The above question is one that is asked frequently both inside of Leadership Education circles and out…
by people who are just curious about what you’re doing…
and those that are attempting to do it “correctly.”
Age integration with relevance is something that many people struggle with.
Face it, we’re used to being with our peers…
all through the public or private school educational process.
Then BAM!…
We’re out in the “real world”…
where we get to work with people of all ages.
Regularly.
Because society is like that.
It isn’t into having us “line up at the office…”
Or “stay with those that are our age.”
These practices aren’t overly conducive to the “feel” of corporate America…
or day to day living.
I hope that by sharing this post with you today…
you’ll get a small glimpse of how our family has done it.
Not that we’re perfect models.
But we have had really good results.
Which is why I’m on here yacking with you precious people day after day.
I wish to high heaven that you’d choose to respond!
It’s really quite simple.
Go to the bottom of ANY post…
and where the “three little pictures” are…
to the right of them or below them…
is a tiny “comments” in red.
If you click on it…
it takes you to a box where you can leave your thoughts.
Then they will post.
Pretty elementary, huh?
In light of the fact no less that three people have inquired how to do this…
just this week…
I am extending the giveaways until Wednesday!
You can do it…
really.
Hope you’ve “felt the LOVE” this Valentine’s weekend!
A “Family Field Trip to the Lincoln Shrine” as seen through the eyes of TommyMom...
First, you find something really worthwhile to attend.
If you happen to live in Southern California…
the Lincoln Shrine would be one of those things.
And with Lincoln’s birthday being this past week…
coupled with the invitation to attend one of only two events held at the Shrine annually…
this would fall under the definition of “worthwhile” in our family.
Which means, “Head ‘em up, Move ‘em in…RAWHIDE!”…
Sorry, I’ll try to contain myself.
Got swept up in the moment there!
We’ve actually been to the Shrine twice this month.
We’re studying the Civil War this year…
And things that were going on in the world during that time period.
We use a great methodology…
that is a total hand-in-glove fit with Leadership Education.
More on that at the FATJEF with Karen Kindrick Cox.
We won’t discuss how trip #1…
nearly involved a ticket from local law enforcement for Son #3.
Surprise, surprise…
(More on that later.)
Every phase of learning can benefit from a trip such as this.
Knowing the phases and the Seven Keys would be most beneficial.
Having your students/”mentees” know and execute them as well…
is heaven!
Perhaps something to aspire to?…
Fairly soon?
If you don’t grasp those, you have little to aim for…
execution is frustrating and poor.
Here we go:
Scholar and above: Note Civil War surgical techniques. Contrast those with the current events in Haiti, and procedures being used there.
How do they compare? Give specifics, please ( written or oral…just want to “know that you get it.”)
What does Libelous mean? How would you use this word today, or would you at all? Comparable adjective?
Do you think that Jefferson Davis was a traitor? Why do you think he believed what he did and acted upon it? Could you do the same?
Why is this sculpture so rare? What is the controversy surrounding it?
It is said that Mary Todd Lincoln was “nuts.”
Many think that she suffered from undiagnosed bi-polar disorder. What is it? What do you think her “problem” was?
Could her mental issues, in your opinion, be tied to the deaths of multiple children? Explain from your perspective.
Her one surviving son eventually institutionalized her for a time. She never forgave him.
How does this line up with your personal worldview where your parents/family are concerned?
How about your core? Your core book’s thoughts on honor, respect, tough times and issues?
What do you think you would do, if faced with this choice/personal hardship as an adult child?
Let’s look at “battle gear”, utensils, uniforms…
Converse with the reinactment troops present to gain insight into…
Indispensable gear…
battle strategies, different weaponry.
“Provisions, shelter.”
Love of Learning, Core…
“Meet” Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln…
“See” how he continues to affect even pop culture by watching “his episode” of Star Trek!
“How can YOU “Live Long and Prosper, baby?!”
Look! Lincoln Logs!
And a cute little girl dressed in period costume to construct them with…GO #5!
Whoa, #4, you’re “thinkin’ it through!”
Nice.
Yes, I can “get a close up of it before someone wrecks it.”
Hardtack anyone?
Notice the “real deal” in upper right corner, top shelf…why didn’t it ever mold?!?
What is it made of?
What is scurvy and what caused it?
How does hardtack taste?
N…
A-S…
T-Y.
Unanimous vote of where it belongs?
Great “deal breaker” discussion on what it takes to preserve/perpetuate freedom, sacrifices made, whether or not you could deny yourself a well rounded diet, clothing, other seeming “necessities” for the sake of freedom…
and on and on it goes!
Yep! Just another…
Beautiful day…
In the “Leadership Education Neighborhood.”
this doesn’t even weigh in on the docent discussions, many of whom are veterans of at least one, if not multiple wars!
examples: Sherman’s March to the Sea: Was it a good strategy? Who else in history parallels his philosophies? Any of our other generals that you can think of, past or present?
What about the “necessity” of war? What is it really like to “be there?”
Discussions on the virtues of our leaders during the Civil War…
What would it really take for Robert E. Lee to get through Westpoint without a demerit? Is it even humanly possible from your perspective?
Life is good!
Hope you got somethin’!
Leave a comment!
What a great place! When was it built? I grew up in Whittier (left in about 82) and never heard of it before.
We are doing the EPIC Adventure A Noble Birthright: Defending the Title of Liberty this year. Loving it! Wish we had somewhere nearby like this for the Revolutionary War (we live in Northern NV). We do get the Civil War Re-enactors every year both here in Gardnerville as well as up in Virginia City (did you know Nevada came to be a state because of the Civil War? Our motto or slogan or some such thing is “Battle Born” I’ll challenge you to look up why.)
