We ended the last post in the series with, “Good habits matter to the life of ideas.” Mason’s third is tool: “Education is a life. In saying that “education is a life,” the need of intellectual and moral as well as of physical sustenance is implied. The mind feeds on ideas, and therefore children should have…
Scaffolding also utilizes the discipline of habit. Scaffolding is evenly spaced, carefully layered, intentionally constructed. Mason’s habit-building is so done, too. Mason says, By “education is a discipline,” we mean the discipline of habits, formed definitely and thoughtfully, whether habits of mind or body. Physiologists tell us of the adaptation of brain structures to habitual…
As I’ve written this series and thought about it over the last year, I came to see how Scaffolding is just Mason’s tools of Atmosphere, Discipline, and Life. I started out planning to write just the first four or so posts, but as I actually wrote them I kept bumping up against atmosphere – how…
When we think about lesson planning and curricular development, we can easily become overwhelmed by the vast amount of resources and approaches to any given lesson or study. But by using scaffolding in planning both the short- and long-term, we can make a plan that is reasonable and approachable without being overwhelmed. What is scaffolding?…
We’ve talked about the intricacies of scaffolding in it’s base and structure – how it’s put together so it is safe and provides a standard. Today I’d like to think about it’s purpose. Scaffolding is meant to be set up, yes, but it is designed to also be taken down. It’s there for the building,…
Last week we thought a lot about the basis for our scaffolding: a base plate set on a firm foundation. We wanted to provide a sturdy, non-rickety form of scaffolding for our children. This is so that our kids can work Safely in Transparent Fashion. This week, I want to think more about the structure…
A scaffold, we learn, is set on a firm, level base plate. This plate is the firm foundation upon which the scaffold is built and provides stability for the whole structure. Does anyone want to stand on a rickety scaffold? I can’t think so (although I have no practical experience in this matter) The metal…
I don’t know where I first heard the term “scaffolding” as related to a Charlotte Mason style lesson. It was likely in an A Delectable Education podcast. I thought, “What a great metaphor.” I’ve since come to notice it a number of times and places including articles pre-dating the podcast. I’ve also seen a lot…