A glimpse inside Hillsdale College's network of classical schools across the country.
"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.
We will take with us the words of wisdom we were given by teachers who have taken on Lewis’ charge “not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts.” I hope that for each of us, this graduation is not the end of education, but merely a transition. Embracing our spirited nature, let us move on to greater challenges knowing that we’ve begun well.
If you are a parent, these notes might help you evaluate your child's history class. If you are a teacher in a classical school, they might help you plan your lessons or give you ways to describe the teaching of history to others. If you are a teacher of social studies or a teacher in a non-classical school, this might help you think about two different ways of approaching the same subject.
Living in a small town isn't that bad, you know. There is a film studio in the basement of the building where we work, and on the first floor we have a radio station. So, without having to go very far at all, this summer we started a podcast, and the first episode is available… Continue reading Hillsdale’s New K-12 Classical Education Podcast
Yesterday I got to see the first cut of the video we filmed at Founders Classical Academy of Leander back in May, just before school finished. The short film will be available on the Founders Classical Academy website, and the full version will be used by Hillsdale College to explain the work of the Barney… Continue reading Preview of Hillsdale’s New K-12 Education Video, featuring Founders Classical Academy of Leander
Well, Founders community (and perhaps others!), I am now about a month into my new job here at Hillsdale College. As the Assistant Provost of K-12 Education, I'm in charge of the College's K-12 education initiatives, including the Barney Initiative, which has been such an important partner for the Founders community for so long. This… Continue reading Backstage in the Hillsdale College Film Studio
Mary C. and Trevor S., two members of the high school string ensemble. After making an appearance at grammar school assembly this morning to entertain our Kindergarten-5th grade students, Mr. Stiglich's high school string ensemble held a little concert for the front office. The acoustics in the foyer are beautiful, and as they performed a… Continue reading Playing Bach in the Foyer
Something amazing happened today. I've been locked in my office in meetings all week, and this afternoon I had 20 minutes free, so I wandered out to the playground with my camera to enjoy the sunlight and talk to our grammar school students. Almost immediately one of our second graders came up to me to… Continue reading 2nd Grade Recites the Declaration of Independence at Recess
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
For the past semester, a group of our middle and high school students have been spending their afternoons rehearsing Shakespeare's The Tempest. This weekend they had their final performance at our first ever theater competition, hosted by Meridian World School. Competing against Meridian and Gateway Academy, our theater students won numerous awards, represented our school… Continue reading Shakespeare’s The Tempest: Our Fall Play
The Classical Classroom 