Common House | The Commonplace
Common House | The Commonplace

Common House

A place to get your bearings in the classical Charlotte Mason world

About Common House

Welcome to Common House, a space for homeschooling moms to get their bearings in the classical Charlotte Mason world. If you're here, you've most likely found The Commonplace podcast or Common Mom YouTube and are in love with the idea of education as an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life. This whole-person, whole-life understanding of education makes sense: our children are made in the image of God to glorify God and enjoy him forever, so shouldn't their education—of mind, spirit, and appetites—be centered around that which is good, true, and beautiful?

This, my friend, used to be a commonplace definition of education. Can you believe that?

But now, as a mom at the start of classical Mason home education, it can feel overwhelming. Every resource seems to mention Plato or Boëthius or Plutarch. Phrases like teleological ends, pedagogy, masterly inactivity, philosophical anthropology, and twaddle confuse us. And why is there so much Latin? What seemed doable when we searched the homeschooling hashtags on Instagram now seems out of reach, unattainable, and maybe just for another type of family.

Let me make it clear: that’s not true. A classical Charlotte Mason education is for every child, for every home, for every mother.

So, that's why we're here. Common House (a play on Charlotte Mason's House of Education, yes) is where we settle in like old coffee pals with cups strewn about during excellent conversation. It's here that I share bonus mini podcast episodes, monthly live Q+A videos, courses, and bonus resources to make philosophy practical. I hope they help you see how classical pedagogy can shape your entire home.

I'm so glad you're here!

Who should join?

Common House is for the mother-teacher who cares about building a rich atmosphere, discipline, and life in her home.

Most of the homeschool content on the internet made by and made for our generation is focused on the material nature of home education: the things you need to buy. But I believe what moms truly need is a strong philosophical foundation and the principles to bring life to the minds and souls of everyone in their homes. So that’s what I offer.

If you’re ready to cultivate virtue and wisdom in your home by nourishing your family with truth, goodness, and beauty, we’d love to have you join us.

What's included?

I like to think of us as common moms, the ones trying to grow alongside our children as we pursue and delight in goodness, truth, and beauty. Here at Common House, we dig into the application of classical pedagogy to the common, ordinary things of life—like teaching chores, managing a home, festivity, and more! 

Here's what you can expect at Common House:

  • Monthly live Q+A
    • Members submit questions, vote for their favorites, and tune in to the live Q+A (or watch the replay later!) where you can ask follow-ups.
  • Minisodes
    • Minisodes are extra podcast-style episodes and interviews exploring a variety of topics from a classical perspective. 
  • Bonus 5
    • During season two of The Commonplace, I shared bonus five-minute practical tips in Patreon. You can now find them in Common House.
  • Resources: Guides, Videos, Templates, & More
    • Guide examples: The Way of the Will, A Thinking Love, Liturgia, Benediction Table
    • Video examples: Keeping a Logbook, How to Plan Weekly Lessons, Habit Training on the Trail
    • Template examples: Personal Daily Timetable, Home Tasks List, Weekly Program Guide
  • Courses
    • Consider Common House your place for continuing mothers' education. Courses are on-going.
    • Course examples: Habit Training 101, How to Start a Co-op, Summer Planning, Charlotte Mason's 20 Principles, Foundations of Classical Charlotte Mason Education
  • Camaraderie
    • Common House is a bit like a secret society wherein members discuss ideals and ideas, encourage and edify, and strive for excellence. It can be difficult to find local moms who share a classical vision of education (and life!) but Common House offers a camaraderie as mother-teachers learn together. However, all that we learn and discuss within Common House is to equip mothers to enrich the lives of those in their homes and communities. What we do here is to shape and form what we do offline.
    • Within Common House, you'll find groups for different geographic areas (with new groups starting constantly). From Australia to England, the Philippines to Turkey, and Virginia to California, Common House is an international home to classical Charlotte Mason mother-teachers. These groups encourage women to take their online Common House camaraderie offline into their houses.

What do the members think?

“As a mom who has been fumbling around in the Charlotte Mason world for the past 14 years, I was relieved to find a guiding light and a guide through the muddle in the work of Autumn Kern. I was intrigued by her style, wit, and insight. What is most striking about Autumn’s work is that it’s clear that she has thought deeply about these ideas and has wrestled through their consequences in her own life. Autumn offers ideas back to us that are not her own in origin, but are the ideas of old brought forward in modern language. In this way, she is able to speak into the modern mother’s mind, culture, and heart.”

—Member since June 2023

“I love getting to ask questions and receive feedback from Autumn and like-minded moms. The glimpses inside the nitty-gritty practicality of pursuing goodness, truth, and beauty with my little ones are inspiring and empowering, giving me bite-size chunks to contemplate and practice in our home. Common House is like a feast I return to again and again. I find myself referring back to resources like task lists and family rules, as well as videos and Q+A recordings. Our atmosphere, discipline, and life together have deepened and become richer during my months as a part of The Commonplace community, and I am always excited to see what dish gets served next.” 

—Member since April 2022

“Something I’ve learned about The Commonplace content that I really value and why it’s so different than everything else is that Autumn doesn’t necessarily tell you the exact answers to life. She gives the philosophy, the ideas, and a great vision of how the whole picture will look, but she doesn’t draw out the details for you. She lets us learn.” 

—Member since August 2022

“The Commonplace changed my homeschool. Is that too much!? I don’t think so! It’s true. I began to listen and slowly but surely realized what I had thought was classical education was wrong. Autumn gave me the language for what I wanted education to be for my boys. But mostly she gave me the courage to go for it! I blame her for the change and I also thank God for her. This podcast, YouTube, and Common House have been a grace to me and a very present help. I think it will be the same for you!” 

—Member since December 2021

“I have read several books about Charlotte Mason over the years and even watched some workshops explaining her 20 principles.  I have even added narration and read living books to our days.  But there was always something missing.  Autumn talks about the wardrobe—well, I just walked through!” 

—Member since June 2023

“Common House is a Charlotte Mason Online University. Autumn is a student of Charlotte Mason and is gifted with breaking down her method into a simple way of understanding it.”

—Member since February 2022