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Description
Is American education preparing the future leaders our nation needs or merely struggling to teach basic literacy and job skills? Without leadership education, are we settling for an inadequate system that delivers educational, industrial, governmental, and societal mediocrity?
In A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-first Century, Oliver DeMille presents a new educational vision based on proven methods that really work! Teachers, students, parents, educators, legislators, leaders, and everyone who cares about America’s future must read this compelling book.
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Chapter Outline
Chapter One: Two Towers
Preparing for Leadership * Is Mediocre Education Enough? * We Must Do Better * Genius in our Homes
In the wake of a poignant session of simulations with his George Wythe College students on the morning of the 9/11 attacks, Oliver DeMille considers the path and process of modern education: Are we doing enough to prepare our youth for their generational role of leadership?
Chapter Two: Education Today
Two Types of Teachers * My Children Deserve Better Than This: But This Is All I Know! * Finding A Mentor * Teachers Teach; Students Educate * Problems versus Difficulties * Education For The Twenty-first Century
Almost everyone agrees that American education needs to be “fixed,” but almost nobody agrees on what the remedies should be, or how they should be implemented. With conflicting ideals regarding what education is, and how it is achieved, no hope of a meaningful solution is in sight. The truth is, no matter what other solutions are tried, nothing will make a difference unless students actually study. Some few in history and today actually have, and do. What is their secret? What can parents and teachers do to duplicate historical successes today?
Chapter Three: Three Systems of Schooling
The Coming Renaissance in Education * The Three Types of Education * The Phases of Learning
Today, and throughout much of the history of the world, there have been three primary models of education: The Conveyor Belt System, The Professional System, The Leadership System. Each of these has distinct goals, methods, and outcomes. Which type most significantly contributed to your education? Which is most influential in the development of your children/students? The key to Leadership Education is that it is individualized–not just in content or method, but also in order to optimally support the development of a great soul through the Phases of Learning: Core Phase; Love of Learning; Scholar Phase; Depth Phase. Each of these are essential in the development of the individual, and the lessons and methods of each is distinct. How can we harness the power of doing the right thing at the right time, in the right way? What are the consequences of forcing an unnatural or untimely process on an unprepared heart and mind?
Chapter Four: Mentoring
The George Wythe Method * The 7 Keys of Great Teaching * Apply Lessons to Life
Find a great leader in history, and you will nearly always find two central elements were present in their education: classics and mentors. A great mentor defined. The negative lessons internalized through compulsory learning. The lessons inspired through leadership education. Coming face-to-face with greatness. The 7 Keys of Great Teaching:
- Classics, Not Textbooks
- Mentors, Not Professors
- Inspire, Not Require
- Structure Time, Not Content
- Quality, Not Conformity
- Simplicity, Not Complexity
- You, Not Them
How are the 7 Keys of Great Teaching applied?
Chapter Five: Classics
America’s National Books * Study the Classics * Six Reasons to Study the Classics * Your National Book
What are your companion books in life? A religious text? A television? Learn the powerful implications of a society’s “national book.” Learn also the Six Reasons to Study the Classics:
- Classics Teach us Human Nature.
- The Classics Bring us Face-to-Face with Greatness.
- The Classics Take us to the Frontier to be Conquered.
- The Classics Force us to Think.
- The Classics Connect Us to Stories.
- Our Canon Becomes Our Plot.
As we read the classics, we learn vicariously, and we become with the Hero. All great societies unfold as they explore a frontier; our next frontier lies in discovering ourselves and our missions as we experience the classics. What frontier awaits you?
Chapter Six: Great Teaching
“But How Do I Actually Do It?” * The Five Environments of Mentoring * Teaching Tips by Subject
As noted previously, great education takes place when students set out to educate themselves and follow through. This process is inspired–usually, and best, through mentors and classics. Learn the process of great education from the point of view of the student, and the teacher. This chapter also expounds on The Five Environments of Mentoring:
- Tutorial
- Group Discussion
- Lecture
- Testing
- Coaching
Tips on teaching writing, reading, literature, history, math, science, foreign language, the arts and other subjects.
Chapter Seven: Thomas Jefferson Education in the Public Schools
The Recent History of Educational Reform * The Outcome of Educational Reform * The Two Myths * Putting Teachers First * DO IT
In spite of the lengthy and complex debate over how to “fix” education in America, one thing alone will make all the difference: Putting Teachers First. Trust the process: students will study when they are inspired by great teaching. Education reform through the 80′s and 90′s; the free market and non-traditional solutions: charters, vouchers, private management of public institutions, homeschool, online education. Revisiting the myths about education. How to have a Jefferson-model classroom in a formal institution.
Chapter 8: Thomas Jefferson Education at College
Four Trends Away from Founding Colleges * Back to the Future * Warning One: Pride * Warning Two: Superficiality * Warning Three: The Mundane * Searching Out a College
In 1636 Harvard was founded, starting the Founding Phase of American education. It was followed by Yale in 1701, Princeton in 1746, and William and Mary, Columbia, Brown, Rutgers and Dartmouth, among others, by 1769. These schools trained the Founding Fathers, who established this nation’s Constitution and safeguarded its freedoms. How did they do it? What has changed since then? How do we recapture the process that yields such greatness? The shift to job training and institutionalized models. A return to classical education. Warnings to graduates to stay on the path of their mission. Criteria for a leadership education at the college level.
