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krystal_swan5's review
3.0
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." -Thomas Jefferson
I really like this book. I'm probably going to buy it so I can use it as a reference later. We are reading it for book club next month, otherwise I probably wouldn't have picked it up on my own, but I'm very glad that I did. I really liked the idea that you can get an education simply from reading the classics. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm an English Lit major, and I'd like to think that my time as been well spent. But in all honesty I think the ideas in this book make a lot of sense and I believe they could work.
The whole idea behind this book is to give people an education through the classics (all kinds not just literature), in the hopes that people will learn HOW to think, not just WHAT to think, and be able to become moral, ethical, leaders in America's future. Leaders of all fields, including, but not limited to, government.
The curriculum for "Jefferson Education" consists of reading the classics together, the teachers and the students, and then writing about them, rewriting about them, and thoroughly discussing them and applying them in today's world. The education really stresses having a mentor, just like Thomas Jefferson did, to help and encourage, but that basically the learning and gaining of knowledge is up to the student.
One of the quotes I really liked was by none other than Neal A. Maxwell (and this is not an LDS book, so I just thought it was cool that he was in here, but that's not why I liked the quote)who said, "The goal is not to get through the book, but rather to get the book through you." And it explains that so much of our education these days is just route memorization of facts to put down on a test and forget about a week later. But how if we slow down and actually learn something, the lessons will stay with us throughout our lives and we will be better people because of it. I feel like this point rings true, at least concerning my own education. I don't remember a whole lot from high school, or even from college...but I got good grades. But the things that do stand out in my mind are the good teachers, and the reasons they were good is because they guided me while I learned something for myself. And those are the things I remember.
I've also been doing a lot of research lately about homeschooling, and this book fits into that about 110% But I don't believe that only people interested in homeschooling would find this book helpful. I think everyone could get something out of it, and that is why I am highly recommending it. :) Oh, and it's only 200 pages long, so it's a fast read and well worth the effort.
merryspinster's review
2.0
There are tons of problems with this book, but I was interested in the chapter on great teaching.
richardrbecker's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I'm always looking for new ideas and material related to education, both my own and others (as I taught at university, coached high school sports, and am a part-time speaker). I chose A Thomas Jefferson Education because of my interest in Jefferson, having no knowledge of the author or TJed.
I'm not reviewing the author or TJed. I'm only reviewing the book, which raised several salient points about education and the importance of classics and mentor teachers. That said, I found some of the ideas in A Thomas Jefferson Education interesting and worth exploring, including the idea of countries having a sense of themselves as a nation based on literature, e.g. Shakespeare for England, Tolstoy for Russia, etc. There is some truth to the idea, and we may have neglected some of our treasured national texts, including The Declaration of Independence and what it means.
Overall, I found the book to be an inspiring piece of work, something most teacher mentors can get behind with some relatively minor adjustments in its application (because we've moved so far away from these principles). Specifically, we need to recognize that the United States is a massive nation (spanning a geography the size of Europe) and may require some regional and local adjustments to make it work. It would probably work better to introduce classics and contemporary literature into classrooms and make specific classic titles more accessible by matching them to readers based on age and ability. Then, someone could develop a recommendation tree that helps students move from more easily digestible classics to more challenging ones. (It seems that the order in which one is exposed to classics can make a huge difference in how well they receive them.) In addition, more neo-classics (like Dune) and diverse titles (Lorraine Hansberry, Zora Neale Hurston) deserve their place.
Still, none of this diminishes the book, which presents a worthwhile foundation that any educator can work from to develop something even better, especially among mentor teachers hoping to break the downward educational spiral we've seen occur over the past few decades (as a whole, not necessarily as an individual educator's work). In fact, I wish this book existed when I was providing my own children an augmented education because I was not satisfied with the material they were covering in a public school or in a charter school. Simply put, I wanted to teach my children how to think, not what to think. And it is this idea more than any other DeMille drives home.
I'm not reviewing the author or TJed. I'm only reviewing the book, which raised several salient points about education and the importance of classics and mentor teachers. That said, I found some of the ideas in A Thomas Jefferson Education interesting and worth exploring, including the idea of countries having a sense of themselves as a nation based on literature, e.g. Shakespeare for England, Tolstoy for Russia, etc. There is some truth to the idea, and we may have neglected some of our treasured national texts, including The Declaration of Independence and what it means.
Overall, I found the book to be an inspiring piece of work, something most teacher mentors can get behind with some relatively minor adjustments in its application (because we've moved so far away from these principles). Specifically, we need to recognize that the United States is a massive nation (spanning a geography the size of Europe) and may require some regional and local adjustments to make it work. It would probably work better to introduce classics and contemporary literature into classrooms and make specific classic titles more accessible by matching them to readers based on age and ability. Then, someone could develop a recommendation tree that helps students move from more easily digestible classics to more challenging ones. (It seems that the order in which one is exposed to classics can make a huge difference in how well they receive them.) In addition, more neo-classics (like Dune) and diverse titles (Lorraine Hansberry, Zora Neale Hurston) deserve their place.
Still, none of this diminishes the book, which presents a worthwhile foundation that any educator can work from to develop something even better, especially among mentor teachers hoping to break the downward educational spiral we've seen occur over the past few decades (as a whole, not necessarily as an individual educator's work). In fact, I wish this book existed when I was providing my own children an augmented education because I was not satisfied with the material they were covering in a public school or in a charter school. Simply put, I wanted to teach my children how to think, not what to think. And it is this idea more than any other DeMille drives home.
melodyharmon's review
5.0
I really liked this book. It is very applicable to everyone. Feel free to visit my blog for a comprehensive review. http://harmonhomeschoolingjourney.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-thomas-jefferson-education.html
gossamer_lens's review
4.0
I think that this is a must read for every one! this is like the perfect guide for homeschooling. this book is not for just homeschooling though it is for every one it shows the reader how your kids should be learning and the ideal way for kids to learn. It also shares with you some things that public schools are doing that are not helping kids learn and why they need to be changed. this is definitely a must read!
sdmomof5boys's review
4.0
I am currently reviewing options for my kids for school next year. Homeschool is one of the options, and I heard about this book through my research. Our schools have problems and they are getting worse. It was interesting to learn about different types of education and how public school came to be - and why it isn't enough for a lot of kids/youth. More than just learning job skills but really be educated. Our kids need to be learning leadership, values, HOW to think not just what to think. I disagreed with a few of his ideas and by the end I felt a bit like, "Okay, I get it! Classics and mentors are key to education!" It felt like he was hammering the point a little too hard. But other than that I thought it was a great read and has some great ideas.
readerturnedwriter's review
5.0
A must read for parents, especially for homeschoolers. I love the basis of education being on books because if we can teach children to love books, they will grow up motivated and knowing how to continue their education and that will help them become more successful in all areas of their life.