Trivium Mind Benders

Classically educated figures from the past eagerly advanced forward by training their minds.

Noah Webster defines the mind by including words like:

• Intentional
• Reaching
• Inclining forward
• Extending
• Stretching
• Advancing eagerly
• Pushing
• Setting forward

It is from these operations a mind seeks to further learn a subject. So it only makes sense to want to develop the seat of understanding (the mind), by using the Trivium.

The mind is something you will not always have intact. The times I spent watching loved ones in nursing homes have been clear reminders to me how quickly intact people loose their minds.  It will not be there forever. I hope when I am older I will remember what day it is, how to cross stitch, read, and sew baby clothes for grandchildren.

By bending your mind  I mean... advancing eagerly toward using the Trivium. This is exciting, but it requires one to use the mind. One can’t make withdrawals from Trivium concepts if one doesn’t  use them in a practical setting within Homeschool life. Making Trivium deposits into your Homeschool mindset pays great dividends to families.

How does one train the mind, bend the mind to get it to produce the desired outcomes described in classical books? The first step is to read for yourself what it really means to recieve a classical education. You'll soon discover anyone can can accquire for himself a classical education from a distictively Biblical worldview. How you choose to go about doing this entirely depends on your preferrences. Our family desires a classical education that has it's roots in Biblical principles, values and goals. That excludes self and the state.

One way to bend your mind toward the Trivium is to identify disorderly concepts then put them in their proper order. What do you see in this culture that is disorderly, chaotic? Is it art ? Perhaps you have seen paintings at a museum that you know are wrong, immoral, confusing, and disturbing. How can you restructure it to agree with Biblical order and the rule of God's law? The museum curator  is probably not going to be sympathetic to your Biblical world views, so he's not planning on take down any painting anytime soon. But, in your home you can go ahead and fill your walls paintings, drawings, sketches that teach your children what types of art please God. You can encourage your sons and daughters to paint things, objects and ideas that are lovely and filled with a good report. In a very practical way you are bringing order to your chidren's art perspective. Are you disturbed with the in vogue fashion clothing designed for your little girls? What can you do about it? You could write to a designer and ask him to stop designing those immodest 4-Toddler dresses, or you could shop at other stores that don't carry those articles. Perhaps you could even learn how to sew Pettie coats for your little girls (see McCall's M4505). You have choices. Your choices could include bringing order to disorder.  

Read Teaching The Trivium, or other Classical books, and deliberately look for ways to develop a Trivium mind set.

Maribel Hernandez

www.APMFormulators.com