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This is an example of some instructional strategies that are used in Thomas Jefferson Education, TJEd. It is by no means an exhaustive list but it gives a good example of how your student would learn in a TJEd environment.
Mentoring
TJEd emphasizes mentorship, where the teacher acts as a personal guide who models learning, inspires curiosity, and supports the learner’s journey rather than merely delivering content. It is less about direct instruction but a fostering of leadership and character development.
Directions for using this strategy:
Schedule regular one-on-one mentor meetings to discuss the student's personal learning goals and progress on classics and projects.
Model enthusiasm for learning by sharing your own reading insights or challenges from great books, then ask guiding questions like "What spoke to you in this text?"
Assign tailored tasks based on the student's phase with checkpoints for reflection and adjustment.
End each session with encouragement and a specific next step, building the student's ownership and confidence over time.
Discussion Based-Learning
Frequent and meaningful discussions about classic literature, current events, and ideas allow students to deepen understanding, develop reasoning, and engage with diverse perspectives. This would be in place of lectures about books or current events.
Directions for using this strategy:
Select a key question or passage from a classic text and share it with the class.
Arrange students in a circle or a semi-circle to help with engagement. Then they can see who they are talking to.
Facilitate by posing probing follow-ups while having the students respond to each other and the teacher.
Conclude with reflections: Students write down one insight gained and one question for future exploration.
Study of Classics
Rather than relying on modern textbooks, TJEd promotes studying classic works—books and primary sources—by reading together and encouraging deep engagement with timeless ideas. Classic books inspire wisdom, character, and leadership though direct encounters rather than summaries in text books.
Directions for using this strategy:
Select age-appropriate classics and assign the reading, either the whole book or select chapters at a time before having the discussion.
Guide seminar style discussion on either findings of the teacher or the students. Allowing for time for them to talk about the book, connections made, and ideas they found.
After discussion have students write in their commonplace books one insight and one question.
Project Based-Learning
Students pursue projects rooted in their own interests, which gives them opportunities to learn by doing, apply knowledge creatively, and experience the relevance of their education. This allows the students to apply classics to real-world challenges.
Directions for using this strategy:
Present a driving question/problem tied to a classic and let the students brainstorm plans about how they would approach the question or problem.
Provide resources like additional texts and mentor meetings to give the students feedback on their progress.
Have mid-project reflections where the students share progress, challenges, and any adjustments they want to make.
Culminate with student presentations to an audience followed by a debrief on how they felt things went.
Tiered Assignments
Assignments are tailored to match students’ interests, readiness, and ability, allowing them to work at their own level of challenge and complexity, as recommended for flexible, individualized environments. This helps if there are students in different phases of development.
Directions for using this strategy:
Provide clear rubrics for the tiers emphasizing the same essential understanding; allow student choice of tier with mentor meetings to help with guidance and planning.
Review work individually, offering feedback that is tier appropriate and offers real help to that student and what they need to progress.
Structured Time-Not Content
Teachers provide structured time for study, exploration, and creativity, allowing learners the freedom to direct their focus and develop ownership of their educational process. This is done without micromanaged curricula.
Directions for using this strategy:
Establish a daily schedule with fixed study blocks chosen collaboratively with the student.
Stock the space with classics, journals, and resources; start with a brief huddle to go over direction.
Let the students work at their pace completing their projects during the time block you have established.
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