Charlottes Heart for Teachers calendar journal

I’ve been copying a lot of meaningful entries in my Commonplace Book lately. Many of them have come from the little but rich volume that Charlotte Mason gave all her teaching-school graduates, The Cloud of Witness compiled by Mrs. Lyttelton Gell. It is full of thought-provoking inspirational poetry and quotations organized by theme.

Lovely reminders like . . .

“Be, what you would make others!”—Amiel
“A soul redeemed demands a life of praise.”—Cowper
“In every gladness, Lord, Thou art
The deeper Joy behind.”—MacDonald
“Many a one by being thought better than he was,
has become better.”—Jowett
“Leaving the final issue in His hands
Whose goodness knows no change, Whose love is sure,
Who sees, foresees, Who cannot judge amiss.”—Wordsworth

Charlotte’s heart for her teachers was to give them daily encouragement from the words of great writers and teachers—encouragement that would nourish their minds and spirits with beautiful ideas, reinforce primary Biblical truths, and equip them for the day-to-day work of shaping young lives.

2016 Calendar

We are pleased to announce the release of our 2016 calendar journal! Charlotte’s Heart for Teachers is focused on Charlotte’s encouragement to grow in character and sprinkled liberally with quotes from The Cloud of Witness. You will find monthly articles and weekly quotes that will help you to continue to grow in the character habits Charlotte named—habits like kindness, work, thanksgiving, humility, faith, prayer, gladness, and more.

The handy calendar-year edition will take you from January through December with space to jot prayer requests, gentle reminders, and books you are reading; lots of room for personal journaling; a monthly calendar grid; weekly two-page spreads; sturdy monthly tabs and a gorgeous full-color cover.

Being a good teacher is as much about who you are as about what you know or what you do. This coming year support your daily walk and focus your mind and heart on that all-important process.

“To ‘endeavour ourselves’ to the daily effort of education, to live and act, think and speak before the children, so that they shall be hourly the better for all that we are, is harder, no doubt, than to make one enormous sacrifice” (Vol. 5, p. 156).

That was Charlotte’s heart for teachers.

The Cloud of Witness Republished

Nancy Kelly, a delightful speaker and mentor on Charlotte Mason education and hostess of the Living Education Retreat in Minnesota, has a special place in her heart for The Cloud of Witness. She has been working for quite a while on preparing a reprint of that gem of inspiration. Happily, it is now available as an heirloom-quality hardcover! Visit her post on Sage Parnassus to read her story and take a look at the beautiful result of her labor of love.