TJED (tee-jay ed) stands for a philosophy of education explained in the book, A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille. This philosophy was discovered by studying great men and women of history (Thomas Jefferson, in particular) and learning how they were educated and the preparation they received to become the great men and women that helped to shape the world.
As Leo Tolstoy began Anna Karenina, "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." There are unchanging principles that when followed will lead to success and happiness. TJED outlines principles, distilled from history, that will bring success in the education of our children.
The most basic principles are known as "The 7 Keys of Great Teaching" (now 9 keys). Boiled down to their key components the first 7 keys are:
Classics, not Textbooks
Mentors, not Professors
Inspire, not Require
Structure Time, not Content
Quality, not Conformity
Simplicity, not Complexity
You, not Them
To learn more about these keys read this great article The Seven Keys of Great Teaching by Oliver and Rachel DeMille.
When I first read the book A Thomas Jefferson Education, nearly 5 years ago I was so excited, the principles in the book resonated with me, I felt like someone finally had explained the feelings of my heart and soul, feelings and ideas that I didn't even know how to articulate. I have been learning about this philosophy and using its methodology in my home the past 5 years (and even before I had a name for the principles I was following many of them) and I have learned to trust the process. I am seeing amazing results in my children, and more importantly, in me. I hope that you will study these principles and come to understand their effectiveness.
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