Adapted from a talk by John Taylor Gatto, New York Teacher of the Year.

2 Caveats:

1) Please do not misunderstand, I am not knocking elite boarding schools or those that go there.

2) I am also not knocking teachers, as many of them are doing the best they can with the system they are bound by.

The crazy thing is: None of this costs a dime. Anyone at any age can take their cue from this list and have the identical education! For FREE. I Love free!

Keep in mind that these schools do not use textbooks, even in math. And they do not have a teacher lecturing to convey knowledge. Students prepare for the class by reading Original works and engaging in a lively discussion of the topic.

Here goes:

1. Every student must graduate with A THEORY OF HUMAN NATURE, an understanding of what makes people tick. What buttons do you press to get the results you want?

HOW? Not through Psychology at all.

They study these 5 areas:

history

philosophy

literature

theology

law

These teach:     what have people been like in the past

                        how they are likely to be in the future.

Essentially a cheat code for predicting future events.

2.  ACTIVE LITERACIES — Writing and Public Speaking.
Students discuss and debate ideas as a daily habit in class while the group sits around a conference table usually called a “Harkness” table. Everyone is prepared and everyone participates.

3. INSIGHT INTO OUR MAJOR INSTITUTIONAL FORMS such as courts, corporations, the military, and government. This including the ideas, the working engines, that drive them.

4. AN emphasis on GOOD MANNERS & POLITENESS.
This is based on the truth that politeness and civility are the basis of all future relationships, alliances, access to places you might want to go. Politeness and civility are the foundation of all future relationships, alliances, and access to people or institutions. (Many public schools, by contrast, are laboratories of rudeness and cruelty.)

5. INDEPENDENT WORK.
In public schools Teachers do 90% of the work – Student do 10%

In Elite schools: Students do 90% of the work and teachers are there to facilitate and mentor.

6. ENERGETIC PHYSICAL sports are essential

A) They confer physical grace and presence which often translates into power and wealth.

B) Sports also teach you practice in handling pain and in physical emergencies.

George Washington stated that two things made his physical presence outstanding and were deliberately selected: horse-back riding and ballroom dancing. They conferred a commanding physical presence on the person who could do those things well. Sports also teach you practice in handling pain and in physical emergencies.

7. A COMPLETE THEORY OF ACCESS TO ANY PERSON OR ANY PLACE.
This combines the code of manners/decorum with the knowledge of the inner workings of institutions. You need to get a minute with the mayor etc? This is a life skill! I have a friend who was famous for getting the personal number of heads of corporations when she had a problem, forget customer service.

8. RESPONSIBILITY is a pillar the curriculum.
They’re taught to always grab for responsibility when it’s offered and to always deliver more than is asked for.

9. ARRIVAL AT A PERSONAL CODE OF STANDARDS IN PRODUCTION, BEHAVIOR,  & MORALITY.
Develop a personal code you always follow, the reality is every decision is based on your values. Know what your values are BEFORE you make major life decisions.

10. FAMILIARITY WITH THE MASTER CREATIONS OF MUSIC, OF ART, DESIGN, PAINTING, ARCHITECTURE, SCULPTURE, LITERATURE, & DRAMA. To be at ease with the arts, because apart from religion, the arts are the only way to transcend human baseness.

11. THE POWER OF ACCURATE OBSERVATION & RECORDING.
Example: In the British upper classes, if you could not draw what you saw with your eye then you’re not actually seeing what’s there. Drawing was expected not as a way to pass time but a way to sharpen the perception. If Charles Darwin’s had not been able to skillfully draw it is unlikely that anyone would have attended to his well articulated theory of evolution of the favored races. Modern science has been possible in large part because of graphic illustrations.

12. The ability to DEAL WITH CHALLENGES of all sorts.
 One person’s challenge is another person’s hum-drum. Whatever you feel more resistance to, that’s what you need to push yourself to do. You must KNOW your child’s weaknesses to help strengthen them. For example, if your child is painfully shy, obviously public presentation is the corrective action. It’s vital to find out that physical/emotional/mental/spiritual challenges can be met…and end up with personal GROWTH.

13. A HABIT of being cautious of REASONING TO CONCLUSIONS.
They are taught to form their opinions only after very careful study, pondering, essentially critical thinking.

14. The constant development and TESTING of JUDGEMENTS. The habit of making judgments, and then follow up on your predictions to see how accurate you were.