My Personal Declaration

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.