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
Why Our Students Write in their Books
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
Lancelot Plays Football
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
“Based on a True Story”
Movies can be so captivating. They take us on a journey through events, lives, struggles, and victories. For me, I am particularly drawn in when the movie ends and right before the credits, I see the words based on a true story. When the movie is based on real events, I relate more to the… Continue reading “Based on a True Story”
Recommended Reading
Would you like to learn more about education in America, classical schools, or liberal education? Or, would you like to prepare for a career teaching in or leading a Hillsdale-affiliated classical school? Here are some places to begin.
The Weaponization of History
Introducing The Hillsdale 1776 Curriculum
Classical Science Instruction vs. the STEM Approach
Teachers from Hillsdale College's affiliated K-12 schools gather to discuss classical science instruction on the Hillsdale College campus. What's the difference between a great science lesson, and a great science lesson in a classical school? We are the principles behind the classical approach to teaching science? For the last several decades, the teaching of science… Continue reading Classical Science Instruction vs. the STEM Approach
How to Hire a Great Music Teacher
We aren't music teachers. We are child teachers who teach music. One of the teachers I used to work with is a very reflective person, and once in a while she sends me a text message out of the blue with her thoughts about this and that. We’ve talked about her family’s road trips across… Continue reading How to Hire a Great Music Teacher
Pictures from Our Latest School Tour
Seeing Northwest Ohio Classical Academy, Golden View Classical Academy, Ascent Classical Academy of Douglas County, and Treasure Valley Classical Academy at work was encouraging. Schools across the country are bearing such heavy burdens this year, and with school leaders and teachers carrying the weight, students are learning and thriving and these schools are carrying out our mission day after day.