Here is Part II of Oliver DeMille's wonderful seven keys to great teaching. Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady believe in a self-directed educational model and this has been Oliver's passion for years. In fact, the LIFE Business is an entire business wrapped around the concept of self-directed education through compensated communities. Where else do you earn while you learn? Simply amazing what the LIFE Founders have put together. Enjoy.
3. Inspire, not Require
None of the keys is as highly celebrated and as poorly applied as this one. This is perhaps the least understood and least practiced of the Seven Keys. It is probably the single most important element of Leadership Education.
There are really only two ways to teach—you can inspire the student to voluntarily and enthusiastically choose to do the hard work necessary to get a great education, or you can attempt to require it of them.
Most teachers and schools use the require method; great teachers and schools pay the price to inspire.
Instead of asking, “what can I do to make these students perform?” the great teacher says, “I haven’t yet become truly inspirational. What do I need to do so that these students will want to do the hard work to get a superb education?”
The book A Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion has several chapters that provide stories and examples of how this works, as well as specific suggestions on how to apply the principles to your own situation.
4. Structure Time, not Content
Great mentors help their students establish and follow a consistent schedule, but they don’t micromanage the content.
Indeed, micro-management has become one of the real poisons of modern education. Great teachers and schools encourage students to pursue their interests and passions during their study time.
Of course, this principle is applied differently at different levels of student development.
Phases
There are 4 phases of learning: Core Phase, roughly ages 0-8; Love of Learning Phase, roughly 8-12; Scholar Phase, roughly 12-16; and Depth Phase, roughly 16-22.
Beyond this come the Applicational Phases of Mission and Impact, where we each set out and accomplish our unique missions in life, and fulfill our role as societal elder and mentor to the rising generation (For more on these phases, click here; also see our book Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning for an in-depth treatment and loads of ideas and how-to’s.)
During Core Phase work times and play times are scheduled, with children allowed to choose their own subjects of play during play time. As they get older, play includes reading, math and other subjects that students choose to engage for fun.
At the beginning of the Love of Learning Phase a student might choose a structure of 1 or 2 or 3 hours a day of set study time; it is important that the student choose it, and that the mentor help the student learn accountability for his choice.
If the student won’t choose it, you haven’t inspired him yet—get to work. Don’t fall back into requiring. Pay the price to inspire, and trust the process–it’s the only way to get the result of the student owning their role as a self-educator.
By the early Scholar Phase a student will likely be studying 6-8 hours a day on topics of their deepest interest. During the Scholar and Depth Phases, the student increases the structured time and goes into more depth.
A more detailed treatment of this process and the ideal cooperation between mentor and student is found in chapter 6 of Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning.
Hey Orrin!!!
This is Florio & Lorali working with the Mattis'. We are committing to go triple power player this cycle because our financial freedom is worth fighting for. Our growing family needs stay at home parents. We want to pave the belief for all of our family & friends so that they can see their own freedom!!!
Posted by: Florio & Lorali Mazares | 14 November 2012 at 12:44 AM