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Teachers As Leaders In The Curriculum

Is it possible for teachers to guide leaders in instruction? Can they encourage your children to become leaders in the future? Well, the first thing you can do in forming your children to become leaders is changing your own education paradigm.

"Why is there a need to change from your paradigm right now?"

Most of us grew up in a public or private school, which can be likened to a factory. All the students come to the factory or the school. They start in kindergarten and move on to first grade, down the conveyor belt. At each stage of the conveyor belt (or grade level), the student learns the exact same information as everyone else. The students are told what to think. Even though the school may be using tools like classics, the school's approach to education only teaches students "what to think".

Too often, teachers lecture and "force-feed" information to their students. Please know I do not believe lectures are bad; they have a place. But too often, teachers lecture, telling their students what to think about the readings. Later on, tests are given to determine if the student knows what the teacher thinks about the readings, not what the students discover about the readings. John Gatto says it well.

After you fall into the habit of accepting what other people tell you to think, you lose the power to think for yourself. John Taylor Gatto, A Different Teacher, 2002

When you are continually being force-fed with information, you start to become dependent and have difficulty in thinking for yourself. To become future leaders, it is important to modify your education paradigm that you use with your children.

Are you like the teacher who requires textbooks for every learning activity? That's one way of developing your child to become a follower. Everyone thinks students are not knowledgeable enough to evaluate a particular topic so they depend on the textbook to explain it. Too often, students just learn to read and master only what the textbook wants them to learn. This type of education is very limiting to the student's capability to think and learn.

Ponder for a moment. Textbooks give students questions to answer. If the student can answer the chosen questions on a test, he can move on to the next piece of information. Textbooks do not encourage students to think outside of the answers in the teacher's manual. This model has provided our society with highly trained, but poorly educated graduates.

Leadership education takes a different approach to curriculum. One of the essential elements of leadership education is teaching how to think. I don't think your children should complete their education and not know how to think on their own. Shifting your educational model from "what to think" to "how to think" can be a major change in your life. Below are some practical ways to set a foundation for this type of education by starting with yourself.

As you teach your children how to think, you might see a lifestyle change for your entire family. Leadership education ultimately involves the family as a whole. Initially, it takes much effort from a parent because you must be involved in learning and growing yourself. You can not hand over some workbooks and say "go for it". Workbooks merely teach your children what to think, not how to think.

Where should you start? Begin by reading a classic. That is one way to start your learning as a parent or teacher. Find something that interests you. A young adult classics list is a good way to find one if you are not sure what to read. After reading one, get another. Continue doing this four or five times. This is a good way to begin your own education.

As your children see their parents studying and learning, they begin to have a different idea of what education is all about. You will be excited about what you are learning and want to share it with your own children.

After reading four or five classic books, incorporate a writing session. Keep a reading journal at your side when reading the sixth one. Write what you think about the classic and then share it with someone. Sharing your insights with others is vital to becoming a leader yourself, so model this for your children.

On to your own children! When starting with your kids, read aloud a classic together. The first one should be for enjoyment purposes only. If they are not used to it at first, its better to read several before going to the journal making and discussion part.If you think they are ready, request them to write in their special journal after each reading. Next, start a discussion about what your children wrote.

Francis Bacon said, "Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man." Reading, writing and discussing is foundational to developing students who think for themselves. If you want your children to be leaders, they must think on their own and classics are the best place to start.

Article Source: http://www.inpop.net

Kerry Beck has been featured in magazines and podcasts and would like parents to discover the best leadership education homeschool curriculum by offering parents a free report, " What Is Leadership In Education "?

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