Knowledge, Genius, and Heart: Character Mapping at Northern Schoolhouse

Mar 21, 2024

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Guests

Michael Fitzgerald (Principal)

Michael is an experienced educator with an M.S. in Brain-Based Education. After a decade teaching in a variety of school models, he is using his knowledge of classical education to lead Northern Schoolhouse, all while pursuing his doctorate in education.

A dabbler in logic, philosophy, hiking, archery, chess, music, and handiwork, he brings his deep interest in the great minds of history to our Schoolhouse culture.

Katherine Fitzgerald (Instructional Coordinator & Music Teacher)
Katie has nearly two decades’ experience with children in education and humanitarian work. Her studies in educational history, methodology, curriculum, and child psychology form the basis of the programs developed for Northern Schoolhouse.

Music, math, baking, knitting, drawing, and gardening are among her many interests, and she shares her passion for doing and making with our Schoolhouse community.

Show Notes
The Fitzgeralds have built their whole model around what they call the Three Paths of Attention: Knowledge, Genius, & Heart. Through these pillars, they have developed their assessments and cultivated a culture of students who care. By attending to Knowledge, they steadily progress in their academic studies. By attending to Genius, they strengthen their ability to think and create. By attending to Heart, they become kind people who contribute to their families and communities.

Katherine and Michael Fitzgerald offer frontline practical details about daily routines and expectations they’re experiencing in Northern Schoolhouse. In this episode, the Fitzgeralds provide information about the classical culture of Northern Schoolhouse. They merge beautiful principles that operate under the three pillars of Classics, Nature, and Arts.

They share stories about how student invest in their own work and greatly enjoy opportunities to grow; there is an essence of excitement about doing well. Most of all, the students care about their scholarly projects and they love working on them. Rather than testing, they use assessments, character maps, and are mindful about the regard for virtues and habits. These, and complementary ideas are outlined in practical ways.

Resources mentioned

Plato

Socrates

Shakespeare, Sonnet 18

Charlotte Mason

Confucius

Dr. W. Edwards Deming

Aeneid

Odyssey

The Bible
"The Seven-Lesson Schoolteacher" by John Taylor Gatto (from Dumbing us Down)

Zhuan Falun by Hongzhi Li

Podcast Episode on Motivation and Praise: How to Encourge Intrinsinc Motivation

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Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic