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Mary G
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Here's a great talk given by Archbishop J. Michael Miller on The Holy See's Teaching on Catholic Education -- based on a talk the Archbishop gave at Catholic Univ back in 2005.
The really cool thing is the 5 marks of a Catholic school:
- Inspired by a Supernatural vision
- Founded on a Christian Anthropology
- Animated by Communion and Community
- Imbued with a Catholic world-view that seeks wisdom and truth to transform the culture to one of faith and life
- Sustained by the Witness of Teaching
Now, he was talking about brick-and-mortar Catholic schools, but really don't all our Catholic homeschools need to do these? Do we already?
How would you fit your homeschool philosophy into these "five marks"?
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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CatholicMommy
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Thank you for sharing this! I had heard these key points before, but this is the right moment to see them listed again as I not only delve into official full-time homeschooling but also into my job as DRE - I am printing these out and posting them up to help me make all educational decisions (keep me on track!).
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JodieLyn
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maybe it's just to early for Philosophy 
What would you say is meant by
"Founded on a Christian Anthropology" ?
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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missionfamily
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I would think a Christian anthropology would mean that we view what it means to be a person in light of the Christian faith--here is a Wikipedia definition of which the basic premise seems to be that each person is made up of body, soul, and spirit.
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Colleen
dh Greg
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folklaur
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JodieLyn wrote:
maybe it's just to early for Philosophy
What would you say is meant by
"Founded on a Christian Anthropology" ? |
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Oh, I am so glad you asked that. I was sitting here reading that, (and I am an Anthro major,) and I have been trying to figure out what that meant.
Anthropology = study of man...
So a "Christian Study of Man"?
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Eleanor
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Instead of searching elsewhere for definitions, I'd suggest that we look in the original document that Mary G posted. The Archbishop does explain the meaning of this term, along with all the others used in the "5 marks" list. In essence, "a Christian anthropology" means the same thing as "a Catholic understanding of the nature and dignity of the human person." (But it takes 9 fewer words to say it.  )
The whole document makes for very interesting and thought-provoking reading. I'm feeling especially challenged by the "community" and "culture" aspects... and wondering how this fits in with our family staying home nearly all the time, and not really being heavily involved in our parish or diocese (let alone the larger non-Catholic community). I know we're not the only homeschoolers in this situation, and it's weighing rather heavily on me right now.
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Eleanor
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Here are the specific passages to which I was referring.
From section II:
Precisely because of this evangelizing mission, our schools, if they are to be genuinely ecclesial — and they must be that if they are to be authentically Catholic — must be integrated within the organic pastoral activity of the parish, diocesan and universal Church.
From section III, subsection 4.2:
A second principle governing all Catholic education from the apostolic age down to the present is the notion that the faithful should be engaged in transforming culture in light of the Gospel. Schools prepare students to relate the Catholic faith to their particular culture and to live that faith in practice. (...) Schools form students within their own culture for which they teach an appreciation of its positive elements and strive to help them foster the further inculturation of the Gospel in their own situation.
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CatholicMommy
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Eleanor: based on the examples you provided, I read "school" as "homeschool" and the school's "own culture" as the family culture - after all, a homeschooling family culture (whether they are tecnically homeschooling or not) is vastly different from a family who is not homeschool-minded in any way....
And you are involved in your parish in some way, I am sure - even if it's just Mass attendance - it's still a presence there that can positively influence others.
The rest of world can be dealt with when the children are adults and have had a firm foundation!
Does that help at all? Or did I totally miss the point of the question?
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Mary G
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Eleanor wrote:
The whole document makes for very interesting and thought-provoking reading. I'm feeling especially challenged by the "community" and "culture" aspects... and wondering how this fits in with our family staying home nearly all the time, and not really being heavily involved in our parish or diocese (let alone the larger non-Catholic community). I know we're not the only homeschoolers in this situation, and it's weighing rather heavily on me right now. |
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Eleanor, first of all, your kids are pretty young ... so I'm sure you'll be immersed in the community and culture sooner than you ever thought possible  if only through attendance at Mass, going to the grocery, getting books from the library.
The way I read the Bishop's "community and culture" aspects is to live our faith in the world. We try to teach the kids every chance we get -- whether its during a movie, or something we see or hear about in the news, we apply it to Church teachings (dh is MUCH better at this than I, but I'm getting better). We don't just subscribe to Catholic magazines or only buy Catholic curricula ... we read lots of books that don't necessarily have a Catholic world-view, but yet have the good the true and he beautiful ... so we point out those things.
That's how I read it anyway.
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MaryG
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Eleanor
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I don't think I agree with the idea that we can defer deep contact with "the rest of the world" until the children are adults. Or that going to Mass is sufficient involvement in parish life. Maybe these sorts of limitations are necessary in some adverse circumstances, but as far as I can tell they aren't the Catholic ideal. And I think it's important that we be clear about the difference, lest we start getting cozy in our bunkers, and fail to venture out even at times when it's relatively safe to do so. For myself, as an introvert, this is a very real possibility. Another complicating factor is that, for us in the USA, so much of the homeschooling ground has been broken by conservative Protestants -- who do have a tradition of individualism(*), and who see the family as an autonomous unit before God.
I guess I would like to think (and talk) more about what the Catholic ideal is, and how it has looked in a variety of historical places and times, many of which have been hostile to the faith.
BTW, I'm not in a hurry about this, as I know we have time. I just like to start thinking about the "big issues" early on, to have a chance to contemplate them at leisure, and get through a good portion of the often-dense writings on the subject. (I started studying Montessori theory when I was a few weeks pregnant with my first child -- which doubtless seemed a bit nutty at the time, but it turns out that it wasn't a moment too soon. Five years later, I'm only just getting the hang of it. )
(* Loosely defined by the Catholic Encyclopedia as "the tendency to magnify individual liberty, as against external authority, and individual activity, as against associated activity.")
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teachingmom
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Hi Eleanor,
I truly don't think that anyone was encouraging a bunker mentality or avoiding the rest of the world. I think they are moms, like me, who have been through the years of having only preschool age children, when much more of our lives were spent at home.
When I had three children, ages 4 and under. My involvement at my parish was mainly attending Mass on Sundays. My involvement in the world at large consisted of trips to the grocery store and library, visits to local friends and relatives, chatting a bit with neighbors when we happened to see one another outside, and a weekly play group made up of other Catholic families.
In the years following, we gradually got more involved with our parish. Dh and I started teaching baptism prep classes periodically. We moved into a new parish and the children got older and we became involved with other ministries, such as lectoring, serving as extraordinary ministers of Communion, helping with a girls' club, Knights of Columbus, etc. Now I've taken on a new responsiblity recently in spearheading a brand new women's ministry. I wouldn't have been able to answer that call when my children were much younger, I think. It has all happened gradually over time.
Now my kids have plenty of friends who are both homeschooled and public schooled. They are involved in the parish in leading and attending (depending on ages) vacation bible school. Four of the girls have sung in the children's choir. The older ones are involved in youth ministry. We also have activities with our homeschool group and in the community at large.
I think we strike a fairly good balance now. But it took time and our involvement has corresponded to each season of our lives.
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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JodieLyn
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Eleanor, I know exactly what you mean about needing to read well ahead of time.. I also was reading about homeschooling when pregnant with my first and now that she's 11 I'm reading about courtship not because I expect to use it soon but because I need time to let ideas "simmer" in the back of my brain.. in order to have a good idea of what fits our family.. I need to let those ideas "stew" with what dh's family is like, what my family is like, what dh has said and what I've thought.. and then I need more time to tell him about it and let him have time for the simmering and stewing process before we can do much productive conversation.
Can you tell I'm busy in the kitchen today making jam and broth and getting a pot of beans cooking for dinner
I do have to agree though that when you have just preschoolers.. well sometimes just getting to Mass is a major accomplishment. And I think you might be surprised by the impact just that has on the community there. Gradually over the years we've been here I've heard from various people.. even ones that we don't much speak with will now and again mention how they watch the kids and miss seeing them when we're gone or such. And I've had several who've let me know seeing me with all the littles encouraged them that it could be done. 
And reading this
Quote:
Schools form students within their own culture for which they teach an appreciation of its positive elements and strive to help them foster the further inculturation of the Gospel in their own situation.
