Talk to me about A Thomas Jefferson Education

[akichan]

Has anyone read this book or follow this school of thought? I don't understand - teaching the geniuses or something like that? I googled it but don't see too much about it. What do you like/dislike about it? It's a classical education, right? Teach me!

[PGTlatte]

I have read the book and adopted some ideas from it, but I don't follow TJEd in a formal way. If you have not read the book, this might help:

http://www.tjedonline.com/free-artic...d=161/#What-Is

I came back to add:

do a text search down to the "seven keys" section. That is the part of the TJEd approach that has been the easiest for me to understand what makes it different.

[dannic]

I follow the principles of TJED in our HS. It's a classical approach to leadership education.

Another site that has forums is www.offtheconveyorbelt.com

[Jennifer3141]

I read it. I agree with quite a bit of it and tossed some other stuff. But Iove the classical approach!!

[mountainmama2]

A Well Trained Mind

I read TJEd early on and parts of it really resonated with me. A friend turned me on to "A Well Trained Mind" by Susan Wise Baur. It gives a more practical approach to how to implement a Classical approach and even gives curriclum suggestions. She has written a couple of curricula for various subjects. "Story of the World" and "First Language Lessons" and we love them both. It is written with a classical (trivium) viewpoint in mind.
Good Luck!!
Peace, Kelly Jo

[akichan]

So it's just your typical classical education?

Ummm, I feel ashamed and guilty to admit that a classical education doesn't really appeal to me, because people are so convinced that it's the BEST way to educate your child.

[RiverSky]

No, I don't think it's a typical classical education. It's more like unschooling in elementary, then it takes a more classical approach, focused around mentors. TJED is definitely very religious as well, which no one here has pointed out yet. I do not do TJED but know a bunch of people who do, and the way it is implemented in our town is very hmmm, politically minded. It may not be that way everywhere, but certainly the TJED forums are very Glenn Beck-ish.

[PGTlatte]

There is a secular TJEd Yahoo group. Not everyone who chooses TJEd is of a particular religious or political flavor. The approach can work no matter where someone is coming from in these areas.

I've studied WTM, Charlotte Mason, and TJEd. To me TJEd is different than other classical approaches. In some ways it's more complex/thought out. (and this is why I'm not going to follow it exactly - I don't do well with anything complicated.) There are more phases than just the 3 trivium phases, and they are different, and to me, they make more sense. And as I said before, to me what really makes it stand out are the "keys" listed on the website. I won't list them here because I'm not sure it's okay to reproduce what's on their website. But they are worth taking a look at.

Also, when I read the TJEd book, it was the first time I found reasons that motivated me to become interested in reading classics. I was really not interested in them at all, and WTM and Charlotte Mason did not help me with that. I was wondering if it was possible to "do classical without the boring classics"...LOL ! The explanations given in the TJEd book about why we should read classics pushed me over the edge and I started reading some...myself, not to the kids...because my favorite TJEd "key" is "You, Not Them".

[dannic]

Just coming back to this thread, lol...pregnancy brain is running amuck!

I may have thrown you off in my last post. TJED is a leadership approach to education that involves using the classics heavily. It also follows the phases of childhood very closely.

It is very different than the Bauer approach.

I think your best bet to really get an idea of whether it fits your desires for educating your children is to read the books.

A Thomas Jefferson Education
A Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion
and (my favorite) The Four Phases of Leadership Education

As far as religion goes, I know Mormons, Christians, Agnostics, and a couple of Athiests and one family of Buddhists who follow TJED. Some communities may be predominately more one than the other, but it's not across the board one religion, IYKWIM.