7 Keys of Great Teaching

There are seven principles of successful education. When they are applied, learning occurs for any learning style or interests. When they are ignored or rejected, the quantity and quality of education decreases.

1. Classics, Not Textbooks
2. Mentors, Not Professors
3. Inspire, Not Require
4. Structure Time, Not Content
5. Simplicity, Not Complexity
6. Quality, Not Conformity
7. You, Not Them

The idea of these seven keys is taken from The Thomas Jefferson Education ideology. These seven keys of teaching are beautiful in there simplicity yet I have seen profound results from seasoned families who have chosen to break away from modern day compulsory schooling.

 

These children exhibit the opposite of what the author of Dumbing us Down, John Taylor Gatto has witnessed in compulsory schooling. Rather than indifference to the adult world that traditional students show, homeschooled children who are taught with these seven keys/principles show a respectful interest and regard to that world they soon will enter.

 

This touches on another symptom of compulsory schooling that John Taylor Gatto addresses in his book, and that is that such students “have a poor sense of the future, of how tomorrow is inextricable linked to today” (pg. 27, p. 4), where homeschooled children show signs of just the opposite.

One last symptom of compulsory schooling that John Gatto illustrates for the readers that I wish to speak to is his witness of how “children [he taught over the years were] cruel to each other; they lack compassion for misfortune; they laugh at weakness; they have contempt for people whose need for help shows too plainly.” (pg. 27, p. 6). On the contrary, children who are administered to in love, longsuffering, consistency and tenderness by an individual who has a significant place in regard to relationship, (rather than a stranger who holds not noteworthy relation) the effect on the child is notably different. The child/adolescent is genuinely kind to others, what an interesting concept for our adolescent social norms.           

Discussing the upcoming 2014 4th of July

As the boys made their American flags I read to them about Thomas Jefferson. The kids learned how Thomas Jefferson loved reading and that he was self motivated to learn. I pointed out how the Lord needed someone self disciplined who loved learning about truth. The Lord not only needed someone who diligently sought truth and light but one who  also prepared and qualified self to boldly successfully stand up for that truth in scary situations. Thomas Jefferson was this type of person. He did a great work to help form our free nation today. My precious Morgan who is 7, said to me during our discussion, “Mom, I am just like Thomas Jefferson!” Being filled with joy I smiled and said, “Morgan, yes you are! The Lord has a special purpose for you and you are studying and qualifying yourself to be ready when he needs you just like Thomas Jefferson did.”

A few minutes later I read them the most well known sentence of The Declaration of Independence, which says, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” I then followed it with the question, “What does this mean?” not really knowing what kind of response I would get from my young children. Tommy, who is 5, said, “Mom that means God made us all special!” Again, filled with joy, I smiled and said, “You are exactly right, God made us all special!”

At that moment I could not deny that my choice to teach my children under my tender care is the right choice for us. I do not know what the Lord has in store for my children or our family but I am determined to use my agency to act in every facet of my life rather than be acted upon.  

Case's flag art is at the top!  

A Good Read.

This author has some very thought provoking things to say about public schooling. I really enjoyed the entire book but will make a small note on chapter 2 titled The Psychopathic School. He states how "our nation ranks at the bottom of nineteen industrial nations of reading, writing, and arithmetic. At the very bottom!" (pg. 20, p. 2). John states how "two institutions control" modern day children's lives: television and schooling and how these two institutions diminish "real world wisdom, fortitude, temperance, and justice to a never-ending, nonstop abstraction" (pg. 25, p. 1). He then brakes down a typical public school students week into hours concluding that by the time all the demands of compulsory schooling are subtracted from the 168 hours they have also taking into consideration the time spent on those things to sustain life such as eating and sleep, the child is left with an whopping nine hours a week for private time. He states that we are creating a people dependent, "unable to fill their own hour, unable to initiate lines of meaning to give substance and pleasure to their existence. It's a national disease, this dependency and aimlessness (pg. 26, p.1). He then goes on to discuss the effect he has witnessed in his students over his 20 plus years of teaching that forcing the children to spend their time on the above such abstractions. Very enlightening.

The beginning of my paradigm shift.

This is so profound and exactly how I have felt for so long, I just did not have the linguistics and life experience to put my feelings into words. Thank you Sir Ken Robinson.