Leo Lionni's Fish is Fish and the liberal arts education

I love books by Leo Lionni!  He is a great children's author and illustrator.  One of my favorites is called Fish is Fish.  The story is about two best friends, one a tadpole and the other a minnow.  Then, as is normal for all tadpoles, he starts to grow appendages - legs, arms - and then he reaches his physical potential, a frog.  Frog can no longer stay under the water with his best friend Fish.  He leaves the pond to explore the world.  Frog is gone a long time.  But eventually he returns to the pond where Fish and Frog spent their childhood together.

Frog relates all of his extraordinary experiences to Fish.  But with the limited experience Fish has in his limited pond world, all his brain can picture as Frog is relating all the different animals and people he has encountered are creatures with scales and fins.  Fish wanting to see the world for himself jumps out of the water and onto land and soon realizes he cannot breath.  Frog hears Fish yelling for help, hurries to the rescue, and pushes Fish back into the pond.  And Fish concludes, "Fish is fish."

We need more Frogs in this world through liberal education, or in other words, students who have broad knowledge and skills.  Prior the the 20th century, the majority of students received a liberal arts education.  This type of education ensures not only a free human being but also a society founded on freedom.  This happens because instead of specialization and regurgitation of meaningless facts and standardized testing, students learn a wide range of subjects. They are able to think for themselves as they go to the original sources to learn and to experiment and most importantly to experience!  Physics, logic, mathematics, literature, biology, history, foreign languages (especially Latin, Greek, and Hebrew), physical fitness such as dance, music, and anything else that can be conjured up to study come alive through a liberal arts education! Students have greater confidence in themselves and gain a sense of adventure as liberal arts learning weaves each "subject" into a holistic wholeness instead of unrelated compartments.  The door of the world of opportunity is opened wide.

I feel empathy toward Fish who is limited in his little world.  But of course, with him, it is not a choice.  He has his physical limitations and will literally die by defying it.  For the rest of us, we most likely do not have limitations. So what is stopping you? Go get that education you deserve and the world needs!

To  get started, you can read from The Great Books, or start with Shakespeare's works (wonderful for insight on human nature!), or order a dissection kit from a science supply store, or do math problems that are challenging.  Need more ideas? Do an internet search on obtaining a  liberal arts education. And most of all, have fun!!! I know I am!

Grow up to be Frog NOT Fish.

Hogwash, is it?

Definition of hogwash: 1. nonsense; 2. meaningless or insincere talk.

Why would I start out this post with that word and define it, especially since it has been months since the last time I have written? It is to say that when you use the power of visualization and affirmations, good things come to pass. They happen!

And so much has happened since my last writing! I really did not start off with the intention of neglecting Model of Leadership Education...really. But I have so many "hats" that I wear that it is getting hard to keep up with everything.

So what is this "hogwash" I speak of??? It definitely is NOT nonsense! A leader simply leads, wouldn't you agree? I have been leading. My life is full of leadership activity. And much I owe to the non-hogwash activity in my life.

Approximately one year ago, I had a horrible asthma attack. It was my first major one in about 10 years. And since I did not have any medication available, I went to Urgent Care to see the doctor and get a prescription. Little did I know how that visit would change my life. The doctor on staff told me that according to my blood tests a year ago, I was diabetic. She went on to explain what medications I would need to take. I declined the medications respectfully saying most prescription drugs do more harm than good in the long run. I also said, "I got my body into this mess. I will get it out of this mess the right way." The doctor lowered her voice as if not wanting to be heard by others and said to me, "I don't like prescribing medications either."

I started eating nutritionally sound and following the food plan found in the book Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. This book was referred to me by a friend that had lost 45 pounds in 5 months and she looked and felt great! When I went back to the doctor three weeks later for results to follow-up tests, I had lost 9 pounds and ALL tests were normal (blood sugar levels, cholesterol,etc). My regular doctor said I was a super healthy 46 year old woman and wished more people would take charge of their own health.

Since that time, I have been hired to do public relations for the gym where I rock climb. I go to health fairs throughout the surrounding communities talking to people about the importance of exercise and of course, promoting the gym. I have spoken at a leadership conference about the importance of taking charge of our own health. And I started teaching yoga classes. I have competed in my first two triathlons, ran various 5Ks, and ran my first half marathon (13.1 miles). I do Cross Fit, Insanity, Tap Out, Zumba fitness dance, Kickboxing, hiked 12 miles on the TransCatalina trail, and of course, my passion -- rock climbing.

