Email from 11-26-12:

Dear Friends and Mentors,

We will be holding our discussion of education principles tomorrow, Tuesday, November 27th at 7:30pm at my home, 3629 S. 2140 E. All are welcome, including (and especially!) those who have not yet completed the readings or writings. We will discuss the first six chapters of "A Thomas Jefferson Education". We will also take a few minutes to share any "Math Classics" show-and-tell items. This would include anything you use to teach or learn math -- books, curriculua, websites, games, mentors, art works, music, etc. Just like in school, show-and-tell is OPTIONAL, so don't stress out about going on an expensive or time-consuming search for something amazing to share. Possible writing topics were listed in the blog, but I've copied them below in case you'd like to peruse them easily now. Writings will not be shared in a formal way, but you will certainly be able to share them if you wish. You can also add them to the blog now or after the discussion if you choose.

The key here is to COME AS YOU ARE to my JUST AS IT IS house. I'll be showcasing dirt and lint and dried-on food in my living room and kitchen (that's food in the living room and dirt in the kitchen, in case you were wondering).

See you there!!

Eagerly,

Jenny

Possible questions to consider for your writings might be:

What phases am I operating in right now? What about my children? Which phases are best nutured in my current family culture? (Think about the fact that we don't move from phase to phase, leaving one behind to enter another. Rather, we build phase upon phase, like concentric circles, and use all the phases we have experienced each day.) What phases could we revisit that might help us with current challenges we face in our family?

Which of the 7 keys seem the most natural to me, and why? Which are difficult for me to understand or accept? In what ways do I use or neglect these keys as I teach my family? If I were to choose one key to focus on for the next few months, which would it be and how would that focus look in our family's daily life?

If a classic is anything we return to again and again because every time we do we are deepened, then what are my personal classics? (A classic can be a book, song, work of art, activity, place, person, etc.) What are our family classics? Are there classics from my childhood I want to incorporate into my family culture? What would be my system for incorporating those classics (what would that incorporation look like on a daily/weekly/monthly/yearly basis?)

Who are my mentors? Who looks to me as a mentor? How many mentors can I identify for each of my children? Which of the five environments of mentoring do my children experience on a regular basis? How could I incorporate more of them into our family's culture?

What inspirations did I receive while reading, or what ideas and themes were impressed upon me?