All I Want For Christmas...

Mom and Me

All I want for Christmas is my "fire" back...I need to light the fire in me again for learning. I assume my lack of enthusiasm for studying is related to grieving for my mother who passed away in September of this year. I've been unable to get back into my regular rhythm since she began to take a steep decline in August and passed away in September. I can see it beginning to affect my children as well. My lack of fire is bringing them down too.

What to do?
In order to tackle this new challenge, for challenge is what it is, I need to analyze it. We all run into challenges and obstacles that get in the way of our education. So, I realized I need to take a step back and take a more objective view. I decided to treat myself like one of my Mentees and ask myself the deep questions.

What would I tell my students in the same situation?
One of the first things I would tell my students is to take time to grieve and to back off of strenuous study. Then, I would tell them to study the grieving process and learn about what they can do to help themselves. There is a process to grieving and it is important to "feel" all of the steps of grieving in order to uncover all the feelings and hurt.

"You can't heal what you don't feel."

Wow...I think I just told myself to grieve. Really grieve. I think I've been trying only partially to do that. I've been keeping myself so busy with serving others that I have no time to really contemplate what I need to do. I buried myself into others. But, then I wonder isn't that part of what people tell us to do? We are always told to "lose ourselves in service" and "forget yourself and serve others".

Losing Myself...Maybe Too Much
Can we actually lose ourselves too much in the guise of service? I think we can because that is what I've been doing. Taking on so much to keep busy and productive that I have not given myself enough time to take care of....myself.

I once had a woman that I was assigned to visit through church. In the LDS church we call it Visiting Teaching. She was a retired woman who I greatly admired. Her son was my obstetrician and had delivered two of my children. I admired him and knew that a wonderful man like him could only have been raised by an equally wonderful mother.

As I visited this woman each month, I felt inadequate to "teach" her anything. Rather, I went each month eagerly awaiting the nuggets of advice she could give me each time. One month I remember complaining about my overworked, full-time student husband who was never home to help me with our 3 young children. She listened attentively and then said, "You need to take time for yourself."

Stunned, I sat back and started a whole new list of reasons why I couldn't do so. My husband was gone 14-16 hours a day. We couldn't afford babysitters, etc. etc. She smiled and simply stated, "If you don't take care of yourself, you won't be worth anything to your little young family."

I find myself thinking about her advice and how it applies to me today. My family is not so young anymore, but my lack of self-renewal is the same.

So...what will be my next phase of renewal?

Renegotiating in Love of Learning, Scholar, and Depth Phases

Can we renegotiate Core Phase lessons and still be a Love of Learner or a Scholar?

Yes, in fact we should still consider ourselves in whatever phase we feel we are in. It is true that someone with a lot of Core Phase lessons to learn may need to consider themselves in Core Phase for a time while they learn the lessons needed to have a well-rounded Core. This is only true if the person absolutely hates learning. The "aha" moment comes when one can see the big picture of how all the phases 1) build upon each other and 2) are always present to be used over and over.

However, for some, that seems to give them a license to "stay" in Core Phase until they achieve perfection. Frankly, that is not possible. We do not achieve perfection in this life. The important thing to focus on is progress. This means progress through the phases and into the next phase as quickly as we can. As adults starting our TJED journey, we need to make sure we are grounded with intact Core and Love of Learning Phases before moving on to a Scholar Phase without staying too long in a Phase. Once we get the lessons learned, move on to the next phase.

Determining Phase Level

The first job of a mentor is to determine our own phase. How do we do this? Study the Phases! Read the following books to understand the Phases of Learning (the order is important as well):

1. A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-First Century
2. Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning
3. Thomas Jefferson Education for Teens (do all of the exercises yourself!)
4. A Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion
5. The Student Whisperer

It is very tempting to just read one book and get started. That's OK! Start where you are, just don't let yourself get frustrated until you have read and studied more. Most parents do not want to read Thomas Jefferson Education for Teens, but I promise you that if you are ready for Scholar Phase, you will be able and willing to do all of the exercises in the book. If you are not able and willing and just can't bring yourself to do it, then maybe you are in Love of Learning. That's OK! Now at least you have an idea where you might be.

