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WHY TELOS?
What Makes TELOS One-Day-Academy Unique?
TELOS is a Christ-Centered organization foremost. We intentionally incorporate spiritual and personal growth into all of our curricula. TELOS uses a hybrid of multiple classical and homeschooling approaches and incorporates best practices from all of them. We also draw heavily on our parenting research and experience in full-time Christian ministry, making TELOS a truly unique and rewarding homeschooling experience for both parent and student. Here are some of the things that make TELOS unique.
HEART FOCUSED
We spend a great deal of time talking to the students about their attitude and their hearts concerning faith, family, and education. We emphasize the importance of personal integrity, grit, diligence, and delayed gratification knowing that students who’ve caught a vision for excellence don’t need to be coerced (or cajoled) into applying themselves to their studies.
FAMILY-FOCUSED and BURNOUT-FREE
Homeschooling is a huge commitment and can be exhausting. To help our moms and students, every 4th week is an “At-Home” reprieve. We still do schoolwork but with an intentionally lighter class load. The goal is to give moms, and the students a monthly breather so they can travel, rest, tend to their homes, and pursue outside interests, businesses, and hobbies. We also schedule fun activities and field trips during these weeks to foster friendships and connections.
“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.”
FATHER INVOLVEMENT
We require fathers (who can) to join us for the final session of the day. We feed them the dinner their students prepared, and Dad gets to listen in on the final lesson - a lesson that frequently deals with worldview, morality, current issues, and lessons learned from history, academia, current events, and literature…all the things he wants to reinforce at home.
“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
MALE and FEMALE FRIENDLY
We have found that traditional homeschooling methodologies tend to favor the temperament of young women, often to the detriment of young men in the class. TELOS tries to strike a balance between the two temperaments by melding some of the best aspects of Boys Schools, with traditional Western teaching styles. This helps all students remain engaged throughout the day, and it increases the fun factor for everyone. Parents and students frequently share that TELOS day is many students’ favorite day of the week.
PARTNERING WITH PARENTS
We believe in shepherding the whole student, not just their academics. We do this through patience, thoughtful assessment, and honest dialogue. We hope to help the students grow academically, but also to come alongside them and encourage them in areas like integrity, work ethic, excessive shyness, friendliness, and social grace. We do this by partnering with the parents, to help each young man and woman reach their fullest potential.
VISION
We truly believe that God has great things planned for your son or daughter. Every week we endeavor to instill in our students that they have been made to love God and to bring Him glory. We teach the students that the key to a well-lived life is to know that they’ve run their course, and finished their race. We try to prepare them for that race and to give them a sense of excitement about their unique and individual callings.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
NO DRAMA, NO CLICKS, NO GOSSIP
Organizations get what they expect, and tolerate. Our culture is intentionally peaceful, friendly, and conducive to group learning. We set a high bar for the conduct of everyone involved and we believe that students will rise to this level if the teachers model what’s expected, and the parents are supportive. We are not looking for ‘perfect’ students, but students who are teachable, respectful, optimistic, and open to honest dialogue.
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
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LEADERSHIP AND MENTORING
We invest in volunteers who are slightly older than the students who have demonstrated a gift for teaching, a heart for God, and the desire to help other young men and women.