By Lisa Toone
Once upon a time… That’s how all the fairy tales start, tales of courage and valor, honesty and love, adventures and trials: stories, more or less, about life, and what it means to be truly living. In life, we have a myriad of choices, the consequences of which all affect us, whether we notice the affects or not. They are what make up the stories that are our lives.
So far, my story has been fairly average. I, like so many other youth, have often taken for granted my chance to be truly well educated. I’ve procrastinated schoolwork, doing as little as possible to make it by. I’ve spent my time gorging myself on what I enjoy, ignoring the other aspects of my education. I’ve tried to improve, but then allowed myself excuses when I’ve failed. I’ve stayed up, slept in, wasted hours on meaningless things, and, on the whole, been exactly what a teenager seems to be defined as anymore: a youth who wants the pleasures of adult life but not the responsibilities.
But no longer.
No longer shall I hide behind the frivolous definitions of a world with no expectations. No longer shall my light be smothered by the lazier aspects of my human nature. No longer shall I be content to be mediocre. No longer shall my voice be mute. No longer shall I stand among the crowd, afraid to reach my potential. No longer shall I merely live: I shall have a life.
This is my personal declaration of independence from the shackles of low expectations. This is the true beginning of my fairy tale.
Part of this sudden declaration was inspired by a book that I didn’t expect to enjoy. Reading Thomas Jefferson Education for Teens has inspired me to be the person I was meant to be as nothing else has in over three years. For years I have felt a burning inside, a powerful longing to be better, but a longing without motivation behind it. TJEd for Teens has not only encouraged me to find the motivation to improve- to be the change I wish to see, as Ghandi said- but has given me the tools I need to make a difference in my life. These tools are called The Seven Keys of Great Teaching. They are seven things that can change a ‘conveyor belt education’ into a Great Education.
First: Classics, not Textbooks.
In my education (of which I am, for the most part, in control), I have considered learning from college textbooks to be the highest form of learning. You have to be smart to get into college, right? So wouldn’t studying college textbooks suggest that you are college-smart? But as I have studied my brothers’ textbooks, I have come to see that there is nothing especially grand or intelligent about them. They contain interesting facts, yes, but those facts have been watered down to their essentials so that you can gain a basic understanding of them, pass a test about them, and then forget them.
Classics, the ones that I have read at least, are interesting, original, meaty works that inspire as they are read. Moral lessons and scientific facts that stick with you for life can be gained by reading them.
Second: Mentors, not Professors.
For years I have heard the word ‘mentor.’ For years I have thought the definition of that word to be ‘a teacher who spends more time on individuals.’ Only in reading TJEd for Teens have I come to realize how many of the people around me are my mentors and how necessary mentors are. A mentor is a ‘second father,’ to quote the book. They are guides, coaches, a person to discuss ideas with, a person who suggests further reading, a person who believes in me and encourages me to reach higher.
My parents, my church leaders, my siblings, my friends, the ‘teachers’ of the Erda Academy class, they all mentor me in different ways. To some I can pour out my heart, my worries and my dreams, and find reassurance and encouragement. From some I can expect suggestions for improvement, lists of inspiring books, or help with a latest project. Without this mentoring, I am sure my education would be vastly different, and not in a positive way. I look forward to being mentored in the future (and realizing that mentoring is what it is).
Third: Inspire, not Require.
I have tried to live by a schedule. I have tried to learn about subjects that I found dull. I’ve done homework assignments that I didn’t find appetizing. And I can say from experience that doing any of the above sucks all the joy out of learning. I love to learn, but when it is a matter of force, rather than a matter of choice, my free spirit bucks at the task. We were born with agency and a strong desire to use it. When this agency is taken away, there is no substitute for it. Not even the most intriguing subject in the world could arouse interest if it is being hoisted upon an unwilling student.
As Thomas Jefferson said, “Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly.” If a person is inspired to read the dictionary, then the dictionary might be fascinating to that person. If a person is assigned to read the dictionary, poor comprehension and bad attitude are far more likely.
Fourth: Structure time, not Content.
I have fallen into the lazy child’s trap far too many times: Write a list of subjects to study, do ten minutes of each, then declare to your mother that your schoolwork is done. In this way you learn as little as possible, leaving the majority of the day free for ‘fun’.
