Do Hard Things

I am sure it is a tagline somewhere - "Do Hard Things."
Hard things like what?
Take the Hessians on Christmas Morn?
Unite individual states "into a more perfect union"?
Sit for 3 days of class from 9am-4pm?
Spend less time on Facebook?
How about cuff and hem 3 pair of pants?

So I am reading The Core: Teaching your Children the Foundations of Classical Education in preparation for our new school year -Kindergarten and 3 year old pre-school. I am thinking and reading about modern education and how it has been watered down.

My Grandpop never forgot the poems he memorized in grammar school. He could still rattle off "This is the forest primeval..." even in his 90s. To me he is proof  of what a fine grammar school education should look like. They memorized facts, poems etc and they carried the information with them through their life.

These young years, their brains are sponges for information. They soak it up, training their brains to remember information that will be used as they get older. The classical model of education has children memorizing information - some of it seems a little lofty but why not try?

Modern educational practices poo-poo memorization as archaic. They want to use invented spelling and calculators. I have never bought into that but understanding the Classical approach I understand why better.

I want to teach my kids to Do Hard Things. We have a generation of kids who go to schools that have removed rigor from the equation. The rely on calculators, they don't have to memorize time tables. Kids don't or can't do hard things. They want things to be flashy and fun and colorful. We have trained them for that, rather than training them to gain personal satisfaction from achieving something they had to work hard for. ( Realize I am speaking in broad generalizations. )

I am pretty sure my grandpop memorizing poetry for class wasn't flashy - but he worked rigorously and it stuck with him for the duration of his life.

I know there will be protests. I started formulating my responses and I was convicted that I can't ask them to Do Hard Things if I am not also willing to do hard things.

Things like hemming a cuff into 3 pairs of pants or seeking to spend my time better.

So that is my plan, we will strive to do hard things and shrink from rigorous learning.

The Classics

The next few posts will be a short series on Classical insights.

In the fall, we will be joining a Classical Conversations Community. In preparation, I went to a 3 day practicum in June. "Practicum" now there is a word I haven't used since I was in college.

I had some reservations about going. Mostly, could I sit and pay attention from 9-4 for 3 days with just a break for lunch? As it turns out I am able to sit; it helps that the speaker was inspiring. I got a chance to see the daily nitty gritty of this learning approach and also a glimpse of what I hope is the end "product."

I am really excited.

These are the reasons why....