I was introduced to the (already mentioned) Thomas Jefferson Education model about 5 years ago. It changed my life in a way I never imagined and it contains the root of what everyone seems to be getting at. Especially the stat that it is only about 1/2 of 1% of all parents who could supposedly do a good job at home-educating their children. Why is that?

The root of this is that education isn’t a 12-year or 16-year measured entity. It is a lifelong process and too many parents “graduate,” forget everything they know, and push their own offspring into this downward spiraling cycle. Nothing will change until the parents of the young children now start reading and studying and writing in journals and developing their talents and setting goals and using their knowledge to bless others, bringing their kids along with them. This is the upward spiraling cycle that will lead to the changes of which we are all dreaming. And this is the essence of “inspire not require.”

The last 5 years have been an amazing journey. I read and study and write daily. And not on a blog, in a notebook or journal, handwriting. My kids see me. They are learning above all else that learning doesn’t ever stop, that when they are moms and dads they will read and study and write. It’s not just something they do for school.

About this “inspire not require”; there has been much discussion about this just in the TJEd community. For myself, I looked to God to see how He handles it. Seems to me he does a bit of both. He inspires yes. But He also requires once we have been inspired. He seems to indroduce assignments and expectations right about the time we feel motivated to move on something. But as a parent, will I see the same cues God can see in my own children? Maybe not perfectly, but better than a teacher who doesn’t know him or her like I do.

I think many brilliant models have already been presented. The case that in Utah there is nothing stopping us is also food for thought. I believe something is stopping us, it is that my generation is already the 4th generation of completely dumbed-down individuals who has no idea where to begin. On top of that, this lack of true understanding and education has led to a general disposition of entitlement and sedation.

May we with young children, and those with grandchildren begin to make education a way of life, a way of home life, a way of living. Read, study, write, apply and keep going. Everything changes, and I believe that when my children have grown up and their children have grown up this way that then truly nothing will lie in the way of them bringing to fruition the ideals we now seek.

We home school parents must go beyond saving our own. Our actions and words must inspire others to stand up and say “you shall not have our minds. They are not yours to take. Like our lives, liberty and property, this right is inalienable.

A couple of things: According to The Moral Dimensions of Teaching, ed. Goodlad et. al. “[I]t is precisely because [emphasis in the original] children are compelled and children are defenseless and have low status that teaching has moral obligations and thus moral praiseworthiness.” –Roger Soder

The main basis of this book’s morality in teaching comes from the idea of compulsion. Part of the reason that parents have no right to educate their children is because we compel them to have their children educated. If there were no compulsion, the assumption would be that parents were capable of educating children. Jefferson says, “It is better to tolerate the rare instance of a parent refusing to let his child be educated, than to shock the common feelings and ideas by the forcible asportation and education of the infant against the will of the father.”

Very specifilly defined standards, reading lists, projects, performance events

Flexible schedules to meet the needs of the child and family.

Outside of school learning such as travel, internships, and work experience or service experience counts as learning

Liberal arts curriculum–real liberal arts similar to the Thomas Jefferson education

Self-selected mentors

Physical fitness development extremely key–I believe physical capacity is a cornerstone to intellectual capacity and ultimately to the development of self esteem

God-centered. Daily prayer and reflection, discernment time built in to the schedule

Foreign language, music, philosophy, debate, oration,

NO ATHLETIC teams. Leave that to the community recreational facilities similar to Europe.

Required involvement of the parent would be a partnered learning experience where the child and the parent choose a project to accomplish together, or a subject to learn together. The child must actually see and experience the parent as LEARNER.

Abundance of technology

Hands on learning labs conducted by community partners who come in to share and teach about what they do to make a difference in the community, whorl, neighborhood.

Non compulsory however, very high standards and consistent boundaries established. For example, as a history teacher years ago, the stoners RAN from the parking lot to my classroom to get there before I locked the door and would not admit them to the learning OPPORTUNITIES we were experiencing without them if they didn’t show up. Interestingly, I had fellow colleagues how I got those kids to attend as they NEVER showed up to any class but mine. Hmmm I hadn’t been aware of that until they told me.

Writing, writing, writing, writing,……..WRITING…..mostly nonfiction.

Did I say cutting edge technology?

Is that a good start? Shall we go build that school?
Children and parents responsible for the physical upkeep, maintenance,
Cross graded in core subjects like math, literacy, science, oration, fitness

Well-defined and well publicized honor code with a focus on the development of a character. deserving of the
Right to freedom