Thomas Jefferson Education: Cultivating Lifelong Learners and Leaders
Thomas Jefferson Education (TJEd), also known as Leadership Education, is a philosophy gaining traction among alternative educators, including those in private and charter schools, as well as homeschoolers. It's a distinctive approach to learning and teaching (mentoring) that aims to cultivate leaders and thinkers well-prepared to make meaningful contributions to society. Developed by Oliver and Rachel DeMille, TJEd draws inspiration from the educational practices of great leaders and thinkers throughout history, including Thomas Jefferson himself. While the authors are religious, their writings and philosophy are accessible and resonate with people of all backgrounds and belief systems.
The Core Principles of TJEd
TJEd is based on the Seven Keys of Great Teaching and the Phases of Learning. It emphasizes mentoring and teaching children how rather than what to think or learn. The goal is for students to develop a love of learning in an atmosphere that fosters their natural ability to reason, question, explore, and experiment. In essence, the educational process becomes more organic as parents tailor-make lessons around each child’s passions and interests.
This method can work for all ages and abilities. TJEd prescribes a distinct approach for students of different developmental ages. These are called "Phases," and correspond with the physical/emotional/intellectual readiness for the lessons of each phase. The suggested corresponding ages are a general guide, with exceptions that vary widely.
Several core principles underpin the TJEd philosophy:
- Classics, Not Textbooks: TJEd emphasizes the use of classic literature, primary source documents, and original works over modern textbooks. By engaging with classics, students encounter timeless ideas and develop critical thinking skills.
- Mentors, Not Professors: In TJEd, parents and educators act as mentors rather than traditional teachers.
- Inspire, Not Require: Rather than imposing rigid curricula, TJEd encourages educators to inspire students by creating an environment rich in learning opportunities. The goal is to ignite a passion for learning and self-directed study, so requiring (or forcing) the academic process is discouraged, and counter-productive for the family seeking to foster a love of learning in their children.
- Structure Time, Not Content: TJEd recommends structuring the learning environment to provide time for study, exploration, and creativity while allowing students the freedom to pursue their interests and passions within that framework. When homeschooling, creating a rhythm to the day reduces pressure and gives the family a flow that allows them to spend time discovering the content that is most meaningful at the time.
- Quality, Not Conformity: TJEd values the pursuit of excellence and mastery in learning much more than adherence to standardized benchmarks like state standards, and conformity to norms.
- Simplicity, Not Complexity: Keeping the educational process simple and focused helps to avoid overwhelming students (and parents!) and allows them to engage deeply with the material. This would include minimizing busy work and concentrating on core subjects and classic works.
The Phases of Learning in TJEd
TJEd outlines specific phases of learning, each tailored to the developmental stage of the student:
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- Core Phase (0-8 years): The focus is on the development of character, family relationships, and a love of learning through play, exploration, and daily life activities. Formal academics are minimal during this phase.
- Love of Learning Phase (approximately 8 to 12 years of age): encourages family reading of classic literature, project learning, clubs and "Momschools" are among the elements that help inspire the youngster to love learning and to approach a variety of subjects with interest and growing levels of competence and diligence. The lessons of "Love of Learning" Phase: What's out there to learn? You're responsible for personal decisions. Personal accountability. Learning your gifts, interests, life's goals, mission.
- Scholar Phase (12-18 years): During this phase, students pursue more rigorous academic studies with greater depth and focus. They take on challenging projects, read classic literature, and work towards mastery in their chosen areas of interest.
- Depth Phase (approximately 18 to 24 years of age): students submit to a mentor-guided program, whether privately or in a formal college setting or a "mission". The seven lessons of depth phase: 1. Initiative 2. Ingenuity 3. Allegiance 4. Integrity 5. Commitment 6. Passion 7. TJEd parents and educators wanting an introduction to teaching through the classics can receive orientation and training to do so by completing The Five Pillar Certification.
- (Bonus Phase!) Shakespeare? Metallurgy? Assembling a computer?
- Application Phase: occurs during adulthood (or when your prefrontal cortex finishes developing!), where the student continues to self-educate. Once they reach middle age, they utilize their skills as leaders and mentor future generations.
Implementing TJEd: A Practical Approach
Many homeschoolers are quite interested in the TJEd philosophy and how they might implement it. Here is what it looks like in some homes:
- Emphasis on classic literature. Classics do more than just develop vocabulary; they can develop character, particularly if they are discussed in reference to a biblical worldview.
- Permission for older students to choose their curriculum and study full-time. Some students study for hours without requiring external motivation. They choose their subjects and master them, sharing what they’re learning. Some students are self-directed leaders. However, personality differences may prohibit this learning style from working with every student. Some desire lots of structure rather than freedom, for example.
- Parent education. Parents study voraciously with a mentor while their children are doing so. Parents can also commit to read more classic books along with their children so they can discuss them.
- Emphasis on internal motivation. Finding ways to motivate your child means that you have to make everything fun. Some children aren’t as motivated by fun as they are by appreciation, money, or meeting goals. Discovering what will get each child busy learning can be fun.
- Supplementing with early requirements. Require children to learn the basics as children so that the tools are there when their internal motivation takes over. Ensuring that children have the basic capacity to learn as a young child, they would not be able to fulfill the passion for learning that they have later in life.
