What is Principle Based Learning (PBL)?

While researching the best sources about what makes for great teaching and learning, the founders of PBL searched for common threads among the writings of great thinkers, mentors and authors such as Charlotte Mason, Maria Montessori, John Holt, Stephen R. Covey, John Taylor-Gatto, Oliver and Rachel DeMille and others. We looked for the themes that were repeated over and over throughout this literature and ended up with 7 Principles. As people learn,apply and teach these principles for themselves, great learning will manifest.

Here are the principles:

For a printable version of PBL Principles click here

space

Charlotte Mason said “The consequence of truth is great; therefore the judgment of it must not be negligent.”

space

Our task as parents is great! … great in challenge and great in opportunity.

space

Why?

space

Challenge because whatever we teach must be based in truth; and searching out and living truth take vigilance of mind with consistent and honest evaluation.

space

Opportunity because children raised in truth change the world for good and our current world has never been in greater need of strong and valiant leaders who live in and for the truth.By making our priority to educate ourselves and our children in truth we become instruments of positive change.

space

The following is an attempt to assemble principles that move us toward “truth”.

space

1. God is the first and best source of truth. We seek His counsel through scriptures, prayer and inspiration.

space

2. Different ages, phases (TJEd[1] core, love of learning, scholar etc.) and individuals have different needs. As parents we see our children as individuals (CM[2] “Children are born persons”) and accept where they are and honor and strengthen who they are. We lift and support them through the TJEd principle of “inspire not require”. (Also MM[3] “Respect for individual differences and Holt[4] “flexibility”.)

space

3. We teach what we are and we are what we teach. Since actions speak louder than words we strive to pursue our own excellent education at all levels. (TJEd “You not them”)

space

4. Underpinning all teaching (good or bad) is our moral foundation. (what TJEd calls “core”.) We conscientiously nurture good habits (CM “education is a discipline” and Steven Covey 7 Habits). As we follow this principle ourselves (or don’t) our children will do the same.

space

5. Home and family are the first and most influential place of learning. (CM “education is an atmosphere”, MM “community of learners”) We strengthen home and family when we encourage a spirit of kindness, cooperation, and respect in all relationships: adult to child, child to child, parent to child, sibling to sibling, adult to adult etc. (Becky Bailey[5] “Honor children so they can honor you”)

space

6. A main purpose for our time on earth is to learn. Therefore, conflicts, questions, struggles and mistakes are opportunities to teach and learn. When we remember and apply this principle we grow together and can maintain a learning atmosphere.

space

7. All people are born with a desire to learn. Charlotte Mason explains that “knowledge is to the mind what food is to the body”. We avoid “junk knowledge” as we would “junk food”. We strive to use the best sources from the best minds to feed ourselves (see principle 1. above.) TJEd calls these sources “classics” (also the principle of “Simplicity, not complexity”) and Charlotte Mason calls them “living books and ideas”. We also study the art of mentoring (being a master teacher). These principles help to raise a generation of great thinkers and leaders.

[1] A Thomas Jefferson Education (TJEd) is a book by Oliver and Rachel DeMille. Also Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning

[2] Charlotte Mason (CM) was an educator in the late 1800’s-early 1900’s in England. She wrote a 7 volume work on education

[3] Maria Montessori (MM) was an Italian educator contemporary with CM. “Montessori” schools are based in her ideas.

[4] John Holt researched “how children learn” and wrote a book by that title along with many others.

[5] Becky Bailey has written, among other books, Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline:The 7 Basic Skills for Turning conflict into Cooperation.