Mentoring in the Classics Product Review

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Mentoring in the Classics is a class for you, the teacher. It helps you light YOUR fire, so you have the excellence and the inspiration you need, to teach your students effectively.

When taking a class, at the beginning of the month, you receive the following:

  • An introduction to the work in a downloadable mp3 audio
  • A PDF downloadable study guide with recommended resources, additional readings, discussion questions, etc. Throughout the month you receive:
  • Moderated online support and discussion. Online discussions are hosted on a dedicated Facebook group, and are moderated by TJEd mentors. Each book in the schedule has a searchable discussion thread.

Toward the end of the month you receive:

  • Downloadable mp3 audio debriefing which includes answers to questions from the online discussion.
  • The above information helps you progress through the 5 Levels of Engagement with the classics. Per Oliver DeMille, the five levels are–
    1. Is the work “good” or “bad”??
    2. What are the positive lessons I can take away from the good in this work? (make a list of things you agree with/disagree with)?
    3. What are the lessons I can take away from the “bad” in the work, or the things I disagree with?
    4. What great messages does this great classic have specifically for me, my needs, and my effectiveness in my roles and purpose?
    5. What, for me, is the “Big Idea”– the overarching, transformational theme of this work?

There are a number of things I appreciate about this course:

  • The five levels just mentioned. Looking specifically for this information makes the classics personally relevant.
  • The chosen titles are selected from multiple genres. This provides a good array in terms of exposure and experience with the classics.
  • The titles chosen for the series are designed to be progressive in nature (you’re not starting off with Hamlet!). Plus, on months when a weightier title is on the schedule, the preceding and following titles are a little less demanding.
  • You can save the audios to your computer and listen to them at your convenience. Very nice!
  • What you learn is easily sharable with your students.
  • The price is certainly a plus. Just $20/month. Plus, there is special pricing for book discussion groups (up to 10 participants) – just $100. Or my favorite—you can combine this course with a This Week in History subscription. Both subscriptions can be purchased together for just $23.99/month. That seems like quite a deal!
  • So, maybe you’d like to take a little time for yourself—with Mentoring in the Classics!