Awhile back I talked about re-reading A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille and deciding that that was how I wanted to teach my kids. I've slowly been changing how I do things and feel that I'm getting the hang of it. I'll share more about what a Thomas Jefferson Education (TJEd) is and how I'm implementing it later. For now I want to share about my (our) experience at the convention. This convention was little like the homeschool convention that we attend every summer. It was much smaller and a little less organized, but it boosted my confidence and provided a lot of input/insight like the other. We were lucky to hear from some seasoned TJEd-ers and get some helpful tips on how to apply the philosophy in our own home. Here are some things that stood out to me:
--What is true, good and right? How do you know? How can you lead/teach unless you know?
--Would you be good if no one saw you? What about if God couldn't see you? Is justice it's own reward? (That's a story from Plato's Republic. I think I need to add that one to my list of books to read. Am I up for the challenge?)
--Guide the child to love good through stories, music, movies, plays, dance, etc.
--I need to make internal changes to create an external environment so students can make internal changes. I want to create an environment of greatness. I can do this by getting my own education, letting go, holding onto the 7 keys and focusing on people.
--Read, write, discuss, apply.
--I want to incorporated a song of the week and a story from our family history.
It was a good convention and I can't wait to see the end results.
I have been meaning to ask about this all week and I keep forgetting. Can't wait to here more:)
ReplyDeleteMe too!
ReplyDeleteOn a side note (but related), Katia and Zack are both interested in learning to play the piano.
Since reading TJE'd, I have been thinking about how this would apply to them learning music.
This morning, as I (once again) struggled to learn a new hymn, I realized that I, in a small way, am worrying about my own (musical) education. Which is the first baby step in implementing the TJE'd method.
My mom bought me some books for the children to learn from and I am actually excited on figuring out how to "inspire not require" the love of music and playing.
Also, I have always known it is good to immerse yourself in whatever you are learning, but the need for me to immerse myself in the hymns is tremendous. I am hopeful that will bring some inspiration as well. :)