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5 Sources on Mimetic Instruction

Here are 5 basic resources on Mimetic Instruction.

1. Read anything by Plato.

2. There was an essay written in 1880 by Charles Alexander McMurry called How to Conduct the Recitation which covers the basic concepts of Mimetic Instruction. I have a copy of this essay in a book by J. Wesley Null and Diane Ravitch titled Forgotten Heroes of American Education. I am not sure if you can find a copy online or not, but it is worth a try.

3. But there is a deeper logic to Mimetic Instruction, which is the purpose of the Apprenticeship. It arises from the nature of things and is governed by a single idea, namely, imitation. At its heart, Mimetic Instruction is summed up in the words of Jesus “Follow me.”

4. Another essay I have found particularly enlightening was written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and is titled The Education of Children. The opening sentence embodies the essential order of Mimetic Instruction when it states, “In the education of children, love is first to be instilled, and out of love, obedience is to be educed.”

5. One final source that comes to mind is a talk that Andrew does on Adam naming the animals from Genesis 2. This powerfully illustrates the process of Mimetic Instruction. You might look for it as an audio product from the CiRCE store.

Cheers.

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