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To me it means that we don't isolate the students from the culture.. don't throw the baby out with the bathwater type of thing.. there are good things in our culture as well as the disturbing things that we attempt to shelter them from. And we teach them to function within the culture but to strive for the betterment of it. Not just to accept the bad things passively. But schools are also about forming students.. and within the Bible you can also see that it is the ADULTS that are the missionaries.. that the majority of "forming" is done before they step out of the protection of parents and teachers.
And as others have said.. you'll find as your children get older that you can naturally take up more within your parish community. CCD (of some sort) classes, alter servers, choir, lectors etc.
It took me a long time to get semi-comfortable with the fact that the way dh and I choose to raise our children is not mainstream and many of the "extra" things even through the church are not friendly to babies and small children staying with mom or dad and rarely with a babysitter. It's still hard at church when there's something going on but it's not appropriate for children to be present (or it's pointless for me to be there because I'd be paying more attention to dealing with children than anything else going on) and there is no child care on the premises so that I can easily get to and check on the kids.
It's a bit easier for me now because I have my sister here in town and we can trade off childcare and we're comfortable with her having the kids for us to do something. But I still do most things with all the kids in tow.
I'm rather looking forward to my older kids being just a bit older and being able to have the "personnel" to offer for the parish to be able to have babysitting available.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Eleanor
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Thanks... I can see that you ladies are doing a great deal in this area.
Regarding young children's involvement in community life, I've realized that our family needs to put more of a focus on the Works of Mercy. My 4-year-old has a generous spirit; she's always asking to "mail this drawing to the children at the hospital," or "give this doll away to the poor children who have no toys." There's so much we could do along these lines, even with very little ones.
We also have a lot of family-friendly activities at our parish, and my husband and children enjoy them, but I usually have to force myself to go. I think I'm just kind of burned out on the whole "dealing with real-life human beings" thing. I find it hard to handle the not-so-nice stuff that always seems to go along with group situations (in the parish and elsewhere)... gossip, factionalism, people who are judgmental, people whose behavior makes me feel like being judgmental  ... It's all really draining, and makes me just want to stay home.
This is obviously an area of my life that's in need of change. I'm reminded of two quotations:
G. K. Chesterton: "The Bible tells us to love our neighbours, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people."
The motto of the Institute of Christ the King, taken from St. Francis de Sales: "Cook the truth in charity until it tastes sweet."
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teachingmom
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Eleanor wrote:
| Regarding young children's involvement in community life, I've realized that our family needs to put more of a focus on the Works of Mercy. |
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You make a great point. And it's an area in which I don't think my family has done enough at all. I've had conversations over the years with other parents in our parish about how we can involve children, even young ones, in Works of Mercy. But we haven't come up with many ideas. A few of my girls recently stayed after Mass to help some of the Knights of Columbus prepare a meal for a local homeless shelter. That was a great experience, and I'd like to branch out more. I'd love to hear ideas if anyone has some.
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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Eleanor
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Just for reference, here's a listing of the Works of Mercy from the Catholic Encyclopedia.
I've come up with a few simple, local activities in which our little ones could take an active part:
- visiting (or sending cards & letters to) a sick, shut-in, or grieving neighbor, friend, or family member
- preparing food for a church pot-luck, or for a family with a new baby... then washing the dishes afterwards
- going shopping for items to donate to food & toy drives, then putting them in the barrels
- choosing, packing up, and delivering donations for the thrift shop
- praying for the living and the dead -- and, more specifically, for our priests, bishop, and pope, and for the leaders of our community, state, and nation (who can be mentioned by name, thus providing an early introduction to civics )
Any other ideas would be very welcome.
Just thinking it over, it's evident that this is an essential part of a Catholic education at any age. I'm grateful to Mary G, and to the Archbishop, for raising the subject.
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JodieLyn
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My kids help neighbors (however far they're allowed to go on their own) shovel snow in the winter (no asking for pay allowed but they may accept a gift if it's offered).. they also help with other things happening in front yards.. weeding or planting or such if they happen to see it going on.. but that's as much because they love going "visiting" as anything.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
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4Real Forums : Philosophy of Education
Topic: Catholic Education at its Best
