Inspire and Require.

Maureen left a comment on my blog post on Learning Principles.

~For me, "Inspire not Require" is more about modeling desired behaviors....in other words, not requiring modes of learning you are not also willing to pursue~

Hmm.

I definitely aim to inspire real learning, to be a good role model of learning myself. However, I also have no qualms about requiring study, yes, even study that I myself may not currently be undertaking.

For example, the boys are studying Latin - Alexander by choice, Thomas and Anny because I asked them to. I studied one term of Latin at school but have learned more Latin over the years of working with my kids. All the boys have studied at least one year of Latin, since dh and I think it is important - for language, for logical thinking, for beauty, for the Church.

So, with Latin, I am hoping to inspire and I definitely require the study. Yet, despite the element of requirement , last weekend, while making a roleplaying game, Anthony pulled out his Latin book .He perused the book, using Latin words for characters, places, items in the game. Anthony said it was fun!

My introducing a subject, my requiring a subject, did not kill a love of learning but enriched Anthony's play.

I decided that we are not aiming at perfection - just happiness and progression. So, some have tos and some want tos work for us. :-)

Basically, Gerry and I have always envisaged our sons studying at university. We both studied at university ( we met and married while university students) and we felt that the stretching of ourselves and of our minds via study was beneficial.

Now, our sons' lives are their own ( before God), and not ours, but university is a standard, so to speak, a given in our family. If someone really didn't want to study at unversity , had other goals, or wasn't suited for university study, that would be fine. Generally, however, even the younger two talk about "what I'll study at uni."

So, our unschooly - ness also reflects this university goal.

University is just seen as part of a path, perhaps, not as the be all or end all or defining of self.

All this discussion has been inspired by the book "A Thomas Jefferson Education." This book is on my next to read boook - in the education category that is! .....I tend to have several books going at once - one spiritual/theology, one for self educationn one geneal novel, one fitness, one homeschooling....

I have recently finished "The Latin Centred Curriculum" and can see how classical education can mesh with unschooling in our house. Reading Maureen's Thomas Jefferson Education Blog Carnival makes me interested in the learning stages and learning principles of TJE. I'll have to purchase a copy!

And I see how we can continue to blend all this with our educational lifestyle approach, as I read both Maria's and Cindy's blog posts on education and unschooling.

Thank you, Cindy, for encouraging this discussion!