I'm in ____________ Phase but have Core Lessons to Learn

This is the most common statement I hear when someone has learned all of the phases. They recognize that they are in Love of Learning or Scholar Phase, but have an unfinished Core. This is the case for most adults. It was the case for myself and most of my children as well. 

Most adults and older children find they do love to learn about specific subjects. This tells us that they are most likely in some form of Love of Learning. They have a zest for learning about their favorite subjects. Yet, the same person may find they have behavior problems or an inability to say...tell the truth....or maybe they struggle with staying motivated even when it is a subject they usually love. We know they have some Core Phase lessons to learn, but they are IN Love of Learning Phase.

Another example, an adult finds that they love to learn about several topics. In fact, they love these topics so much they get a headache trying to decide what they should focus on first. This tells us that they are most likely in some form of Scholar Phase. What they are looking for now is direction (see The Compass). Yet, the same person may find that when they study subjects they don't like they tend to ignore them or even say they studied them when they didn't...or maybe they have behavior problems in how they talk to their parents...or maybe they are very angry all the time. We know they have some Core Phases lessons to learn, but they are IN Scholar Phase.

Summary

We can see that moving through the phases is a continual process, not a checklist, where Core Phase is done...in fact it is never done. Neither is Love of Learning! If we lose our Love of Learning we need to go and find it. We are always working on Core and Love of Learning, and even Scholar phase, while we are in Mission. We can't lose those Phase lessons or we fall out of Mission Phase. They are always a part of us.

Reading Leads to Less Depression?

The Nov. 22, 2011 issue of the Daily Inspire had an article on reading for happiness. This intrigued me quite a bit and so I looked up the article it quotes and found the abstract of the study mentioned. I guess you can tell that I like to look at the source.

I am very interested in this study for several reasons. There are people in my family who suffer from depression, including myself. I remember as a youth turning first to reading and later to music as a source of comfort. When I was younger, I turned towards reading. I found solace in the character's challenges and felt the time away from reality was a blessing. My father did not like all my reading. He felt I was trying to escape from my responsibilities (he was probably right) and when he found me reading would instantly give me more chores or household assignments to watch younger siblings. So, my voracious reading began to incur penalties.

Maybe that is why I was so drawn to "A Thomas Jefferson Education" and "Leadership Education" because I could see within it's pages the education I wanted as a youth. I could see the disparity between how teens are viewed in today's society vs. how they could be viewed. In turn, I've tried to give my children the freedom to learn, study, and read as much as possible. That is not to say I never interrupt, but I do try to make sure that they are given plenty of warning beforehand and a scheduled outline of what they need to accomplish each day for household responsibilities.

My turn towards music in my later teen years was encouraged by my parents. They bought me records (gasp!) and cassette tapes of various music. They never purchased books for me, in fact, I begged to go to the library and they rarely allowed it. The school library only allowed 2 books at a time and I could only go once a week. In jr. high, I discovered a librarian that would allow me to come into the library during lunch and read as well as check out more books. That year was one of the best for me!

I wonder if I had been allowed to read as I wished if my depression as a youth would have been less. There is no way to know, but it is an interesting thought.

My only question then becomes...what to do about the teen who doesn't want to read? How can we help them choose reading over music, video games and television? We can structure time, but sometimes that too is not enough.

TJED Conveyor-belt

Death of Socrates

I was going to post another Classics List for transcript purposes, but decided this needed to be posted instead.

On a Yahoo Group, of which I am a member, a discussion topic came up that has really got me thinking about TJED Conveyor-belt and the vast number of TJED based classes. I felt it need to be answered a bit more. So many people are looking for classroom environments for their Love of Learners and Scholars and I wonder if the choices out there meet the mustard.

