A USA TODAY best selling author, Nancy Radke wants to share with you all the ideas gathered during 55 years of teaching in public schools (6th grade and special education), church classes, and homeschooling.

As a maverick, she never taught much of the curriculum handed her, but adapted everything to the needs of her students. She would teach English, History, Social Studies and Penmanship as a comprehensive unit, giving one assignment, but separate grades for each. She put the school-supplied readers and English textbooks on the shelf, since they did not challenge her students, and instead brought in public library books as readers, and had the students write "silly stories," starting with a one-page story and ending with ten-page stories at the end of the school year (6th grade). Many of her methods were those used by her teachers in the one-room country school she attended as a child. It was like a big home school, with one teacher and eight grades.

She received a Provisional General Certificate at the U of WA, which enabled her to teach at all grade levels, from Kindergarten through High School. As a master teacher, Nancy feels that most kids can learn best without all the expensive workbooks and items "required" by the public schools. Our country's wonderful founding fathers had the Bible, plus age-old classics for their early learning, and because of that, their vocabulary and thoughts were original and outstanding. Today's teacher/parent can access free programs on the Internet, as long as each fits into the needs of the student; but they don't have to use them. Nancy will show you how to teach, using things around the home, as well as what to teach. 

As part of Raising Giants, she will explain how to teach using traditional methods along with how to use the Thomas Jefferson Education model. As part of that, she will give everyone the book, A Thomas Jefferson Education. This book explains a classical education, which will raise good leaders.