Many of our friends have asked that we post a recommended reading order, with explanations, to fully benefit from the Leadership Education Library. Our award-winning TJEd Implementation Course, Mentoring in the Classics, will take you through the whole Leadership Education Library with supporting readings, study guides and audios.

If you want to work through the LE Library on your own, with our suggestions and explanations, here you go:

I. Getting Started:

1) A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-first Century

TJEd-Cover2013This volume is an introduction and overview of the philosophy and methodology of Leadership Education.

“TJEd” is a philosophy and a methodology by which great individuals throughout history were educated. Thousands of families and professional educators are applying those same principles today, with astounding success. This new paperback edition includes an introduction to:

  • The 7 Keys of Great Teaching
  • The 4 Phases of Learning
  • The 5 Environments of Mentoring
  • Tips for professional educators
  • How to apply Thomas Jefferson Education in a homeschool
  • Teaching the classics of math, science, history, the arts, etc.
  • Thomas Jefferson Education in college and careers

For a more hands-on, detailed guide on getting your own education, see Thomas Jefferson Education for Teens (2a, below). For a step-by-step phase-by-phase guide to family learning and homeschooling, see Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning (2b, below).

II. Moving Forward:

The next step has a fork in the road. You’ll want to read both of these, but depending on your situation, you may do one before the other.

TeensCover20132a) Thomas Jefferson Education for Teens (And Every Adult Who Wants to Change the World)

If you’re not ready to jump into homeschooling or family schooling (even if you don’t plan to formally “homeschool”), you might want to focus on your own education for a time to sort of fill your own well first.

Thomas Jefferson Education for Teens was originally published in 2009 for youth who needed a vision of why and how to get a world class education; since then, however, parents and adults everywhere are telling us that it’s ideal to help them get working on the education they felt they missed in their youth.

Perfect to help you lead out with “You, not Them”! Once you’re reading for your own enrichment and learning, you’ll have lots more inspiration to draw from; and you’ll be leading out in the process that you want to inspire for your kids and students. Without this element, no matter how much good you find and apply in TJEd, you’re really not doing “Leadership” Education. The leader is just not the future of your kids’ contribution in the world, but YOU. You’re the leader. YOU need a Leadership Education!

 

LeadPoL-3rdEditionCover2b) The Phases of Learning

Here’s where the rubber hits the road. This book details the “How”, “When” and “Why” of every phase from infancy to grandparenting. If, after reading A Thomas Jefferson Education you find yourself asking, “But how do actually do it?” this book is for you.

Keep in mind that you want to be leading out with your own education, reading classics on your own and with your kids/students, and discussing what you read, perhaps even doing projects and following tangents inspired by your reading. (The TJEd Implementation Course, “Mentoring in the Classics,” is helpful in implementing this process if you’re wanting support and training.)

The Phases of Learning really helps to flesh out the vision, helps to define the questions, and is a source to consult for many of the answers. It covers all the phases from birth to grand parenting, so you really can begin with the end in mind.

It’s wonderful to have that kind of overarching view of the whole project. It helps you sort through all the mounds of information and conflicting voices that are available to us when we have paid the price to get a crystal-clear vision of what the end is supposed to look and feel like, and who we want to be.

It has some great resources for family organization, parent mentoring, building momschools, the role of dads, and a lot of other powerful stuff.

 

III. Next Level:

3a) Hero Education: A Scholar Phase Guidebook for Teens, Parents and Mentorsproduct hero education

This book takes the TJEd Scholar Phase and breaks it down into a 4-year plan, with special workshops, reading lists, a how-to for “The Class”, and so much more. While TJEd for Teens helps the reader (youth or adult) to make the commitment to Scholar Phase and find their motivation, Hero Education is the Guidebook to walk you through it!

3b) How to Mentor Course

This class is a practical, hands-on course on how to be a great mentor. A 7-week course located on our learning portal, it covers how to detect your mentoring style, your students’ learning styles; how to teach how to think; how to mentor writing; how to mentor math excellence; and much more.

Veteran mentors as well as new mentors–and everyone in between–will see their mentoring significantly improve by completing this exciting class taught by Oliver DeMille.

For more information, click here >>