Chapter 9: Leadership Careers
Your Career Plan * Harvard Skills * Princeton Skills * Wythe Skills * Mentors, Classics and Career Success
Education, not degrees or diplomas, will be the key to success in the coming economy. The three systems of education have different outcomes and career paths. Whatever your desired vocation, leadership education is necessary for personal fulfillment and the future of freedom. Harvard School of Law defines 10 necessary skills for the twenty-first century job market. Princeton lists the goals of undergraduate education. George Wythe students define 8 additional skills–not only for career “success,” but for life success and happiness. The combined 30 skills prepare an individual for effective leadership and relationships, to fulfill a life’s mission. Statistics on successful individuals, from the kind of books they read, to the type of marriage they have.
Chapter 10: Statesmanship: Making a Difference in Society
What is a Statesman? * The Need for Statesman * Unknown Statesmen and Stateswomen * Become a Statesman
Jefferson, Adams and Madison before the world new their names: Were they a breed apart from us, or should we answer the call to become great as well? Statesmanship as more than a political avocation: men and women of virtue, wisdom, diplomacy and courage, who inspire greatness in others and move the cause of liberty. Where are statesmen trained? How? The Five Pillars of Statesmanship: Classics; Mentors; Simulations; Field Experience; God. Jefferson, Madison and Adams were a lot like us ten years before they stepped up to challenge the greatest empire on earth. Where will we be ten years from now?
Epilogue: A New Golden Age
Franklin pondered whether the carving on the president’s chair was a setting or a rising sun. Two centuries later, many experts and intellectuals again wonder at our future. Will the twenty-first century be America’s epilogue, or a New Golden Age? One thing is certain: Tomorrow’s leaders will determine whether the flame of freedom and prosperity lit by American Founders two hundred years ago continues to burn brightly or is extinguished. These leaders are being prepared today. Is the education of our youth up to their potential? Is it equal to the challenges before them? It is time for a new generation to get A Thomas Jefferson Education.
Appendixes
- A: 100 Classics
- B: Classics for Children and Youth
- C: Sample Discussion Questions
- D: Where to Find Classics
- E: Recommended Readings
- F: Putting Thomas Jefferson Education to Work (A 10-Step Plan for Getting Started)
Click Here to Download a Free Sample of A Thomas Jefferson Education
Reviews
“Oliver and Rachel DeMille have inspired me as a teacher and a parent. Oliver’s book, A Thomas Jefferson Education, has not only helped my wife Laura and I create a better educational environment for our children, but has constantly reminded me that master teachers believe that each child who walks into their classroom is a genius, waiting to be discovered.
“As a cofounder of Acton MBA (as well as the recently launched Acton Academy for children and youth) I believe our future rests on how we inspire the next generation of leaders to educate themselves –- safe from the meddling of ‘assembly-line’ schools. It’s only through the efforts of educators like Oliver and Rachel DeMille that we can hope to safeguard our freedom and prosperity for the next two hundred years.” -Jeff Sandefer, Founder and Faculty Member of Acton MBA
“We have known for a long time that it was the extraordinary, far-reaching vision of America’s founding fathers that produced the freest and most powerful nation on earth. What we have not understood, however, is the rigorous educational experience that gave them such remarkable vision. The loss of that knowledge poses a clear and present danger to our generation, because liberty cannot perpetuate itself.
“A Thomas Jefferson Education tells us how to see, in our own day, exactly what the founders saw, and thus how to safeguard and build upon what they created. It’s not a quick or painless prescription, and Dr. DeMille doesn’t sugarcoat it. But he does show us, honestly and authoritatively, the price we must pay to remain a free people.
“If you are willing to find out what that blessing will cost you and your children, read this book.” -Andrew M. Allison, author of The Real Thomas Jefferson
“‘Curriculum’ is an educational buzz word, especially with home education. My wife and I wanted more than a simple, regimented curriculum — we sought sound and timeless principles. We wanted a coherent methodology to provide insight and direction, while allowing us to personalize education to the interests and abilities of each of our children.
“We yearned for keys to liberate the natural gifts of our children to prepare them to succeed and to have lasting impact. We wanted to be active participants in and hands-on facilitators of the educational process, rather than strict rule-makers and curriculum-imposers.
“Leadership Education, as outlined by this book, has been our answer, our relief, our guiding light, and our key. It’s given us everything we knew we needed–and far more than we ever realized was necessary.
“It’s pushed us as parents to make education a lifelong process for ourselves — we’ve learned to lead by example, rather than force by dictate. Infinitely more than a curriculum, Leadership Education is a worldview and a way of life that teaches us and our children that, yes, we can and we must make a significant, positive difference in the world. Because of Leadership Education, our family is stronger, happier, more confident, and more at peace.
