Mentor vs.Teacher

I just had quiet a productive evening, sewing pajamas for my three boys while listening to a lecture on Homeschool.com about the Thomas Jefferson Education. In general I don't like following anything in life just one particular way, except Islam, for God is whom I live to obey and worship as a muslim, but other than that Im very careful in just trusting what people "think" is the "best way" to do just anything. Listening to this talk though, felt like this is what I've been trying to achieve all along, I just didn't have a name for it.. or didn't quiet know how to get there..