Oh Reader - I am SO excited to share these details with you! 🙂

We have over a dozen people who are signed up to do the May Book Club. 😱

Here are the dates and times:

-> Session #1: Thursday, May 12th at 7pm (Zoom*)

-> Session #2: Thursday, May 19th at 7pm (Zoom*)

-> Session #3: Thursday, May 26th at 7pm (Zoom*)

>>> In-person Meet-up (TBD)

*If you already signed up to participate, you will also be receiving an email calendar invitation with the Zoom link

To help make the discussions easy for everyone, I am including a bunch of FAQ's below. If you don't see your specific question answered, hit reply to this email and I will include it in the next email.

Reminder: you are receiving this email because you expressed interest in the Courage To Grow Book Club. You are welcome to unsubscribe from additional emails (link below) but please understand that if you unsubscribe you will no longer receive email updates and notifications.

Q1: How will the book discussions work?

A1: Each session will be 45 minutes. We will start exactly at the top of the hour, and end exactly at 7:45pm. Starting and ending on schedule is a key part of the Acton environment, so we will model the same punctuality as a respect of everyone's time.

And just like the Acton studios that you will be reading about, we will start with a "Launch" and Socratic Discussion, so that you not only get to read about what the learners do on a daily basis, but you will experience it first hand. The ground rules for the Socratic Discussions are always covered at the start (we call them the Rules of Engagement).

After the more structured Launch to open each session, we will shift into a more free-flowing conversation about the book, questions, and what each of us hope to see for education during this revolutionary time.

Note: the sessions will NOT be recorded, so everyone can feel free to discuss in open conversation amongst new friends.

Q2: What is required of each participant?

A2: Read the designated sections of the book BEFORE each session.

Please be on time, as we will also be ending on time. Respect that everyone is busy and has a full schedule.

Come with an open mind and a willingness to share your thoughts or questions. That might mean sharing your own testimony about what school was like for you (for good or for bad) and/or it might be expressing your hopes for the future.

Other than reading and discussion, there is hidden costs, no homework, not requirement beyond the three scheduled sessions.

Q3: Where can I get a copy of Courage To Grow?

A3: If you don't already have a copy of Courage To Grow, here are several links that will be helpful:

• ​Get a $.99 copy for Amazon Kindle​
• ​Listen to the audio book (free with trial to Audible)
• We have a few soft cover books left and we can gift you a copy (hit reply to make arrangements)

Q4: How much should I read for each session?

A4: I've broken the book into 3 traunches to correspond with the learning arc (also an Acton term) of the three sessions we will share together:

• May 12th - Read pages 1-87 (end of Chapter 6)
• May 19th - Read pages 89-139 (end of Chapter 9)
• May 26th - Read to end of the book (201 total pages)

Q5: What will I get from this Book Club experience? Why bother?

A5: Here are some of my initial thoughts, but I bet you could add your own reasons:

• Curiosity - what does it mean to turn education upside down (and why)?
• Camaraderie - in a seemingly divided world, it is refreshing to meet like-minds
• Civil Discourse - the structure and process of Socratic discussion is a fascinating art
• Self-Reflection - see past experiences from your most formative years in a new light
• Explore The Hero's Journey With New Friends - gain a new level of understanding about your own HJ, or what it takes to best support your child's HJ, the process is often emotional (hits our buttons) and sometimes even counter-intuitive. We learn best by bearing witness to others walking the same path.

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Whew! That was long in the world of email, right?

I "think" we covered everything. But if I missed a question, please HIT REPLY and let me know. If you are wondering... it is quite likely that others are asking the same question.

Can't wait to see you at 7pm (sharp) on May 12th.

We have an amazing group assembled for these discussions. Some are parents exploring options for their children. We will have authors, educators, and community leaders joining as well.

I am both humbled and appreciative to gather with you. You are forcing me to bring my "A" game 💪

~ Tobin

p.s. If you are like me and sometimes skip to the back of the book to see how the story turns out, so you can focus on enjoying the journey even more... you might like this interview with Laura and Jeff Sandefer, where we talk about what has happened since Courage To Grow was written 12 years ago.

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