Quote from a "TJED Muse" post: "When I asked the kids what they thought they'd REALLY like this class to look like, almost all of them agreed that they wanted to have a "sit down and take notes and lecture" part to the class each week, and they wanted it to last for 15 minutes. They also wanted a test. That was their request. Now, I wouldn't have designed a TJ Ed class that way, but it is what they wanted. So after four weeks, I talked to them again, and asked them what they had noticed. They noticed that they LIKED the lecture/notes, because they wanted to make sure that they were able to do that like the kids who attend public school."

My Answer: Have you ever considered that the reason these students asked for that type of learning environment is because that is the only picture of education that they have in the world today? Let's consider some other learning environments that brought people from thousands of miles away in a time when travel was difficult and time consuming, for example; Socrates, Aristotle, and Euclid.

How did they teach their students? Did they have tests, pre-essay and post-essay samples, or a syllabus? Or, did they inspire through asking and answering the tough questions, challenging the status quo, and showing by example what it takes to think for oneself? They taught their students in a Socratic discussion style in which they asked questions, deep thinking questions, and tried to answer them. These thinkers did not send out the questions before hand, rather they came up within the discussion.

As I read and study the great thinkers through the classics, I see very little classrooms that look like what we know today. For myself, I don't want my kids to get more of the world, I want them to get more of what is lost...a true educational experience that steps outside the box and asks the hard questions. In order to do that, it might mean taking the road less traveled and searching for those educational experiences that will impact them the most rather than a plethora of mediocre, which there is plenty of out there.

Does this mean we never experience the conveyor-belt? Of course not! There is too much around to avoid. But what it does mean is that we are careful and purposeful in what we choose to spend our time doing. There are many good things out there, but are they the best things? Only each family can answer that question for their family. I do hope, however, that we each keep the goal in sight as we make those decisions. Will this class, teacher, mentor, school, book club, group, friend, etc. lead my child closer to their end goals? Is this the best choice, or just a good choice?

For more on Socratic discussion, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socratic_method and
http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/the-role-of-socratic-questioning-in-thinki\ng-teaching-learning/522

Scholar Phase Book Clubs for Teens?

We did a Love of Learner and Transition to Scholar book club a couple years ago and it was slightly successful. In the beginning, everyone is very enthusiastic. Everyone has the perfect plan to read the books, attend the book club, and share their incredibly thought provoking opinions.

Then life sets in...

...and the book club starts to become less of a priority.

This is actually normal for the Love of Learner and Transitioning Scholar (who is still in Love of Learning by the way). The sad thing is that so many parents desperately want their children to be Scholars long before they are ready to be one. It is normal, on the conveyor-belt education plan that is, to push that child to be in the club. Those on a Leadership Education plan know that when a child, typically an older teen, is ready to be a Scholar they want to read the books, they want to attend the meeting, and they want to share their incredibly thought provoking opinions.

And they want to do it every month. 

Last Fall we started a combined teen and adult book club. What we found was that very few people read the books! What does that mean? It means that not too many people attending the book club are actually Scholars. They are Love of Learners who pick up books they want to read and put aside the ones they don't want to read. Should they stop going to book club? No! A Love of Learning book club is a very good thing, but it should not be confused with a more thorough, deep, and serious colloquium for Scholars.

In this incidence of a Love of Learning book club, it fits in with the weekly or monthly club mentioned in Leadership Education on pages 100-101 Ingredient #15- The Weekly Club.

Making Weaponry?

I have had mothers question my choices in allowing my son to make "weapons". Our society has been leaning for some time towards "weapon free" play for boys. I personally think this is an agenda to keep us from defending ourselves, a way to "dumb down" the masses, creating a passive citizenry. I do not think ownership of weapons leads to war, quite the opposite, I believe it leads to self-defense and thus deters war.

