A Thomas Jefferson Education

As a new homeschooller I'm constantly looking and learning for ways to accomplish the task of teaching my children. I started with the Well-Trained Mind book which is excellent and thank goodness got me on a good path, but I find myself not completely satisfied and still looking to see and compare what else is out there. I became aware recently that a family friend of my parents has had great success with their children, so far having 2 children on the path to graduate from a University by the time they are 19. So I asked him about it and he told me they use the Thomas Jefferson method. I bought the book, "A Thomas Jefferson Education", and the 2nd book, "Leadership Education and the Phases of Learning". I think it is one of the best things I've found so far. The author, Oliver DeMille, has really got me thinking and asking questions I'd not thought too much about. I find myself agreeing with him on so many accounts. He is also the chancellor of George Wythe University in Cedar City, Ut. George Wythe was the mentor for Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, James Madison, and other signers of the Constitution and penned the Declaration of Independence.

He explains, "Historically the primary goal of public schools, the reason they were instituted, was to educate the poor so they could get a job and take their place in society. The middle class already had private schools and apprenticeships, and the wealthy were tutored at home." But what has happened is that "nearly everyone is getting an education for the poor and hardly anyone is being trained as a leader...." With everyone getting the same education, it's like a conveyor belt.

One of the common arguments for homeschoolers is "socialization" for homeschoolled kids. Quote from the book: "...the real question should be, "What are you socializing them for?" Everybody is socialized in one way or another. Children aren't going to grow up and never spend time with other people. What people usually mean is, "Will they seem normal and well-adjusted, or backward and strange?" In most cases that depends on the parents. If parents are so-called "backward and strange," chances are their kids will be also--even if they are in public school. In fact, such children will likely be less "normal" when they reach early adulthood, given the teasing and rejection they are almost sure to feel in school. At least in homemschool, their confidence is supported and they have a strong chance of getting a good education without their love of learning being destroyed by an artificial social and class structure which dominates the hallways, locker rooms and classrooms. Many of those who tend to struggle socially anyway may be better off in a homeschool than on the conveyor belt."

What about education? It would appear that the schools really are more concerned with peer influence and socialization then with actual academics. But what I didn't realize was that numerous colleges and universities have actually become more flexible with their criteria to accommodate the knowledge not being taught in schools.

But this post isn't meant to be a soap box for homeschoolling. I'm just very interested in this method of education. So far, to me, it seems superb. And I've actually read of other similar types and methods of homeschoolling which are also producing well-rounded, educated students. I asked a long time homeschooler (who also has a used homeschool curriculum bookstore) what she'd heard about it. Her response was that some of the most desirable programs dwell and rely heavily on the classics and seem to produce very above and beyond successful students.

The Thomas Jefferson Education is all about teaching children (and adults) to think and become good statesmen (and women). "In our day, the characer traits of statesmanship are needed in all areas of society." Virtue, Wisdom, Diplomacy, Courage, The ability to inspire greatness in others, and the ability to move the cause of liberty. There is a need for more good statesmen in every area of the community. We need good leaders. One of the things he really emphasizes is that as a teacher, you have to first learn before you can teach. So they really press you to make sure you are getting your own education, by reading the classics also, so you can discuss them with your children.

I haven't read so much for the higher levels of learning being that my children are still in the first phases of core and entering love of learning. I've been trying to do so much "curriculum" with them that we run out of daylight and then I didn't get to do with them what I really wanted. With this program, in the first phases, that is what you do; you teach what you want to learn and are excited about and what you want them to learn. One of the constants I've noticed is the reading of a classic every day, just like you would read your scriptures daily. There is a lot, lot, lot of emphasis on reading. And why not? At this age, 5-8 or 9, they are taking in so much information. And you have to learn to read to learn. One thing he reiterates over and over is that you can't teach anyone. You can only teach yourself. Such is true with the children. They have to teach themselves, thus it becomes my job as parent to figure out how to inspire them to want to learn. When they want to learn, they won't stop. They teach themselves already anyway, things they want to learn, they just do it all by play. So for me right now, I'm starting to hone in on what they are really interested in and trying to figure out how to inspire them and apply that to all areas of "learning" in reading, writing and math. Sticking mostly to that, but in the reading comes history and science (animals, the body, Earth, chemistry, etc) and things they want to learn about.

This really came to me at a good time. This last Monday I was just tired and frustrated. The kids were doing fine, but I felt like I wasn't getting into them everything I thought they should have. But again, I think I overdo it bigtime. I'm learning to pace myself. I remind myself, They can't learn everything in one sitting! Today was a completely different experience. We started out reading and they read for 2 hours (included some grammar and phonics) more on their own! Later we read some more about elephants and Egypt and are growing crystals. And now I can relax a lot more and we can just read and discuss and read some more. Reading, 'riting, 'rithmetic. I guess that's really what it's all about.