Neurodivergence in the Classical Classroom with Nate Carr

Feb 22, 2024

The Reverend Nathan Carr, a bi-vocational priest and headmaster of The Academy of Classical Christian Studies, discusses innovative approaches to include neurodivergent students in classical education. He shares how personal experiences, like adopting two boys, influenced his school's inclusive practices. Nate highlights the integration of trust-based relational intervention (TBRI) and daily prayer to foster a supportive classroom culture. He also addresses the balance between academic rigor and community, ensuring that learning environments welcome diverse abilities.

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INSIGHT

Formation Over Rankings

Classical education forms souls toward wisdom, virtue, and beauty rather than only job outcomes.
The Academy emphasizes formative goals over matriculation statistics to shape graduates for the church and God's glory.

ANECDOTE

From Co-op To 1,000 Students

Nathan described joining a small classical co-op that grew into a thousand-student academy across three campuses.
He moved his graduate work toward classical paideia and watched the school expand from 26 kids to 1,000 with many wait lists.

INSIGHT

Daily Hours Build Belonging

Regular corporate prayer (the hours) deeply shapes student formation and belonging.
Memorized liturgy and chant became part of daily life and enabled shared rhythms for all students.

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Get in touch with Fr. Nate for further conversation.

Check out Fr. Nate's book, Festive School.

Read Fr. Nate's article on neurodivergence in the classical classroom.

Learn more about Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI).

When trying to consider budget as well as mission and ministry, churches of many sizes offer educational service, from a small daycare to a prestigious Episcopal prep school. And these are often built on a classical school models.

Classical education refers specifically to a model of education centered on the Western classical trivium of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. If you can do a classical school well, you can provide a great education and do very well for your budget.

But does it produce snobby kids? Put another way, does it shelter privileged kids even further, and prevent kids with disadvantages from experiencing a remarkable community of learning?

One way to negotiate this is through scholarships, or through careful intentionality in enrollment or curriculum development. But our guest today has also explored ways to make sure that kids with disabilities -- including neurodivergence -- are welcomed and integrated into a classical community. What they've discovering is an unusual model for classical education, and an unexpected ministry of healing.

My guest today is the Rev. Nathan Carr. Nate is a bi-vocational priest serving as vicar of St. John’s Oklahoma City and headmaster of The Academy of Classical Christian Studies, a multi-campus school serving 1,000 PreK-12 students across the Oklahoma City metro. He's the author of Festive School (Classical Academic Press), on the importance of festivity in Christian education. He and his wife Sarah have six children who bless their home, including kiddos with neurodivergence.

He's also written a related article on the Living Church's award-winning blog, Covenant.

Now sharpen your pencils and warm up your singing voice. We're headed to school. We hope you enjoy the conversation.

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