Our son has made nunchucks, wooden and PVC swords, shields, slingshots, and now a PVC bow and arrows. Maturity level has been a major consideration in allowing him to make weaponry. He has also been taught the proper use and storage of his items. I believe that the teaching of Self Government is the key to a home with boys and their weaponry. Abuse of the rules leads to loss of precious items, items that were personally created by the individual and thus are far more precious than store bought toys. The teaching of Self Government with its accompanying consistency in loss of privileges has worked extensively well in all areas of home management, including all areas of parenting boys and girls.

Plus, the making of these items has taught him many math and engineering skills as well as provided hours of physical, non-electronic entertainment.


Some food for thought:

Risk, there is no real living without it. Die we all must, but try to knock all risk out of our lives and we lock ourselves tighter and tighter into a safe, comfortable, deadly box, and we die too, without ever having lived. - Alex Noble

Must we always teach our children with books? Let them look at the mountains and the stars up above. Let them look at the beauty of the waters and the trees and flowers on earth. They will then begin to think, and to think is the beginning of a real education. - David Polis

Now I see the secret of making the best persons, it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth. - Walt Whitman

The most important education is that which leads to personal survival. - W. I. Thomas

"It Is Not Meet That I Should Command In All Things"

I am working through my Personal Progress along with my Beehives. That is one thing I should have been doing with my daughters all along, but being called to Young Women's has sparked my drive to do so again. I was looking through my Personal Progress book and found a value experience to work on which required I read the following scripture:

Doctrine and Covenants 58: 26-28

26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

I had always associated this scripture with service, but this time I saw the correlation to many other things...education...work ethic...etc. The footnotes mention; dedication, diligence, good works, industry, and zeal. I think we are missing the mark if we associate this scripture strictly to service. Industry relates to all that we do; to be industrious with our time in family work, making a living, our duty to God, etc.

Applying the Scriptures to Ourselves
We are admonished to apply the scriptures to ourselves. That is the best way to learn from the scriptures. So, here are my thoughts on applying these scriptures in my home.

I am often asked how I get my kids to study at home. I used to wonder how homeschool moms could possibly do that as well, my kids barely listened to me about anything, much less school work. Over time, I've come to realize that I needed to teach my kids to be industrious in all things...chores, church callings, and their education. Once they understand the principle, it is easier to apply in all areas of their lives. Now they fully understand that getting an education is their job, not mine. I lead them and guide them, but the work is theirs to do.

The second big question I get is how can I homeschool without requiring a set curriculum for them to study. The answer to that is to provide an outline for what constitutes a great education and then provide them the means to obtain it. I model getting an education myself and show them my enthusiasm and zeal for being an educated person.

"Slothful and not a wise Servant"
The biggest difference is that public schools "command" and "compel" in all things. We learn from the scriptures above that this leads to a "slothful and not a wise servant". So, why then are we surprised that so many leave public schools without a good education (not wise) and cannot find sufficient drive (slothful) to be successful in life? The answer is in the type of education, force rather than inspired self-education.

The "reward" for being a self-learner through inspired mentoring is that they will retain much more of their education (be wise) and have learned the power of self-motivation (industry) from the beginning of their education, or at the very least, have changed over to being a self-learner once they left public school.

I, for one, have learned more in the past 5 years since I read "A Thomas Jefferson Education" than I ever did in my public schooling education, including college level classes at a university. My eyes are now opened to the possibilities and excitement of shedding my slothfulness and learning to be industrious in all aspects of my life. I am so thankful to have this knowledge now!

The Beauty of Core Phase

I did not learn about Leadership Education (TJED) until my children were 13, 10, and 8 respectively. It took me another 2 years to fully get "off the conveyor belt" and begin getting myself in the right mindset to make sure we all had a solid Core Phase. I knew my youngest needed Core Phase for sure, and my other children had things to improve as well. The most difficult realization I came to was that I needed Core Phase work as well, yet I wanted a Scholar Phase. Now!