My many other "hats" include being on the Arlanza Community Garden Council, teaching American Sign Language and Art to 5 - 8 year olds, mentoring 13 - 15 year old young men scholars to be leaders and entrepreneurs, involved in an adult book colloquium to enhance my own leadership skills, and interpret for Deaf community members. Family life is good. My personal life is full and happy.

In my journal, I have pasted pictures of things I want to do and how I want to be. I have written my own mantras or affirmations on my life's philosophy. Affirmations and visualization works. I have transformed into someone I never imagined. And all because of an asthma attack. Hogwash, you say? I think not!

A truly educated man...by Ezra Taft Benson

One of my heroes - Ezra Taft Benson - because his insight on human nature and surroundings came from his reading of the classics including an extensive knowledge of our US Constitution and other founding documents:

Ezra Taft Benson was born on August 4, 1899 on a farm in Whitney, Idaho and was the oldest of 11 children.

In 1953, he was appointed as the United States Secretary of Agriculture by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.  Mr. Benson  openly opposed government price supports and aid to farmers calling that a form of socialism.

Some of his published works include An Enemy Hath Done This, The Constitution: A Heavenly Banner, and The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson.  He also wrote a pamphlet called "The Proper Role of Government" and can be read here:  http://www.zionsbest.com/proper_role.html.

The following quote comes from his book The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson (page 304):  "With the abundance of books available, it is the mark of a truly educated man to know what not to read.  Do not make your mind a dumping ground for other people's garbage.  It is harder to purge the mind of rotten reading than to purge the body of rotten food, and it is more damaging to the soul."

I love this quote because it is true.  Our choice of reading material has an influence on us for good or not so good. By choosing to read from the classics, we are on the path to become educated people.

In the book A Thomas Jefferson Education (on pages 62 - 66), the author Oliver DeMille lists six reasons to study the classics.

1.  The classics teach us human nature.
2.  The classics bring us face-to-face with greatness.
3.  The classics take us to the frontier to be conquered (the frontier within).
4.  The classics force us to think.
5.  The classics connect us to stories.
6.  Our canon becomes our plot.

We can have a positive impact on others by establishing a habit of reading from classics because they change us for the better! Read on!

The great teacher .....

The mediocre teacher tells.
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires!

I am looking forward to being inspired tomorrow (Saturday, March 3rd, 2012) at the Thomas Jefferson Education Forum in Rancho Cucamonga. www.fatjef.com

I remember the teachers who helped inspire me when I was in school. Do your remember yours? It's up to us to pay it forward and be an inspiration to others around us.

Busy, busy, busy! But I'm being mentored by a true leader!

I have been so busy helping with the Thomas Jefferson Education Forum in Rancho Cucamonga on March 3, 2012 that I have not posted anything in a while. But it has been a learning experience for me and I am grateful to say that I am being mentored through example from a true leader. The founder of the FATJEF (www.fatjef.com)  is Deena Ortiz. This will be the fifth annual one held for the Inland Empire and surrounding areas. She asked me to help her coordinate and confirm speakers, take care of any requests they may need, make sure bios and session descriptions are up-to-date, etc.

And since I am privy to the behind-the-scenes details of making sure this forum is a go, I also know that the state of the economy has affected the number of people registered for this event to be lower than other years while the rent of venue has increased.  So when I found this out, I sincerely asked Deena, "What do you want to do? Will this leadership conference still go on even if you lose money? How much money are you willing to lose?" Her response was an inspiration to me, something only someone who has invested in a leadership education would respond. She said that even if she had to lose out on the few thousand dollars it would take to allow it to take place, she (and of course, with her husband's support) knew that this leadership forum has such an important message, even crucial to the sustaining of liberty for our country, that it MUST happen! I know the family is not abounding in money, but they do budget for philanthropy every year. This would just come out of that budget - simple as that.

Now that is a leader; she is truly displaying virtue - doing what is best for the whole with no regard to what would be best for self.


And here is what Thomas Jefferson said about the importance of continuing education of the people and why it is crucial. Our present state of liberty is diminishing and we need to act.

Convinced that the people are the only safe depositories of their own liberty, and that they are not safe
unless enlightened to a certain degree, I have looked on our present state of liberty as a short-lived
possession unless the mass of the people could be informed to a certain degree.
--Thomas Jefferson to Littleton Waller Tazewell, 1805

And that is why the forum must go on! I hope (really) that some of you will attend. People are donating their time and resources to bring you information that can cause a positive transformation in your life and in the lives of those around you. Most are not receiving one single penny except what they might sell in the vendor hall (more examples of leaders in action).

