The Personal Curriculum Trend: Why Charlotte Mason Encouraged It Over 100 Years Ago
If you’ve scrolled TikTok lately, you may have noticed the “personal curriculum” trend. People are creating their own monthly “curricula” for learning and growth . These creators are choosing books, projects, hobbies, or ideas they want to explore just for the joy of it. It’s a beautiful trend: intentional, life-giving, and restorative.
But here’s what homeschoolers already know: Charlotte Mason was teaching this very idea to mothers more than 100 years ago. In fact, she said, “There’s no education but self education.”
What Is the Personal Curriculum Trend?
On TikTok, creators post their “September Curriculum” or “Fall Curriculum,” sharing the books they’ll read, skills they’ll practice, or beauty they’ll savor. One person may study baking and philosophy; another may dive into poetry and journaling.
The key? There are no grades, deadlines, or pressure. It’s learning for the sake of delight , not for productivity.
What Charlotte Mason Knew About a Mother’s Education
Long before TikTok, Charlotte Mason wrote that mothers must remain learners themselves: “The mother who takes her place as a thinker among thinkers is better able to guide and inspire her children.”
In her view, education wasn’t just for children. It was a lifelong pursuit of learning to love education. She even wrote a 3 year long Mother’s Education Course laid out for mothers.
This wasn’t selfish. Mason believed it was essential. A mother who nourishes her own mind is better able to nourish the minds of her children.
Creating Your Own Personal Curriculum
So how do we take this “trend” both modern and timeless and make it our own as homeschool mothers?
Here are a few simple steps:
Choose one book for yourself this month. (A novel, a biography, or even a collection of essays.)
Add a touch of beauty. Perhaps a poem to linger over, a painting to study, or music to enjoy.
Pick a small practice. A handicraft, journaling, or sketching nature in your notebook.
Set aside a little time. Ten minutes a day is enough to keep your own education alive.
The goal is not perfection, it’s small faithfulness to the act of education of a life.
Finding Community
One of the reasons the TikTok trend resonates is the sense of shared learning. People post their plans and cheer one another on.
Charlotte Mason mothers have always known the power of community. In her day, the PNEU (Parents’ National Educational Union) created spaces for mothers to encourage one another in their own education. Today, we can do the same.
That’s why I created the Mother’s Circle: a gathering place where we can pursue truth, beauty, and goodness together, inspired by Mason, with readings, reflections, and support for the journey.
While trends fade and the next one will come around, the pursuit of a living education is a way of life one that mothers have embraced for over a century. Will you join us?
