel fit for.'”
Isn't that lovely? It's formal enough to ensure we're reading widely, but liberal enough to allow for our moods and moments. Sometimes I crave depth and rigor, and sometimes I just want to lose myself in a good story. This method gives me permission to do both—and still be a “serious reader.”
We hope you enjoyed this excerpt from Amber's keynote at the conference. If you'd like more, be sure to check out the Guiding With Grace Virtual Ticket. Next week during Office Hours, we'll continue the conversation on growing in our own education. We'd love for you to join us!
Lesson Plan Spotlight
This year's Community Read Alouds can be found in the Grades 1-3 Literature plans or Grades 4+ Citizenship plans under Quicklinks.
Notes
- Giveaway: We’re giving merch to three lucky winners who can pick a shirt or tote bag! Check out this Hive post for details. Open through August 31 → Winners announced September 1 in The Hive.
- Exams: Term 1 exams are now posted on your dashboard! Remember, you can visit the Exams section in Foundations to refresh your memory or learn more before your students begin.
- Read with us: In the Company of Ideas kicks off in September! Our first book is A Little Book for New Historians by Dr. Tracy McKenzie. Grab your copy and join us for the first discussion prompt next month.
- Job posting: The Alveary team is looking for lesson plan writers for French and Sol-fa. If you are interested, please send your resume to Melissa Ferguson at melissa@cminst.org.
- CMI Courses: Registration is now open for CMI’s Fall Courses! Explore our full lineup and find the perfect course for you.