And for that I am truly grateful for my mentor, and she probably does not even know it...but I do. And that makes all the difference in my life.

A Fence or An Ambulance

Last week, a friend of mine shared with me a poem called A Fence or An Ambulance written in 1895 by Joseph Malins. This is a poetic case for the value of prevention, or in other words, the importance of character building. So I did a search for it and I was impressed with this video that came up. I am sharing it with you.
http://www.characterfirst.com/aboutus/video/Fence/

My first year of homeschooling, 10 families created a co-op where we met once a week. The class I was assigned to co-teach used the first book from the curriculum Character First. It was a fun, hands-on year for my sons' first year away from the public school system. I loved teaching Character First!

During this same year, I continued my life long learning so I could become a better educator for my children and others around me. I became familiar with Charlotte Mason, an educator in the 1800's. In her 6th volume, p. 147, she writes, "But the function of education is not to give technical skill but to develop a person; the more of a person, the better the work of whatever kind." 

This is what leadership education does. It develops character so that no matter what work an individual does, he or she is leading out and doing the best "work of that kind" whether it's being a doctor, a librarian, a tow truck drive, etc. work ethic is exemplary not due to compulsion but because it is instilled; it is second nature. An ambulance isn't needed because the fence was built around the cliff.

So let's go build a "fence" ...  because our character depends on it.

Leadership Education Forum in Rancho Cucamonga - March 3, 2012

Here comes a great local-to-me conference that I have attended for the last 4 years. It has been an inspiration and great training for what leadership education truly is. If you can attend, I cannot recommend it highly enough. I hope to see you there!  Please feel free to pass this information to anyone who would benefit. It would be great for public school teachers and business managers/owners as well.  ~ Maria 


The Fifth Annual Thomas Jefferson Education Forum (FATJEF) in Southern California is scheduled for Saturday, March 3, 2012, at the Goldy S. Lewis Community Center, 11200 Baseline Road, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739.

We are thrilled to have Andrew Pudewa returning as our keynote speaker.  He is a most entertaining and informative speaker and a strong advocate of Leadership Education. You can find out more about him at his website:  http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/andrew-pudewa.

There will be a concurrent youth symposium for your scholar-age youth, and the keynote speaker for the youth will be Dr. Shanon Brooks, president of Monticello College and co-author of the book, A Thomas Jefferson Education for Teens.  You can read more about Dr. Brooks at the Monticello College website: http://www.monticellocollege.org/ or you can follow his blog at http://shanonbrooks.com/

More details about the event -- other speakers, exhibitors, etc. -- will be sent over the next couple of weeks, and we will be updating the website as well so start checking it regularly for updates -- and typos, which I hope you will point out to me  :-)

The cost is $55 per adult or $90 for a couple (same family) and includes lunch.

The cost for the youth conference is $35 and includes lunch.

To register, download the registration form here:  http://fatjef.com/thomasjeffersoneducationincalifornia/images/2012fatjefApplication.pdf

Please mail your completed registration form and a check to:

Deena Ortiz

13727 Smokestone Street

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739

Feel free to call me with any questions at 909-899-9869 or email me at deena.ortiz@gmail.com .  Also feel free to pass this message on to others.

We look forward to seeing you in just seven weeks.

~Deena~

FATJEF Coordinator

The Animal School: A Fable by George Reavis

The Animal School was written by George Reavis when he was an Assistant Superintendent of the Cincinnati Public Schools in the 1940's. The book can be purchased at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1884548318/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=9224151549&ref=pd_sl_464gr9mdhp_b

An amzing video to this impactful fable can also be found at: http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/ or YouTube with the words cut off at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8limRtHZPs

The Animal School: A Fable

Once upon a time, the animals decided they must do something heroic to meet the problems of a "new world." So they organized a school. They had adopted an activity curriculum consisting of running, climbing, swimming, and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects.

The duck was excellent in swimming, even better than the instructor.  But he made only passing grades in flying and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to stay after school and also drop swimming in or order to practice running.  This was kept up until his webbed feet were badly worn and he was only average in swimming. But average was acceptable in school so nobody worried about that except the duck.

The rabbit started at the top of the class in running but had a nervous breakdown because of so much makeup work in swimming.

The squirrel was excellent in climbing until he developed frustration in the flying class where his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of the treetop down. He also developed a charlie horse from overexertion and then got a "C" in climbing and a "D" in running.