The Phases are Like A Planet
We often think of the phases of learning in a linear fashion. Our linear thinking would place the phases like this:

Core Phase ---> Love of Learning--> Scholar Phase-->Depth Phase--->Mission Phase--->Impact Phase

Phases of Learning like Earth

It looks as though you complete one phase and then move on to another. This model, however, is not correct. A more correct model is to think in a more "whole picture" fashion. I like to think of the phases as the planet Earth. In the center is the Core, then we add a layer of Love of Learning, then Scholar Phase, then Depth Phase, etc. The Core is still there. The Love of Learning is still there. We are just building upon prior knowledge and skills, adding each new layer to fulfill our creation as an educated person.

Without a strong Core, our planet-self would be hollow, or maybe only have half a core. If we continue our planet model, we know that Earth needs a strong core in order to have gravity work. It also needs the core in order to cycle around the Sun. With an out-of-balance or partially formed core, our Earth would wobble and make a very unstable effort to cycle around the Sun.

My Adult Core Phase (Work and Play)
I needed to correct some "damage" from my past, you know, the things we often call "baggage". Yes, I had some, most of us do. I heard a fantastic speaker, Julie Early, who talked about Adults in Core. I found that her talk was very correct in that I handled my Core Phase in much the same way as she describes it. I focused on figuring out what I needed to repair from the lessons of Core Phase in "Right and Wrong", "Good and Bad", "True and False". I read a few self-help books and applied them in my life (this was work). I put my focus more towards my family in organizing our home life (this was work). I tried to create wholesome family time to nurture relationships (this was play). I studied my central canon and applied the principles of my faith in my life (this was work and play).

The result: a happier life! 

Core Phase - Going Back or Moving Forward?

As my children were already "past" Core Phase ages, I would often refer to "going back to Core Phase" for them, when really we were working on both Core Phase and Love of Learning at the same time. You see, our linear model would make it seem as though only one phase can take place at any given time. This is a fallacy in our conveyor belt thinking. If we embrace the "whole picture" model, we realize that we are always working on the various phases, only adding new layers as we become more mature and ready for the next one. As infants we start out as small planets with only the need to build a strong core, then we add the following layers as our planet grows and matures.

If we are adults and just now learning about the four phases of learning, we have some of those layers already, but we can go inside and fill those layers with the right knowledge and skills while still building our Scholar and Depth phases. At some time we may have lost our Love of Learning, yet we can regain it! We gained some knowledge from our conveyor belt education, but we can round out our Scholar Phase and build upon what we retained by adding more of the classics.

The Beauty Revealed
Being an Adult working on Core Phase is nothing to feel ashamed about. Having youth in Core Phase is nothing to hide or worry about. It is part of the normal progression of life. Leadership Education is not about making sure you are in the "right phase" at the "right age". That is conveyor belt thinking! Rather, we only need to look at the "whole picture", making our main priority to fulfill the measure of our creation.

Cross-posted from In the TJED Trenches.

What Makes a Scholar, Academic Ability or Maturity Level?

Reference: Leadership Education by Oliver and Rachel DeMille pages 153-189

I've noticed in several Yahoo Groups that are geared towards TJED, that there are still a lot of misconceptions about what makes a Scholar student. I know it was a confusing topic for me when I first read A Thomas Jefferson Education. Then I went on to study everything I could about the subject; CD's, MP3 downloads, Forums, and books (See Leadership Education). I think I'm finally beginning to understand what Rachel and Oliver mean when they said children need to BEG to be in Scholar Phase.

Academic Ability
It is my observation that the conveyor belt focuses on academic ability as the sign that a student has completed the necessary tasks to be a completed project and receive a diploma. They answered enough questions correctly to get a 60% or higher in every class and they can now move on to adulthood. Even high achieving students are marked by their above 90% average with "honorable mention" graduation status and scholarships to college.

This focus on academic ability ingrained in our first 18 years of life is a hard thing to unlearn! It was planted and cemented into our psyche in the formative years of our life. It is almost as hard to break away from as re-learning how to walk. It is that much a part of our being that we have to literally stop and re-learn how to think about education.

