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