Mailing Lists and Online Support Groups
Want some experienced advice as you get started with classical education?
Try our message boards. Or join one of these e-mail loops! (Please note: these groups are unaffiliated with this site, the Well-Trained Mind, or the authors of TWTM. Spammers sometimes find these groups and post offensive content. If you see unsavory content, contact Yahoo!, and they are usually good about taking down offensive material.)
Are you looking for a General or Regional group? Or a group by grade level?
General Groups
Well Trained Mind Discussion
The participants on this list discuss the book “The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home” by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer. Although we have a moderator, we do not have any “experts” — we’re all trying to figure out how to apply these principles in our own home, according to our own experiences. This group is open to all homeschoolers who are interested in learning more about classical education methods. Therefore, although religion may be mentioned, it is not to become a point of contention. The focus of the discussion is to remain on-topic, with short friendly side comments allowed. We will discuss one main topic per week, along with whatever items members want to bring to the group (questions, successes, comments).
In order to protect the sense of community, comfort and semi-privacy of the participants, this list requires approval from the moderator before you may post. So, after you indicate your desire to join, you will receive an e-mail with a request for a short introduction telling the group about yourself and your schooling methods.
Well Trained Mind: Christian
This list is for those desiring to use The Well Trained Mind while home educating their children, with Christ as the center of the home and the education. Those that are using the WTM are welcome to join and discuss the issues unique to the Christian homeschool. Centering the study of history on His story and teaching creationism are two topics we will discuss. This group is not associated with the authors of The Well Trained Mind.
Gifted Using Well Trained Mind
A discussion forum for families who are using WTM with gifted children.
Christians/Creationists Using Well-Trained Mind
This group is for Christians/Creationists who are implementing guidelines recommended in “The Well-Trained Mind,” by Jesse Wise and Susan Wise Bauer. We will be discussing how we are using TWTM, adapting it to our own individual home school, exchange info/advice, and generally support each other in our home schooling efforts.
Well-Trained Mind Self Educators
This e-mail loop is for adults who are (or want to start) self-educating. The idea of the group is to provide support, encouragement, accountability and a “flexible structure” for the members.
Great Books Group
This group is for all of us reading the Great Books in correlation with The Well Trained Mind. You will get more out of the readings if you read through, “How to Read a Book” by Mortimer Adler in order to get more out of your reading. Questions and comments about “How to Read a Book” (or any other good book) are welcome on the list. Feel free to post book related comments or questions — even if it’s to talk about a book to stay AWAY from. All members are welcome to make suggestions for future books or to start a discussion on a new book.
Well-Trained Mind Families
The families on this list discuss the book “The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home” by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer. This group is open to all homeschooling families who are interested in learning more about classical education methods. This list is here to discuss how to implement TWTM into everyday life and all that goes along with it.
Secular Well-Trained Mind
For parents of any faith (or none at all).
Story of the World Discussion Group
The participants on this list discuss the book “The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child” by Susan Wise Bauer. Although we have a moderator, we do not have any “experts” — we’re all trying to figure out how to apply these principles in our own home, according to our own experiences. This group is open to all homeschoolers who are interested in learning more about classical education methods. Therefore, although religion may be mentioned, it is not to become a point of contention. The focus of the discussion is to remain on-topic, with short friendly side comments allowed. We will discuss one main topic per week, along with whatever items members want to bring to the group (questions, successes, comments).
Classical/Charlotte Mason
Home educators who desire to implement Charlotte Mason methods along with the classical educational philosophy described in “The Well-Trained Mind,” this list is for you!
Groups By Grade Level
Grammar Stage
We are a discussion group trying to meet the needs of parents home schooling their children during the grammar stage. I’m hoping the group will be able to share ideas, offer motivational tips, and help each other progress from one level to the next by sharing lesson plans and curriculum ideas.
Second Grade
Second Grade Discussion Group The Well-Trained Mind
Third Grade
Discussion group regarding the book The Well-Trained Mind, by Wise and Wise Bauer. For parents with students doing 3rd grade.