While this plan appeals to the natural man within us all, to the Real You- the part of you that is eager to learn and ready for greatness- finds this plan despicable. It is takes less time to nibble, but only feasting gives real nourishment.
Fifth: Quality, not Conformity.
This key almost speaks for itself. It is better to take the road ‘less traveled by’ and receive a unique and personal education, a Great Education, then to walk the beaten path and receive the education of the masses. It is better to be truly educated in all areas than to be highly trained in one field and unable to make a qualified decision in any other field.
Sixth: Simple, not Complex.
Again, the name of this tool says it all. Why read some professor’s ramblings about Einstein’s theories when you could read Einstein’s theories yourself?
Seventh: You, not Them.
Your education cannot be really Great unless it is YOUR education, an education tailored to fit you, specifically. An education centered on the subjects that will most help you to achieve your mission in life, subjects that will bring out the Real You, is the only kind of education that the youth in these days can afford to have.
The world has no expectations, so we must expect more of ourselves. We must be the leaders of today in order to prepare for tomorrow. We cannot just ride the currents of life without living. Ben Franklin said, “Either write something worth reading, or live in a way that is worth writing about.”
I have started writing my fairy tale. It is time you began writing yours.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
TJED for teens
By: Benjamin Winters
“O Remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of god. (Alma 37)” This scripture gives us a clear and simple definition of our duty as youth. That is, to learn wisdom in our youth. “TJED FOR TEENS” is a great way to learn how to learn. It states clearly several MAJOR principles that can help us fulfill our duty to learn! Today I am going to share these principles found in the book with you!
WE ARE NEEDED!!! This is the first of these major principles, our world REALLY NEEDS US! “The world needs what your generation has to share! It needs you to be your real, best self!” This quote changed my view on learning and brought me to ask myself this question… How can we be our BEST SELF? I believe that the way to be our BEST SELF is to learn as much as we can in our “teen” years. By doing so, we prepare ourselves to help the world become a better place. I believe that that is part of our test on earth. And so we need to do our best to fulfill that task. This quote also tells us that we need to share our gifts. I believe that the best way to do that is to LEARN. Learning is our duty during our teen years and the more learning we do, the more that we will have to share, and the easier it will be to fulfill our life’s mission. I believe that the teen years were given to us because of the learning that we need to do. Learning is vital to our mission in life, if we do not learn; we will not be able to do what we were sent here to do. And if we don’t do what we are expected to do, we are letting down everyone who has put their trust in us!
We know that we are needed, but what is purpose of learning to fulfill our life’s mission, if we don’t have ALLEGIANCE!!! Allegiance helps us to know and realize what our mission is. “It is so important at a young age to choose your allegiance. In fact, your allegiance is the most powerful thing in your whole life because it is the driving force behind virtually all of your actions, choice, and even thoughts.” We must decide whether we will serve God, or not. If we choose God we will be greatly blessed for our choice. In Joshua this scripture is found… “ Choose you this day whom ye will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” This is my “motto, because I have chosen to serve the Lord. If we follow God, then we will be blessed. IT’S AS SIMPLE AS THAT!!! As well as serving the Lord we must show allegiance to our country. By learning as much as we can today, we are preparing to be leaders of tomorrow. We have a duty to our Country as well as to God. And we must do our best to fulfill our duty to both. If we can do so then we will be well on our way to completing the task that we have to perform on earth. All of the great founding fathers chose their allegiance when they were young and were rewarded be being a part of the establishment of our country. If we can choose our allegiance will young, we to can be great.
The last principle I want to focus on is… we are the next generation of leaders in the world. When our parents are too old to move we will be in charge of leading this world. “It is said that when God wants to change the world, he sends a baby—perfectly timed to grow, learn, and prepare and then take action at the right moment. But there are times when one baby won’t suffice, when the challenges facing the world are just too great; and so instead of a great reformer or a few key thinkers, what is needed is a whole generation of leaders.” God knows what is coming MUCH better than we can know, and he knows what it will take to keep this world together. He saved us for our time, he knew that you and I would be born at this time, and he prepared us to fulfill our duty. This quote was by far the most inspiring one of them all. There is a book called “THE FOURTH TURNING” this book talks about the purpose of each generation. Our generation has been called the hero generation, and as such we must act the way the hero generation should act. The world needs us, and we must do our best to be a part of the generation of leaders. If we do we will be taking part in one of the most important things that will happen in our lifetime. However if we don’t get a great education, we will be missing a great moment in our lifetime. The choice is yours, but I personally want to be a part of a great cause!