What I see happening is that parents read the TJED books and they become awakened with a deep desire to learn. They always wanted to know how to think. They know that the education they received in nothing like what they want. Then they go about applying the principles of Leadership Education, but the expectations are still a conveyor belt set of expectations. When we see a child excel and read "Hamlet" we think, "AH! They are ready for Scholar Phase!"

Why does that happen? Well, most of us never read much Shakespeare and if we did it was probably a dumbed-down version which we hated being forced to read. So, in our minds this is a phenomenal feat! Our child reads Shakespeare and loves it! They must be a Scholar. (not!)

Maturity Level
Another facet of a person's full well-rounded education that the conveyor belt system completely ignores is becoming a mature young adult. I believe this is an under-valued part of determining if our child is ready for Scholar Phase. Just because my child reads for 6 hours a day does not make them ready for Scholar Phase. My daughter at age 10 was very ill and she stayed home and read all day long! Yet, she was not a Scholar, but a Love of Learner. As she grew and became more mature, she eventually and gradually became a Scholar student.

When a young adult reaches the point of wanting a Scholar Phase, they need to BEG for it! They have to really want it or they will loose their momentum and fall back into a Hate of Learning. I say this, because we lived it here in our home.

"So much of conveyor belt education is fear-based - worrying that the child will not measure up. In contrast, Leadership Education assumes that the child will not only meet but exceed basic levels of learning, and more importantly, totally exceed in certain chosen areas." ~ Leadership Education, page 161

Maturity Level Brings a Higher Academic Ability
What I learned to focus on was maturity level first, which naturally brings a higher academic ability along with it. It is nearly impossible to have a mature 15 year old who does not want to learn, grow, and be successful at life. I mean it, nearly impossible! So, if you have a youth who is struggling in their education, focus on how to help them mature first, the academics will come.

One area I also see is young adults with behavior problems, yet the parent insists they are a Scholar, probably because of their age or reading level or some other academic ability. Mature young adults do not have problems with obedience to basic household rules, they do not torture a younger sibling, they do not lie, steal and sneak things. I'm sorry, but that is not what a Scholar Phase young adult looks like. When a young person acts in ways that are contrary to the lessons of Core Phase, they need more core work! If a young person cannot choose right from wrong, good from bad, and truth from falsehood....guess what?...they need to go back and work on some Core Phase values before they will ever be a successful Scholar.

This is not to say that any one is perfect, I'm not by any means. What I am saying is that major behavior problems need to be corrected before Scholar Phase can be successful.

Conclusion
When we unlearn the conveyor belt expectations and let go of our fears, turning our focus to fully "Trust the Process", our families succeed in Leadership Education. Suddenly, teenagers mature into young adults and mentoring parents get more questions about what they should study (the begging starts!). I've seen my youth turn more to my mentoring suggestions as they mature. Our family has seen a burst of energy and learning that seriously brings tears to my eyes...it is so wonderful and beautiful to see them studying so much and learning so fast.

Mistake #2 - Start Them Too Early

Oliver DeMille in Leadership Education stated that starting kids too early in any phase of learning "is committed the most frequently of all the mistakes." I have found this to be one of the mistakes I have made the most often as well. Why? I think it is because we are so used to Conveyor-belt testing, grade levels, and "norms" that we find ourselves easily thinking, "my child should be doing ___________ by now". Mentoring parents can easily make this mistake at ALL of the transitions between phases, especially between Core and Love of Learning, and Love of Learning and Scholar. It's kind of like putting the cart before the horse.

Even the prodigy who reads and plays piano at age three needs a full and wonderful Core Phase. Part of Core is discovery and play, so your brilliant son can discover and play at caluculus or physics or literary analysis at age five if he wants, but do not put him in Scholar until the Core Lessons are fully and clearly learned. Right and wrong, good and bad, true and false are lessons that exceptionally intelligent and gifted people often struggle with, so if your child is a prodigy he likely needs a longer, fuller Core Phase than anyone else. In play time he can study whatever he wants. - Leadership Education, pages 213-214

I am not sure any of my children are prodigies per se, they are all very talented human beings with abilities that stretch far beyond anything I have ever taught them. I have found that once a child has shown a certain level of genius about a topic I seem to want to expect that same level of genius every time they engage in that topic. I believe that is the folly here, expecting brilliance every time a child shows interest or genius in a subject, talent, or project. Much of the Core and Love of Learning phase is spent exploring...trying things out...and yes, occasionally knocking our socks off with what they can do.

