A glimpse inside Hillsdale College's network of classical schools across the country.
Prior to working as a teacher at a Hillsdale College-affiliated BCSI school, I held several different jobs in traditional public education. Working with students from Pre-K through 12th grade, I served as an ESL paraprofessional, library aide, and preschool recess monitor, among other roles. I had the privilege to observe many experienced, compassionate educators and… Continue reading Prior to working as a teacher at a Hillsdale College K-12 school…
When I was gathering school supplies in my classroom as a first-year teacher, I had no idea how important the humble ruler would be. Of course it would be used when we learned about inches and centimeters, or even serve as a ramp when we studied motion and force in science. But I didn’t think… Continue reading Drawing the Ruler Sword
Petrarch, the fourteenth century Italian monk, sometimes referred to as the “father of humanism”, famously wrote a series of letters to classical writers such as Cicero, Seneca, Homer, and Socrates. These writers having been dead for more than a thousand years at the time, Petrarch didn't expect a response. But he wrote nevertheless because he… Continue reading Why Our Students Write in their Books
One of my favorite features of the Hillsdale College-affliated schools is that there is an equal focus on teachers educating both the minds and the hearts of their students. The curriculum we teach is ripe with opportunities to discuss virtue and how the choices of different people affect their lives and the lives of those… Continue reading Lancelot Plays Football
It’s the time of year when college seniors all across the country are starting to think about becoming teachers. They’re asking themselves what the first year of teaching would be like, and how to tell if they'd be good teachers in the future. Oscar Ortiz, with Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, at Founders Classical Academy… Continue reading How do you know if teaching is for you?
"Happiness is a certain activity of soul in accord with complete virtue." - Aristotle Please enjoy our new video introduction to Hillsdale College's work in K-12 classical education.
Every year in February, we travel to the frozen north for the Hillsdale College Classical Schools Job Fair. This year there were dozens of classical schools in attendance--both private Christian schools and charter schools--from all across the country. After a day-long conference with our fellow Headmasters in the Barney Charter School Initiative, Ms. Loy and… Continue reading How We Hire Classical Teachers
Kindergarten is so funny, especially in October. The other day I walked out to recess with my camera, something which happens once in a while and which is always exciting to the students because they know that the pictures sometimes make it into the yearbook. Students in the grammar school who have been with us… Continue reading Some Unplanned Kindergarten Portraits at Recess
Under the guidance of Mrs. Panzica and Ms. Hamm, our theater department is really taking off this year. The fall play, Shakespeare's The Tempest, is one of my favorites, and I stopped by rehearsals after school today to take a look at the opening scene in its very early stages. It's a really impressive scene--a shipwreck… Continue reading Rehearsals for Shakespeare’s The Tempest
Each year a member of the faculty who is particularly special to the senior class is invited to give an address at graduation and introduce the Salutatorian and Valedictorian. The Class of 2017's faculty speaker was Mr. Berndt, and this year Mr. Peterson was invited to speak to the Class of 2018.
The Classical Classroom 