A glimpse inside Hillsdale College's network of classical schools across the country.
As a teacher in a classical classroom, I hope that my teaching will be effective for all my students. But recently, I heard another educator claim that the education we offer doesn’t work for boys. It is too still, too boring, and too structured. Being in a very full classroom with more boys than girls this year, I would like to speak to this critique.
We have assembled here today to honor all American veterans: those who have gone before us, those who, we are proud to say, stand here with us, and all who have served in the armed forces for the defense of our great country and our common way of life. We owe our veterans a debt of gratitude that cannot easily be repaid, and words, certainly, will not suffice. But we have also assembled this morning to reflect on what it is that we honor together: on the values of courage and self-sacrifice that our veterans exemplify, and that we hold to be worthy of imitation. Veterans Day is a time for us to ask ourselves: Can we, too, have such virtue? Would we be able to withstand the test?
There is one thing, though, which never fails to bring real consolation to me in moments of stress, doubt, or wondering “what is it all for?” The obvious answer, for many teachers, is, of course, their students and the relationships they build with them over the years. This is true of myself as well, but recently my thoughts have dwelt on the everyday interactions, the words my students say, the things they notice, and the things they speak surreptitiously to each other in the back of class when they think, foolishly, that I cannot hear them.
The goal of students’ education is not perfection, nor is it merely practical skills and good grades. The goal is not even getting an amazing job or getting into the right college. The goal is for students to appreciate what is true, good, and beautiful in the subjects they learn, so they can see what is true, good, and beautiful in their lives.
Excellent classical education requires both high quality curriculum and good teaching. Hillsdale's K-12 Program Guide supplies the curriculum, and now, Tried and True: A Primer on Sound Pedagogy can help teachers develop their technique and refine their craft.
Envision classroom discussions beaming with student involvement, where curious minds are posing thoughtful questions and attentive peers respond with their own hypotheses, solutions, ideas, and extension questions. How do you build a classroom culture that facilitates this level of engagement and willingness to inquire authentically and share ideas courageously?
In our world of teachers and students, a special community exists within which we all seek to pursue knowledge and strong moral character, but what ought I to give to my students to help them reach those goals?
Pedagogy and classroom management are necessary, but they are always in service of a higher thing. That higher thing—cultivating within students the wonder and love of learning—ought always to come first. That, then, must also be the end of the education of the teacher when they themselves are students.
“Literacy Essentials” provides students with the tools to be able to spell and read hundreds of words. We want to set our students up for a successful, lifelong pursuit of reading for both pleasure and enlightenment, and this is the best way to place them on that path.
We have to learn how to be students, and my favorite book on that subject is Study is Hard Work, by William Armstrong. Except for its title, the book is a welcoming introduction to the habits and skills that make someone a learner.
The Classical Classroom 