Grades 5-8
For home educators using the classical method for grades 5-8 Classical Logic Stage Secular Homeschoolers or CLSSH
Well-Trained Mind High School
A group for those teaching or planning to teach high schoolers at home. We will focus on ideas and materials mentioned in The Well Trained Mind – TWTM and other related books (and probably some totally non-related books as well). :-) The group is open to anyone teaching (or planning on teaching) high school at home. Some materials we will discuss will include Sonlight, Greenleaf Press, Veritas Press, Bluestocking Press, Beautiful Feet, Tapestry of Grace, and others.
Alaska
Members of this list are pursuing Classical Education of children or self and live in Alaska. Here we can discuss and share resources and tips, ask questions, and even plan Latin speaking get togethers. ;-) Are you utilizing The Well Trained Mind and suspect you are the only Alaskan homeschooler doing so? Have a timeline question or suggestion? Wanting to talk with someone who’s actually teaching Latin in their home? Join us! All faiths are welcome here, but the purpose of this list is to discuss classical education, not religious beliefs. Therefore, while religion may be mentioned, it is not to become a point of contention.
Austin, Texas
This group is for Well-Trained Mind users in the Austin area.
California
This group is for home-educators and after-schoolers in California using The Well Trained Mind to implement a classical education for their children. This group is unmoderated and all applicable discussions are welcome, but remember to be respectful at all times.
Colorado
There are no religous requirements, we are in Colorado, our members are in the Grammar to the Rhetoric stage, we accept members that implement Charlotte Mason.
Dallas/Fort Worth
This discussion loop is intended as an on-line extension of parent resource groups forming in the DFW (Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX) area to discuss implementation of the home education philosophy and strategies outlined in “The Well-Trained Mind” by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer. This is a forum for exchanging information, ideas, and resources in support of our common effort to apply the material in “TWTM” to providing a classical education for our children. As a smaller group it will afford us the opportunity to get to know each other. Membership is open to all who are interested in TWTM and in establishing contact with others in the DFW area in the monthly resource groups.
Delaware
DE Classical Home Educators Network — This discussion loop is intended as an on-line extension of the classical network group forming in the DE-MD-NJ-PA area. This group is for those following the classical homeschooling education model, such as described in “The Well Trained Mind” (Jessie Wise and Susan Bauer) or similar method. We are an all-inclusive Classical home educators support group, with members in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersy and Pennsylvania, meeting year-round to chat, discuss goals and educational resources, and to support each other. Membership is open to all who are interested in Classical Education and in establishing contact with others in the Delware Valley area classical network group. You will need to introduce yourself to the moderators before being approved for membership. After approval, you will be asked to introduce yourself to the group as well. Key Words: Delaware, Homeschool, Home School, Classical, TWTM
Florida
This loop is for those Sunshine State residents using the WTM method.
Northern Kentucky/Southern Ohio
This e-mail loop is for those using TWTM in the Northern Kentucky/Southern Ohio area.
San Diego
Here, San Diego families can share ideas for implementing the classical education model presented in Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer’s “The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home” (hereafter referred to as “TWTM”). TWTM most differs from other homeschooling approaches in the areas of history, geography, and the sciences. For that reason, most of TWTM-SD’s field trips, resource sharing, and ongoing discussion will emphasize those subjects. We would especially like to hear how other families successfully adapt and present topical material in age-appropriate ways, according to the trivium concept of children’s cognitive development: the grammar stage (kindergarten to fourth grade), the logic stage (fifth to eighth grades), and the rhetoric stage (high school). Please consider TWTM-SD a supplement to the SanDiegoHomeducation group, which is an excellent information resource for local homeschoolers. That group will provide a broader audience for questions about math curricula, foreign language instruction, and the like.
Australia
(Classical Home-Based Options in “Oz”) The participants on this list are either currently using the classical method to teach their children, or are interested in learning more about Classical Education. To our knowledge, this is the only “Australia-specific” e-group in support of Classical Education. The group is open to any Classical Homeschoolers, but has a particular emphasis on doing the Classical Method in Australia. If you fit that sort of profile, we hope you will join us! We look forward to meeting you online!