“Our children are self-motivated with their education and they enjoy learning. Because of this book, we’re more sensitive to their needs and better able to facilitate their growth. We understand better how to guide them with patience and wisdom.
“Critics point to a lack of detail in the book — but that’s the point. It’s not about telling parents and teachers how to educate on every detail. It’s an overarching philosophy and methodology, wherein details are governed by principles.” -Stephen Palmer, , Co-Founder, KGaps Consulting & The Center for Social Leadership, Best-Selling Co-Author of Killing Sacred Cows: Overcoming the Financial Myths that are Destroying Your Prosperity
“I have read TJEd twice, and I LOVE it! Oliver DeMille voices the need for a generation of leaders to be thoughtfully trained in our homes today. This is a message that homeschoolers need to hear! I don’t know when I’ve seen another book that communicates with such clarity, purpose and vision the powerful potential of homeschool. I find myself nodding my head and marking passages that sound like something I might have said–and DeMille says it so well.
“TJEd gives clarity and purpose to the decision to homeschool, and a template that can be applied by any family to achieve their goals. I refer to it often as a handbook to help me further my own studies, and highly recommend it to anyone interested in quality education. Parents, teachers, and students alike will be energized by this exciting book.” -Rebecca Kochenderfer, Author of Homeschooling for Success: How Parents Can Create A Superior Education For Their Child, Senior Editor of Homeschool.com
“I am so grateful for the principles taught in A Thomas Jefferson Education! Because of that book, I’ve had five of my children home with me for the last two years now, and the ‘detox’ process has paid off tremendously. Our home is more peaceful, and the children have learned to be independently creative, finding fascination in the simplest things.
I feel that if the world were to fall apart all around us today, I’d be at peace knowing I followed my own instinct, and because of it, our family has developed a greater feeling of unity, and a higher awareness of God’s greater purpose for our lives. To me, that’s leadership training.” -Leslie Householder, Author of The Jackrabbit Factor
“As a home schooling mother of four girls, I am always interested in great books on education. The discovery of A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-First Century by Oliver DeMille, has, without a doubt, completely revolutionized my home. The recommendations it contains are so substantive and directly meaningful that as I read it the first time I felt I had arrived at the answers to my most basic questions about superb education.
“In our home, we have seen the results of patient and sustained efforts to provide a leadership education environment for our children. I feel an ever-increasing sense of being grounded. In addition, it is fascinating to observe the methods employed on younger siblings by youth who have been raised with the leading hand in their own education. Being inspirational and applying other keys of quality education comes naturally to this second generation. I can hardly wait to observe the education of my grandchildren!” -Diann Jeppson Co-Founder of TJEd Marketplace
“Leadership Education has completely transformed not only our individual learning as parents, but our entire home. It has helped us decide what truly is “foundational” learning. We have also learned the stark difference between being well-trained and well-educated. We have been inspired to become truly educated and discover our personal missions and in turn hope to inspire our children.
“We recognize stages of growth in our children and are ready to help them move to higher levels of independence and empowerment in their own lives. In the short 8 years that we have practiced leadership education in our lives, we have truly embraced the principles it teaches.” -Rusty & Becky Bastian
“We took a spur-of-the-moment decision to homeschool for our 5 and 7-year-old daughters after last Christmas while living in Jordan. I found TJEd this past summer after spending a semester trying out workbooks and other materials I came across. I’ve read TJEd and the Home Companion, and love the philosophy behind TJEd!
“I am now starting to read through classics listed in both books. I never thought I’d be so engrossed with reading the classics. I’m LOVING them! Since homeschooling is unheard of here in Jordan, I’m constantly bombarded by moms to put our girls into school, but now I feel much more confident that I’m doing the right thing and why. I want to bring up leaders and thinkers. I can see much better now that the principles of Leadership Education are the way to foster this. And can’t imagine going back to the old way!” -K. M., Amman
About Oliver DeMille
Oliver DeMille is the founder and former president of George Wythe University, a founding partner of The Center for Social Leadership, and the author of A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the 21st Century. Presently, he serves as a mentor directing graduate and doctoral programs and devotes a majority of his time to writing.
As a university student, Oliver went on a search for a truly great education — researching private and public universities, technical and religious schools, and corporate and international educational institutions. As a result, he took classes from a small Bible school where he worked closely with mentors and studied the Bible and the great classics in many fields.
Although Coral Ridge Baptist University was not regionally accredited, he was so excited by the quality of his studies that he left a large, well-respected university to focus full time on his classical education. He earned the B.A. in Biblical Studies (May 1992), M.A. in Christian Political Science (December 1992), and Ph.D. in Religious Education (May 1994) at Coral Ridge Baptist University.
He has written and spoken extensively about the traditional education system versus his intense mentored-classical experience with Coral Ridge and other non-traditional schools. After his Coral Ridge studies, he went back and completed the B.A. in International Relations with a minor in Aerospace Studies at Brigham Young University (August 1994).
Oliver is a popular keynote speaker, writer and business consultant. He is married to the former Rachel Pinegar. They have eight children.
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