| How can teachers use their curriculum to train | | | | don't think your children should complete their |
| leaders for the future? How can parents | | | | education and not know how to think on their |
| encourage their children to lead when they grow | | | | own. Shifting your educational model from "what |
| up? The first place to start in raising your | | | | to think" to "how to think" can be a major change |
| students into leadership is to change your own | | | | in your life. Below are some practical ways to set |
| education paradigm.Does your education paradigm | | | | a foundation for this type of education by starting |
| really matter? Most of us grew up in a public or | | | | with yourself.As you teach your children how to |
| private school, which can be likened to a factory. | | | | think, you might see a lifestyle change for your |
| All the students come to the factory or the | | | | entire family. Leadership Education ultimately |
| school. They start in kindergarten and move on to | | | | involves the family as a whole. Initially, it takes |
| first grade, down the conveyor belt, as described | | | | much effort from a parent because you must be |
| by Oliver DeMille. At each stage of the conveyor | | | | involved in learning and growing yourself. You can |
| belt (or grade level), the student learns the exact | | | | not hand over some workbooks and say "go for |
| same information as everyone else. The students | | | | it". Workbooks merely teach your children "what |
| are told what to think.Even though the school | | | | to think", not "how to think".To begin your own |
| may be using tools like classics, the school's | | | | education as a teacher or parent, start by reading |
| approach to education only teaches students | | | | one classic. Choose a classic that interests you. If |
| "what to think". The curriculum is master to | | | | you're not sure what classic to read, consult a |
| everyone. Too often, teachers lecture and | | | | young adult classics list. Once you finish your first |
| "force-feed" information to their students. Please | | | | classic, continue reading a classic each week for |
| know I do not believe lectures are bad; they have | | | | the next four weeks. You will complete five |
| a place. But too often, teachers lecture, telling | | | | books and be on the road to furthering your own |
| their students what to think about the readings. | | | | education.As your children see their parents |
| Later on, tests are given to determine if the | | | | studying and learning, they begin to have a |
| student knows what the teacher thinks about the | | | | different idea of what education is all about. You |
| readings, not what the students discover about | | | | will be excited about what you are learning and |
| the readings. John Gatto says it well.After you fall | | | | want to share it with your own children. After |
| into the habit of accepting what other people tell | | | | you finish five classics, read another one and add |
| you to think, you lose the power to think for | | | | a writing activity. As you read this classic, keep a |
| yourself. John Taylor Gatto, A Different Teacher, | | | | reading journal. In your reading journal, write down |
| 2002When you have a steady diet of lecture, you | | | | your thoughts about the story. Share your |
| lose the power to think for yourself. To develop | | | | thoughts with someone else. Now, it is time to |
| leaders of tomorrow, you need to change the | | | | start with your own students. Choose a classic to |
| methods used to educate today's children.How do | | | | read aloud together. The first classic you read |
| you look at education?Does your curriculum | | | | together should be purely for enjoyment. If your |
| dictate your child's education? Do you believe | | | | students have never enjoyed classics, you may |
| educators needs textbooks for everything? If so, | | | | need to read a few more before moving to |
| you are training your children to follow. The | | | | journaling and discussing. Once you think your |
| underlying assumption of textbooks is that the | | | | children are ready, ask them to journal about the |
| teacher and student do not know enough to | | | | story after you finish reading each day. Then, |
| evaluate resources, so the textbook author will | | | | discuss what the students write in their |
| do it for you. All the student has to do is learn | | | | journal.Francis Bacon said, "Reading maketh a full |
| the conclusions of the textbook to become | | | | man, conference a ready man, and writing an |
| successful in "school". This model of education | | | | exact man." Reading, writing and discussing are |
| makes great followers who learn "what to | | | | foundational to developing students who think for |
| think".Ponder for a moment. Textbooks give | | | | themselves. If you want your children to be |
| students questions to answer. If the student can | | | | leaders, they must think on their own. Classics are |
| answer the chosen questions on a test, he can | | | | the best place to start.When you follow this |
| move on to the next piece of information. | | | | process, you become a teacher who leads by |
| Textbooks do not encourage students to think | | | | example. Your example is part of a new type of |
| outside of the answers in the teacher's manual. | | | | curriculum for your children's education.Kerry Beck |
| This model has provided our society with highly | | | | is the author of Raising Leaders, Not Followers, |
| trained, but poorly educated graduates.Leadership | | | | which encourages parents to train their children to |
| Education takes a different approach to | | | | be leaders who rule wisely. She would like to give |
| curriculum. One of the essential elements of | | | | you a free report at the Leadership |
| leadership education is teaching how to think. I | | | | Education in the Homeschool Curriculum website. |