It wasn’t long after I completed my masters degree that I realized just how useless my overpriced education truly was. Don’t get me wrong, the Queens College Birth-2 Special Education program is as good as they come. The teachers are hands on and give the effort that every student deserves from a teacher. My education was useless in how little it provided in terms of real world practical skills Think of your own experience When you graduated college did you have unique value that could be provided to employers. Did you know the first thing about business? What about after you graduated college? What about after you graduated a masters program? Don’t worry if you haven’t done the latter. The point is that my set of skills did not match the $100,000+ dollars in loans taken out for college. The one thing my degrees did provide was a piece of paper that widened my legal employment options. How is it that my education provided so little in terms of real world skills and experience? What did my education lack that other people’s educations must have provided?
John Taylor Gatto, who won the New York City Teacher of the Year Award in 1989, 1990, and 1991, as well as the New York State Teacher of the Year in 1991, set out to investigate the above questions. Gatto studied the curriculums of the most prestigious private schools in America. He found 14 lessons taught at these elite institutions that are not taught to the general public.
- Students form a unique theory on human nature. What makes people tick. The theory is derived from history, philosophy, theology, literature, and law.
- Strong experience with active literacies: Reading, writing, and public speaking.
- Insight into major institutional forms: courts, corporations, military, and education.
- Repeated exercises in good manors and politeness.
- Independent work – students drive 80% of workload.
- Physical sports are a necessity.
- Students form a “theory of access” on how to get access to any person or institution.
- Responsibility is an essential part of the curriculum. Always take responsibility when offered and always deliver more than is asked.
- Arrival at a personal code of standards. Students create their own standards of production and standards in morality.
- Be at ease with the arts. Art, music, sculpting, architecture, painting, dance, design, literature, and drama.
- The power of accurate observation and recording.
- The ability to deal with challenges of all sorts. Can a shy student routinely engage in public speaking?
- A habit of caution in reasoning to conclusions.
- The constant development in the testing of judgment. Make long range predictions and the track how accurate they are.
We often hear people complain about the advantageous the rich have over the poor and middle class. Very few people take the time to figure out what the rich do and replicate it. John Taylor Gatto was a rare person His books, Duming Us Down & Weapons of Mass Instruction are must reads for any parent. Gatto also completed a five hour interview with Richard Grove of Tragedy & Hope shortly before passing. You can get it here:
At Classical Learner we carryon the spirit of John Taylor Gatto. Click here to schedule a one on one consultation. Consultations include:
- One on one phone conversation with Brett Pike.
- Your family situation and how you can better educate your children to prepare them for the real world.
- The development of talent Stacks – set of skills that correlate with entrepreneurial and/ or career success.
- A focus on Feedback Based Learning – Learning through engaging in real world activities.
- The development of in-home culture ripe for educational success/ child development.
- Development of Creative Excellence – A combination of talents that allow children to take any thoughts and materialize them into the real world. Children who excel in art, music, computer coding, carpentry, and engineering are capable of bringing their imagination to life.
Classical Learner guides parents to remain on “The Gatto Track” by focusing on his 14 principles taught by elite private schools.
- Develop unique theories on human nature; a theory of access; systems of morality; understanding of institutions.
- Teach parents and students “The Classical Trivium (Reading, Writing, and Public Speaking).
- A focus on child driven work and personal responsibility.
- Guidance on the proper sports, clubs, and extra curricula activities students should part take in.
- The development of Creative Excellence.
- Learning “how to think” over “what to think”.
- “Level Up Theory” – when and how parents should encourage children to take on new and potentially uncomfortable challenges.
You wouldn’t let a random person manage your money, so why let a State assigned teacher manage your child’s intellectual development.
Brett Pike – The Parent Guide