This book has been the greatest book I have read up to the present date, and for good reason. The whole book was centered on the importance of education and that is the reason that I focused my paper on that important subject, and as we can see, the major principles found in this book, all hang on the others for validity. If we don’t have one of these principles, we don’t have any of them. If we want to follow these principles, we must follow ALL OF THEM!!! I know that this will be a book that I will read many times in the future. And I hope that other youth that have read this GREAT book have felt the same inspiration that I have felt. And I challenge those that have not gotten to read this book, to take the opportunity to learn and READ IT!!! “O Remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth” That is my goal as a young man.
To learn Wisdom in my youth!
“O Remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of god. (Alma 37)” This scripture gives us a clear and simple definition of our duty as youth. That is, to learn wisdom in our youth. “TJED FOR TEENS” is a great way to learn how to learn. It states clearly several MAJOR principles that can help us fulfill our duty to learn! Today I am going to share these principles found in the book with you!
WE ARE NEEDED!!! This is the first of these major principles, our world REALLY NEEDS US! “The world needs what your generation has to share! It needs you to be your real, best self!” This quote changed my view on learning and brought me to ask myself this question… How can we be our BEST SELF? I believe that the way to be our BEST SELF is to learn as much as we can in our “teen” years. By doing so, we prepare ourselves to help the world become a better place. I believe that that is part of our test on earth. And so we need to do our best to fulfill that task. This quote also tells us that we need to share our gifts. I believe that the best way to do that is to LEARN. Learning is our duty during our teen years and the more learning we do, the more that we will have to share, and the easier it will be to fulfill our life’s mission. I believe that the teen years were given to us because of the learning that we need to do. Learning is vital to our mission in life, if we do not learn; we will not be able to do what we were sent here to do. And if we don’t do what we are expected to do, we are letting down everyone who has put their trust in us!
We know that we are needed, but what is purpose of learning to fulfill our life’s mission, if we don’t have ALLEGIANCE!!! Allegiance helps us to know and realize what our mission is. “It is so important at a young age to choose your allegiance. In fact, your allegiance is the most powerful thing in your whole life because it is the driving force behind virtually all of your actions, choice, and even thoughts.” We must decide whether we will serve God, or not. If we choose God we will be greatly blessed for our choice. In Joshua this scripture is found… “ Choose you this day whom ye will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” This is my “motto, because I have chosen to serve the Lord. If we follow God, then we will be blessed. IT’S AS SIMPLE AS THAT!!! As well as serving the Lord we must show allegiance to our country. By learning as much as we can today, we are preparing to be leaders of tomorrow. We have a duty to our Country as well as to God. And we must do our best to fulfill our duty to both. If we can do so then we will be well on our way to completing the task that we have to perform on earth. All of the great founding fathers chose their allegiance when they were young and were rewarded be being a part of the establishment of our country. If we can choose our allegiance will young, we to can be great.
The last principle I want to focus on is… we are the next generation of leaders in the world. When our parents are too old to move we will be in charge of leading this world. “It is said that when God wants to change the world, he sends a baby—perfectly timed to grow, learn, and prepare and then take action at the right moment. But there are times when one baby won’t suffice, when the challenges facing the world are just too great; and so instead of a great reformer or a few key thinkers, what is needed is a whole generation of leaders.” God knows what is coming MUCH better than we can know, and he knows what it will take to keep this world together. He saved us for our time, he knew that you and I would be born at this time, and he prepared us to fulfill our duty. This quote was by far the most inspiring one of them all. There is a book called “THE FOURTH TURNING” this book talks about the purpose of each generation. Our generation has been called the hero generation, and as such we must act the way the hero generation should act. The world needs us, and we must do our best to be a part of the generation of leaders. If we do we will be taking part in one of the most important things that will happen in our lifetime. However if we don’t get a great education, we will be missing a great moment in our lifetime. The choice is yours, but I personally want to be a part of a great cause!
This book has been the greatest book I have read up to the present date, and for good reason. The whole book was centered on the importance of education and that is the reason that I focused my paper on that important subject, and as we can see, the major principles found in this book, all hang on the others for validity. If we don’t have one of these principles, we don’t have any of them. If we want to follow these principles, we must follow ALL OF THEM!!! I know that this will be a book that I will read many times in the future. And I hope that other youth that have read this GREAT book have felt the same inspiration that I have felt. And I challenge those that have not gotten to read this book, to take the opportunity to learn and READ IT!!! “O Remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth” That is my goal as a young man.
