Classical Education

David V. Hicks, a former Chief Academic Officer and renowned author, shares insights from his extensive career in education. He discusses the transformative power of classical education and critiques contemporary educational practices. Hicks emphasizes the need for inquiry and curiosity, linking myths and historical revolutions to moral constructs. He advocates for a return to classical texts and principles to foster deeper learning and community engagement, while reflecting on the challenges of modern educational ideologies.

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.  Our team provides immersion courses, seminar led book studies, and comprehensive support for parents & K-12 classical educators.This episode was sponsored by Classic Learning Test (CLT), Beautiful Feet Books, and Eighth Day Books! Conference attendees have a chance to win gift certificates from these sponsors as well as our other conference sponsors! Join us for our First Conference!  Explore some of our Conference Sessions on this episode: Discuss your conference topic and what can attendees expect to take away from your session?Karen Glass: The Children Ask for Bread Peach Smith: Teaching Science Classically for K-12 Mark Signorelli: Before the Books & Story and CivicsAaron Mitchell: Teaching Euclid as a Way Beyond Gnostic Cartesian MathematicsMariah Martinez: Introducing Two types of Classical Pedagogy: Mimetic and Socratic & Recitation: A Rhetorical Art for PreK-12Jonathan Fiore: The Things We Carry– Two Graduates of Classical Education Reflect on its ImpactAdrienne Freas: Loving Many ThingsSome Question We Discuss:What does the term "Vital Ideas" mean and why is it the them for our first classical education conference?Who has had the greatest influence on your philosophy of education and why?"what makes being an educator in the classical tradition different than just being an educator per se?"What do you think are the greatest difficulties for classical educators?_________________________________________________________________________Vital Ideas Conference Information -https://www.beautifulteaching.com/conference$20 off Discount Code: IDEAS20note: copy/paste exactly without any spaces before or after.It is good through June 20. DETAILED PROGRAM GUIDEConference Recordings: All sessions will be recorded. Live attendance is greatly encouraged, but come and go as needed. The recording will be available 2 weeks after the conference. The recordings will be available for 9 months.Sessions: We have 16 sessions and 12 Speakers! Our sessions are for parents, home educators, classroom teachers, and school leadership. Each breakout in the program is marked with the recommended audience to help you choose the right sessions for  your needs. See the detailed program guide! ________________________________________________________This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________Credits:Sound Engineer: Andrew HelselLogo Art: Anastasiya CFMusic: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic © 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

About The GuestBryan Smith has been in education for over thirty years, primarily in schools with a liberal arts or classical education philosophy. His own education at the University of Dallas was a solid classical liberal arts formation in great texts, classical Greek, and rhetorical practice.Bryan has worked in private schools for most of his career, but for a decade he worked with Great Hearts Academies, a charter school network operating in Arizona and Texas. He began his employment at Great Hearts as the founding head of school for one of eleven Arizona campuses. During Great Hearts’ expansion into Texas, Bryan served as the founding headmaster for the first network school in the Dallas / Fort Worth Metro area. Bryan’s most recent work as a consultant has allowed him to continue helping school staff with planning, solid pedagogical and administrative practices, classroom management and student culture.You can find Bryan Smith on LinkedInShow NotesBryan Smith and Adrienne Freas of Beautiful Teaching, reflect on what is attractive about a Liberal Arts Education. They talk about the principles that define a classical school, and why the ethos of classical education imparts a hopeful view of humanity. A noble end unfolds from permanent and universal reflections. The principles that anchor classical schools are discussed in this significant podcast. All educators will appreciate the wisdom of how to place school on course either to develop or to improve. Some Key Moments Include:What books are really necessary for a classical school to include on their lists?Why The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius ought to be in every classical highschool curriculumWhat the early Christians thought about educationClassical education is rooted in common assumptions--these are elaboratedResources MentionedThe Consolation of Philosphy - BoethiusThe Discarded Image - C.S. LewisEssay “Schooling in Byzantium” by Bryan Smith (this will be a chapter in a new book coming out by St. Vladimir's press with essays compiled by David Hicks. More info coming soon)St. Basil on Prepositions: The Human ConditionThe Iliad &The Odyssey - HomerThe PsalterAtigoneBooks 1 and 2 of SamuelOn the Incarnation by Saint Athanasius the Great of Alexandria with an introduction by C.S. Lewis PlatoThe Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. LewisFrog and Toad series - Arnold Lobel"The Allegory of the Cave" from Plato's RepublicParadise Lost- John MiltonThe Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky Poetry by Virgil________________________________________________________This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________Credits:Sound Engineer: Andrew HelselLogo Art: Anastasiya CFMusic: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic © 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