I agree with the world not being set up the way the conveyor belt is, except for in corporate America there is a similar thing but instead of being based on age it is based on status. Just like the 5th graders would never sit and eat with the 1st graders, so the CEO’s would never go out to lunch with the secretarial pool members. So in a way, the conveyor belt does train people to accept this class system in some ways.
I went to a conference for special needs kids transitioning into adult life and was asking about how long my son can still be in the public system (for a band class, that is). They said probably until about 19 even though the law says he is to be given a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) until age 22 under the IDEA laws. They said no school would want anyone over age 19 in their classes with the other kids, regardless of where he is developmentally. They’d put him into the public college arena, even though he wouldn’t fit there academically or developmentally. I asked if age was the only consideration – what his birth certificate said, not what he needed developmentally. The woman giving the class said yes. Then she paused and thought about it and said, “That sounds bad.” I said, yes it does and it is.
Another reason not to be on the conveyor belt. Really only works for those who are “average”. Anyone ahead by more than a year or behind for more than a year is out of luck. They are still stuck with their age peers.
Keep up the good work, Teri
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Teri Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 10:16 am
@jody: Battle Born is but one of three nicknames for the state of Nevada. This particular one is due to the fact that it entered the union during the Civil War and its statehood was rushed so that Lincoln could ensure re-election. It actually entered the union on Halloween! ;0) And it entered the union on “The Union” side of the war. Thanks, Jody for the trivia…will be certain to share it with Sons #1-#5 today! XO~Teri ;0)
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I didn’t know about the Lincoln museum either and I live in So Cal. Thank you for the awareness boost! Yes, and this year I have the seven keys outlined in my planner to look at on a regular basis to gauge how I am doing on each one. I love the ideas that you shared and how you could bring the experience to all of your children at the different levels of their learning and understanding. I love the freedom that leadership education provides by not pigeon-holing children into “age-based” activities. Sometimes my six year old will weigh in on issues and discussions that I think went way over her head. Thanks for being such an inspiration, Teri!
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Amen to that Erika! Very insightful post & comments. So that place is in Whittier? That is totally cool. Looks like a fun outing! Thanks for sharing that experience.
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Amen to that Erika! Very insightful post & comments. So that place is in Whittier? Totally cool. Looks like a fun outing. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
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Okay, so that was pretty good. I submitted my comment, but the response I got said the webpage was not found. So I went on yours again and my comment wasn’t there. I tried to remember what I had written and it now appears I remember better than I previously thought.
The 2nd time it said it didn’t post either so I came to my brother’s desktop and found both comments and they are almost identical. Okay, I know I seem very impressed with my memory right now. That’s ’cause it hasn’t been functioning too well since the birth of my first child. 
Anyway, I really did enjoy reading this post and loved the insight from the subsequent comments. Jody, your experience with your son is incredible and just opened my eyes to the narrow mindedness of “the system”. Thanks for sharing that. I enjoy hearing from different people to learn how each one deals with different challenges in educating their children. Thanks much!
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Okay, okay, I’ll comment; just because I’m a “word junkie”….I love to learn new words. The word “libelous” was new to me, so I took the challenge and here’s what I found (according to dictionary.com).
li-bel-ous (lahy-buh-(luhs)
-adjective; British origin
containing, constituting, or involving a libel; maliciously defamatory.
The accusation was libelous, full of falsehoods, spite and malice.
So there Tommymom…you’ve added a new word to my vocabulary, and more, of course!
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Love the pictures, Teri! And your text formatting makes it so fun and easy to read your posts.
Very funny about the hard tack – that sure gives kids a perspective on the life of a soldier through the ages, eh? So now go buy them a few different MREs and do a comparison study. The little guys will eat that up (HA HA)then you can see which meal gives them more fighting power – hard tack or MREs. What a good science experiment!
Mr. Lincoln is a dead ringer! Tell them to come up to Utah and do a traveling exhibit at Colonial Square in Provo or Liberty Land in Utah County. They will pack them in, guaranteed.
Read the CFA Abe Lincoln Biography by Augusta Stevenson – one of my favorite bios for young people.
Keep up the great posts!
Diann Jeppson
[Reply]
Teri Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
@Diann: Yes, this is THE Diann Jeppson…in case you’re wondering…Hey, guys! What a GREAT science experiment she is offering…She’s pretty good for stuff like that, ya know? Perhaps we’ll keep her around! ;0)
Thanks for the comments and ideas, Diann.
And I think that Mr. Lincoln travels…maybe you should contact him. ;0) ~Teri
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Teri,
I love how you connect the history with current day relevence. I recently saw a documentary of Mrs. Lincoln and it seems that she had quite a shopping addiction as well. She ran up her accounts all around Washington and kept her purchases secret from her husband. Boy, that sounds like current day foder.
Joelle
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Hey Teri … this is great stuff! I’d love to talk with you more about your approach to educating your boys. Your post ALMOST makes me wish we lived in So Cal!
I still remember our Camp Arnold days fondly!
Kari
[Reply]
Teri Reply:
February 18th, 2010 at 12:13 am
@Kari: Hey, friend! It’s great to hear from you! I would LOVE to talk with you more as well. I went to your blog and left a comment many moons ago, but it came back as an “error!”
THIS, my dear, will be the bain of my cyberspace existence as you will soon find out…I have many many calls in to Bill Gates…but so far, he’s not responding! ;0)
Hope you return, dear friend of mine! Great to find you after all these years! Did you read my posts about the Salvation Army?!
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Wait…what…this wonderful museum is NEAR ME??? Seriously??? Looks like it’s time for a fieldtrip for me!
Thank you for this wonderful info and all the great pictures…
One does leave me wondering…3 Brothers, 2 Police Officers and 1 Dad…
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