To learn Wisdom in my youth!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Timp Summit Photos
By Benjamin Winters:
Doing Hard Things!
(The clouds are water that is evaporating. We could see clouds coming up from the ground!)
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA
By John Baker:
In the last battle, in the end Aslan says:
That the old Narnia was just the shadow of the glorious new paradise, the new Narnia.
That got me thinking that the world right now is a shadow of the real world, the world that we belong in (But we belong in this world right now). And I think that the new Narnia can be symbolic of the Celestial Kingdom. And when the earth ends I think that the Celestial Kingdom will take the place of its shadow.
In the Magicians Nephew Polly asks Aslan if our world is as bad as if our world is as bad as Chaunn (I don’t know how to spell that), then Aslan says: “No. Not yet”. And that would have been a sort of a long time ago and since then the world has grown worse, and it will soon be like Chaunn.
In the Voyage of the “Dawn Treader” I think Aslan’s Country can also be symbolic of the Celestial Kingdom, and since Aslan lives there that He is symbolic of Jesus Christ.
Here are some discussion questions:
1. What do you think the lilies in the Voyage of the “Dawn Treader” are symbolic of?
1. What is the wardrobe in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe symbolic of?
1. Who would be the character who wants something and over comes challenges to get it?
In the last battle, in the end Aslan says:
That the old Narnia was just the shadow of the glorious new paradise, the new Narnia.
That got me thinking that the world right now is a shadow of the real world, the world that we belong in (But we belong in this world right now). And I think that the new Narnia can be symbolic of the Celestial Kingdom. And when the earth ends I think that the Celestial Kingdom will take the place of its shadow.
In the Magicians Nephew Polly asks Aslan if our world is as bad as if our world is as bad as Chaunn (I don’t know how to spell that), then Aslan says: “No. Not yet”. And that would have been a sort of a long time ago and since then the world has grown worse, and it will soon be like Chaunn.
In the Voyage of the “Dawn Treader” I think Aslan’s Country can also be symbolic of the Celestial Kingdom, and since Aslan lives there that He is symbolic of Jesus Christ.
Here are some discussion questions:
1. What do you think the lilies in the Voyage of the “Dawn Treader” are symbolic of?
1. What is the wardrobe in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe symbolic of?
1. Who would be the character who wants something and over comes challenges to get it?
Johnny Tremain
BY JOHN C. BAKER
There are a lot of good things in this book. One thing that I thought was cool is how Mr. Lapham read the bible every day. Another part was when Johnny got the money and he just didn’t think of himself. Another part is on page 7 it Sais the tools fitted his strong, thin hands: his hands fitted the tools. This is my favorite part: it his when Mr. Lorne showed him the library and on page 96 it Sais: It was as if Johnny had been starved before and never known it, he read anything----- everything. I thought it was cool how Rab taught Johnny how to count ten. I thought it was cool how I think it was Otis that said “we will set it as a new sun to lighten the world”. Another part that I liked was when Otis or James Warren said:”we are lucky men, for we have a cause worth dying for. This honor is not given to every generation.
Now that I have read Johnny Tremain, I want to try to more like Rab.
There are a lot of good things in this book. One thing that I thought was cool is how Mr. Lapham read the bible every day. Another part was when Johnny got the money and he just didn’t think of himself. Another part is on page 7 it Sais the tools fitted his strong, thin hands: his hands fitted the tools. This is my favorite part: it his when Mr. Lorne showed him the library and on page 96 it Sais: It was as if Johnny had been starved before and never known it, he read anything----- everything. I thought it was cool how Rab taught Johnny how to count ten. I thought it was cool how I think it was Otis that said “we will set it as a new sun to lighten the world”. Another part that I liked was when Otis or James Warren said:”we are lucky men, for we have a cause worth dying for. This honor is not given to every generation.
Now that I have read Johnny Tremain, I want to try to more like Rab.
Notice
Hi, this is Paije. Every time I work on the blog, my mom's name will appear because the google account is her's we didn't know it would happen this way. Sorry to be confusing. Be sure to put your names on your writings when you give them to me.
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