The Five Pillars of Statesmanship
TJEd parents and educators wanting an introduction to teaching through the classics can receive orientation and training to do so by completing The Five Pillar Certification.
The Five Pillars of Statesmanship are:
- Classics
- Mentors
- Simulations
- Field Experience
- God
Certification endorses an individual’s knowledge and ability in the Classics/Mentors approach to teaching leaders by incorporating all Five Pillars into an overall system of education. The 5 Pillar Certification program is divided into three levels to facilitate progress. Level II is a comprehensive study of additional classics. Level III is considered a practical application of the Five Pillars in an educational setting.
Thomas Jefferson's Own Education: A Glimpse into the Past
As a member of the gentry class, Thomas Jefferson received a good formal education. In his autobiography, Jefferson wrote that his father, Peter Jefferson, "placed me at the English school at 5. years of age and at the Latin at 9. where I continued until his death." The Latin school was conducted by the Reverend William Douglas, of whom Jefferson wrote, "[he] was but a superficial Latinist, less instructed in Greek, but with the rudiments of these languages he taught me French." Early in 1758, Jefferson began attending the school of Reverend James Maury, whom Jefferson credited as "a correct classical scholar." He continued studies with Reverend Maury for two years before entering the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg in the spring of 1760, at the age of seventeen.
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Jefferson spent seven years studying in Williamsburg, first pursuing his education at William and Mary from March 1760 until April 1762, and then reading law with George Wythe. During his two years at William and Mary, he studied primarily under Dr. William Small. Jefferson described that tutelage as, "my great good fortune, and what probably fixed the destinies of my life." Jefferson went on to say of Small that, "He, most happily for me, became soon attached to me & made me his daily companion when not engaged in the school; and from his conversation I got my first views of the expansion of science & of the system of things in which we are placed." Before Small returned to Europe in 1762, he arranged for Jefferson to read law under the direction of George Wythe. Jefferson remained in Williamsburg under Wythe's guidance for the next five years, saying later that, "Mr. Wythe continued to be my faithful and beloved Mentor in youth, and my most affectionate friend through life. In 1767, he led me into the practice of the law at the bar of the General Court."
Jefferson's seven years of study at Williamsburg culminated in the practice of law but without any type of "degree" as might be granted today. In 1762, when Jefferson was completing his two-year course of study, William and Mary did grant degrees, but the course of study leading toward a degree took four to five years and was directed toward a career in the Anglican Church or as a professor. The gentry of Virginia followed the English model in seeking what would be considered a "gentleman's education." The emphasis was upon an appropriate education, not a degree.
Much later in his life, Jefferson would be concerned with the education of his grandson, Francis Wayles Eppes. In a letter to Francis's father, John Wayles Eppes, Jefferson expressed his opinion that the prescribed course of study that led to a degree would not be the wisest use of Francis's time and proposed that Francis should concentrate upon a course that would be of particular use to him: "This relinquishes the honorary distinction of a Diploma, a good enough thing to excite the ambition of youth to study, but, in modern estimation, no longer worth tacking, by it's initials to one's name; and certainly not worth the sacrifice of a single useful science."
Jefferson himself could have "tacked initials" to his name had he felt it important, as he was awarded five honorary degrees during his lifetime.
More generally, education was very important to Jefferson and, as part of the general law revisal at the time of the Revolution, he recommended adoption of a broad educational system with a primary school for boys and girls, academies (secondary schools), and a university - Jefferson’s Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge. In Jefferson’s scheme, primary schools were to be free to students (both boys and girls), and the best male students were to attend the academies and university at public expense. The third part of this scheme was eventually adopted in the University of Virginia. Jefferson, though, always regretted that the most important part - broad, primary public education - was not adopted in his lifetime. He told his allies in the formation of UVA that if it was a choice between public primary schools and the University, he would choose the former “because it is safer to have a whole people respectably enlightened, than a few in a high state of science and the many in ignorance.”
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Criticisms and Considerations
While TJEd offers a compelling vision for education, it's important to acknowledge some criticisms and considerations:
- Some find TJEd very vague-it’s really about child led learning. Some children really don’t know what they want to learn about and they certainly don’t know what they need to learn. It can be too much pressure for them to constantly have to choose what they wanted to learn about.
- It only works really well if the parents are very academic and there is little to no access to T.V., video games or computers.
- The worst part is you’re left feeling as if it’s somehow your fault as the parent, because you just weren’t “inspiring” enough.
Alternatives to TJEd
It is possible to find all the good of a TJed in other educational philosophies.
- DeMille says to educate yourself as the parent. Other philosophies call this parent culture.
- DeMille says to inspire not require. Others say inspire through exposing your children to some of the best minds in history via living books, beautiful music and amazing artist.
- DeMille says classics, not textbooks.
- DeMille says quality, not conformity
- DeMille says Simplicity, not complexity.
- DeMille says structure time, not content.
- Lastly, he says mentors, not professors. The books are our mentors and parents and teachers are not to get in between the books and the children. We are not to lecture and over explain things but to allow the children to form their own relations with the things and people they are learning about.
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