The eagle was a problem child and was disciplined severely, In the climbing class, he beat all the others to the top of the tree but insisted on using his own way to get there.

At the end of the year, an abnormal eel that could swim exceedingly well and also run, climb, and fly a little had the highest average and was valedictorian.

The prairie dogs stayed out of school and fought the tax levy because the administration would not add digging and burrowing to the curriculum. They apprenticed their children to a badger and later joined the groundhogs and gophers to start a successful private school.

And the moral of the story is ........?

In the last post, I shared my experience in kindergarten and how further schooling had a negative impact on my artistic ability. I know you have similar stories in your life. I would LOVE your feedback on your personal experiences and what you have done to overcome or maybe you never overcame!

Something WAS truly missing!

There will be times when I will be sharing with you from the depths of my soul because of my personal experiences. This is one of them. Today's post comes from a story found in the book A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the 21st Centurey by Oliver DeMille Chapter 2 and how it relates to my childhood education.

A young boy was so excited to be starting school! He ran past his mother into his classroom and eagerly waved goodbye to her. As his teacher pointed out his new desk, he couldn't stop smiling and thinking how he loved to learn new things. The teacher started an art lesson and handed out crayons and paper. She said they would be drawing. His creative mind had hundreds of ideas race past it ... landscapes, his family, his pets, inventions... He started to draw. But his teacher stopped him and said they would be drawing flowers. Oh, how marvelous! He thought of white daisies, yellow daffodils, red roses, pink carnations, purple violets and lilacs, gardens full of all the colors of the rainbow. So he started to draw. Again, the teacher interrupted him and said they would be drawing a specific kind of flower. On the chalkboard, she drew with colored chalk, a green stem with two leaves and four identical pink petals. Eager to please his teacher, the boy dutifully copied her drawing. After a few attempts, his looked identical to hers. She praised him for his good work.

He became a model student learning to listen, obey instructions, and get the correct answers on tests. His parents and teacher were so proud of him. As his continued in his schooling, he was enrolled in the gifted and talented program. One day, his next teacher handed out crayons and paper so they could draw a picture. He waited until she gave instructions. After a few minutes of him sitting there, she noticed he wasn't drawing and asked, "Don't you like to draw?" He said he loved to draw but was waiting for her to assign something. She replied by saying, "Draw whatever you like." The boy sat for a long time wondering what he should draw. Finally, with a burst of creative inspiration, he picked up two crayons to draw ... a green stem with with two leaves and four identical pink petals.    The End ... or is it?

In my kindergarten year, my teacher was amazed at the art talent I displayed even at such a young age. She would encourage me to paint even when other children were doing other things. She would bring in other teachers to show off my work. With pride in her voice, she spoke to my parents and encouraged them to sign a form allowing one of my paintings to be sent in to a local art contest. I remember earning a first place ribbon but not after judges spoke with my mother to verify that no adult including herself did help me with the art piece. She verified that it was my own  and that I received no adult help. I was ecstatic with my winning ribbon - 1st place!

Two years later of compulsory education: While in 2nd grade, my former kindergarten teacher asked me to return to her classroom so I could paint a picture for her students. I remember how difficult this task seemed and how crude my painting appeared. I remember looking into my former teacher's face and seeing a look of pain. I remember her speaking with other teachers also in the room and saying how only two years had passed and how far I had digressed in my artistic ability. And that is the first of many realizations in my compulsory education, my public schooling, that I realized that SOMETHING WAS TRULY MISSING!

In my next post, we will learn about the Animal School. I LOVE it! I know you will too!

The Object of Education

Robert Maynard Hutchins said, "The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives." True leadership education inspires an individual to continue a life long pursuit of learning.

Robert Maynard Hutchins was someone who understood this. He was an educational philosopher who was a part of a controversial educational reform while president of the University of Chicago implementing the use of the Great Books along with Socratic discussion on campus. In 1953, he authored The University of Utopia. The following quote comes from it: "The object of the educational system, taken as a whole, is not to produce hands for industry or to teach the young how to make a living. It is to produce responsible citizens". And that is what is lacking in today's current educational system.  A second aspect of true leadership education creates greatness in an individual by coming in contact with greatness through the classics in all areas: literature, art, math, etc.

My goal is to get us on this journey of leadership education for ourselves and our posterity. Together we can carry out a plan to inspire greatnes in ourselves and in those around us by replacing the mediocre education we received.