The concern is expectation. It seems to me that our expectations are what push us to want to start children too early in a phase rather than allowing them to want to be in that phase all the time. It is easy to tell when we are pushing...a time of "Hate of Learning" seems to come creeping in. I heard things like, "you take all the fun out of everything" or "I don't want to read __________" or "I hate math". It was time to back off and evaluate what I was doing and why. Sometimes swallowing my pride and expectations is what I needed to do. Sometimes I just needed to switch things up with more hands-on activities or fieldtrips.

Has this ever happened to you?

The Binder and The Compass

I wrote previously about My Brain (what I call my binder). I've come to realize that I am not utilizing this Recipe Ingredient for Success (see Leadership Education by Oliver and Rachel DeMille) properly for my kids. Yes, I need my own binder to organize our homeschool and to complete my Scholar Phase, but my children also need their own Binder. I had binders for them, but they were not truly learning to record their own learning and organize their own education.

Today we each organized our own binders, cleaning and archiving the previous year's work. Each person completed a Compass (see Leadership Education by Oliver and Rachel DeMille, Ingredient #16 - The Binder) in the following key areas:

1. My Strengths
2. Top 5 Personal Classics (including their Central Classic)
3. Areas I Need to Strengthen
4. Skills I Want to Learn
5. Books I Want to Read
6. What is my "Mission"?

Formerly I called this list "What I Want to Learn or Do", but I realized this was falling very short of what each person needs. It did not list strengths, it did not include the classics, and most of all - it did not lead them to their mission. I was not inspiring them to keep records since I was doing so much of that work for them. Now they will be bringing this Binder with them to FEC (Family Executive Council) meetings each week to "Return and Report" on what they are doing.

We will revisit and rewrite our Compass every 6 months. I previously used the Educational Self-Assessment and MAP, but I feel for my kids we'll start out with the Compass as organized above. This was a lot for them to think about and took about an hour. For now, it is enough. Later maybe they will be ready for the more detailed items I am using.

Lumberjacks

With my recent accident in log splitting, I was very skeptical about Christian chopping wood. He convinced me that he had sufficient knowledge of safety precautions and that he would be careful. He also pointed out that Almonso in "Farmer Boy" was allowed to do a lot of things that are considered dangerous as part of his regular chores. (So much for using classic books as examples...he had me there!)


Of course, I was being careful too when I fell onto the log splitter and injured my hand! But, a mother has to put some trust in her children and allow them to learn and grow at some point. He is a careful boy and so I felt the need to cut him some slack and not smother him in his desire to WORK for the family.

He did a great job getting the wood started on Friday! Over the weekend Mike and Christian chopped a lot of wood. Our garage is extended by 6 feet and has an area for storing wood. They filled that area and we still have more to split. Too bad the rest of us are too sick to help right now. We could at least stack for them. Maybe next weekend.

Slime Monsters!

My post today on "In the TJED Trenches":

I forgot I was supposed to post today...hee hee!

One of our favorite science experiments turned into a slime contest to see who could formulate the best slime.

The contest was for each child to research different recipes they could find for polymer solutions to make Gak, Slime, Flubber, or Silly Putty. They could then experiment with the different recipes in order to determine which recipe was the best. I encouraged them to come up with variations of their own based upon the recipes they tried. Chris really got into the slime making, as you can see here, and decided that combining Silly Putty and Slime recipes turned out the best. I was going to post the recipe and then realized it might be better to let you find out through your own slime contest....learning through experimentation really does work!

P.S. As I'm typing this my daughter, Marly, walked up to read what I was typing and said, "That was really good slime, too."