One of the basic tenets of Thomas Jefferson Education is “you, not them,” meaning that you are to go back and figure out where your own classical education is lacking and start there, educating yourself. Your children come alongside and learn with you at their own page. Their education is their own. (There are TONS of great tenets of TJEd and it really is more of a lifestyle than a “curriculum” – we’ve only implemented a few and already our family is much stronger).
My education is very much lacking. My public school experience was not one in which I really learned anything worth knowing. I memorized facts to pass a test but I never learned anything. I had no idea history was interesting until I started using Story of the World with my kids – and I find it fascinating.
I recently purchased The Well-Educated Mind as a resource to help me get a better education and have not been disappointed. This book is so helpful. Susan gets into the why and the how and goes so far as to give lists of books in each genre (in chronological order, as they should be read to really get the most of them) for you to start with, right down to the ISBN’s of the versions that she feels are best and why.
I can’t wait until the first book, Don Quixote, arrives on Saturday!
