Learning from the past

"The philosophy of the schoolroom in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next." ~Abraham Lincoln

I have been reading a book called "The Thomas Jefferson Education" and there are so many points that I've read, and loved, and went back to re-read them again. If you asked me when I was a little girl what I wanted to be, I never would have thought that I'd say a teacher. Some days I still don't think I want to be one! But regardless of what I want, I feel I'm being molded, as long as I am seeking out the best tools to use for this craftsman responsibility that I have to 3 human beings, I feel inspired to be one.

There are a lot of days that I feel like it's impossible to be all of it- mother, cook, housekeeper, wife, CFO of our household, personal assistant managing everyone's appointments and diets and sleep schedules, and teacher? Seriously? A lot of days honestly, I feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water. Then I read something that hits my core.

"A good mentor is someone of high moral character who is more advanced than the student and can guide his or her learning. Parents are the natural mentors of children.They can be very effective in getting the student started on a lifetime plan for success, especially if they use some of the key techniques perfected by the great mentors of history."

Now, that being said, parents everywhere can strive for this quality, and it doesn't even require homeschooling. But the key part that struck me was "someone of high moral character." I don't know about you, but I feel our world is lacking very much people of that substance. And the thought of sending my young little ones away from me to someone who might not meet that criteria? Time to bring them home. So we did. But now what?

I'm trying to figure out, and reconstruct my expectations, to better meet the last part of that quote "use some of the key techniques perfected by great mentors of history."

When you look at the mentor of Thomas Jefferson, or Plato, Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Joan of Arc- "Whatever the culture, look at its greatest leaders and you will almost always find that they were guided by at least one outstanding mentor and made a lifetime study of classic works." -Thomas Jefferson Education

So we're encorporating a code of ethics in our home. A standard of moral character. Expectations, and life lessons to learn them. When you consider how education used to be, little ones learned responsibilities and values, familial contributions, reading, writing, some arithmetic- while in the setting of their home with their mother. They learned their culture, and they observed adults to learn social skills. Then when mature enough to try being independent and responsible to persue becoming educated further, the wealthy class had private tutors, middle class may have had a mentor and the education was given by the parents or an educated family member. Schoolhouses were created to bring education to the poor class who did not have anyone to pass down or afford them an education. And now, that standard of bringing education to the poor, has been the standard given to every child in our nation. It inspired me that I can be what my children need, even on the tough days of regular family life of behaviors and rivalry, and crabby moods, and overall patience testers. Remembering that is the struggle!

So we're working on our reading, writing, some arithmetic. We've explored a LOT of our world around us because our schedule isn't keeping young kids bound down to a desk, being driven to memorize just because they can even if they don't understand, for the sake of regurgitating an answer to accomplish a test. We've read a lot of books, and stopped to associate it to the globe, or the constellations, whatever is being mentioned in that book at the time. And it's sparked SO many more questions from the kids about the world around them. They are being inspired, which is the pivitol ingredient to a person being truly educated- the desire to learn as much as they can because they have a spark within them to seek it. Education isn't given. It's wanted and sought after.

Here's a great book we just finished up about geography- also about forgiveness, selflessness, and hope.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Another great book we're diving into about mathematics, geography, and imagination.

Gulliver's Travels -classic starters

Have you heard about The Thomas Jefferson Education? You might really enjoy it, regardless of what setting your child is being instructed. It might inspire you, as it is for me, to in turn inspire my young ones. I'm so glad for the (several) friends who recommended it to me!