About The GuestsACCESS LITERACY TEAMDorothy KardatzkeI live with my husband in Columbus, Ohio. I taught for more than 25 years in both general education classrooms and in classrooms for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Since 1997, when I was first trained in the English code, all my literacy instruction has been delivered using programs that are Orton-based. I left the classroom in 2018 to create space to write curriculum, and train/coach teachers. However, I will always be a teacher. It is who I am! I tutor little folks and big folks in literacy whenever I have the chance.​I had a rather circuitous educational journey which offered me the opportunity to embark on what I do presently. I completed a double major in Elementary Education and Deaf Education from Augustana College. I later completed post-graduate work in Linguistics and Language Development at the University of South Dakota and Neuroanatomy  at The Ohio State University.​During leisure time, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, hiking, fishing, canoeing, camping and cross-country skiing.Melody FurnoMy husband and I live in Columbus, Ohio where I taught an Orton-based Method for literacy in Kindergarten and first grade classrooms for 19 years. Encountering struggling readers in the classroom motivated me to enroll in coursework and to research current information on reading disabilities and dyslexia to set up interventions in the classroom.​Since leaving the classroom, I have used an Orton-based Method to train and consult teachers in literacy across the country and tutor struggling readers in 4th and 5th grades for Columbus Public Schools. ​I enjoy nature, fishing, hiking and biking. My special interest is to encourage faith-based ministries to play a part in addressing youth and adult illiteracy.   Show NotesPhonics programs are an important foundation for teaching students how to read. There are many programs and they differ widely. Learn about the unique features of this program. Discover what is important when looking for a phonics curriculum for your students.  Dorothy Kardatzke  and Melanie Furno are the founders of Access Literacy.  Their phonics curriculum,  Literacy Essentials: Journey from Spelling to Reading is commonly used in classical schools.  In this interview, they articulate the details that explain what a good phonic-based program looks like and why it matters. The Access Literacy program supports the road to integrating the components of writing, thinking well, and reading well. _____________________________________________Note: Adrienne does not recieve compensation for recommending any curriculum on her podcast. The purpose of presenting curriculum on the podcast is to help parents and school leadership make well-informed decisions on curriculum that is most aligned to the classical tradition. _____________________________________________ ResourcesLink to their Home page: https://www.accessliteracy.com/Parent page including phonogram videos: https://www.accessliteracy.com/parentsLink for ordering teaching materials through Hillsdale: https://www.accessliteracy.com/projects-2Link for ordering the Student Orthography Notebook: https://www.accessliteracy.com/projects-2Books mentionedWhy Our Children Can’t Read, and What You Can Do About It by Diane McGuinnessAuthor in the Science of Reading field — Dr. Louisa MoatsThe Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton- PorterHow to Read a Book by Mortimer AdlerHow To Read a Difficult Book (free link to one page essay) by Mortimer Adler________________________________________________________This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________Credits:Sound Engineer: Andrew HelselLogo Art: Anastasiya CFMusic: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic © 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

GuestsRhonda Bedee is an instructor endorsed by SWR author Wanda Sanseri for Spell to Write and Read seminars. My specialty is finding solutions for individual spelling needs via spelling coaching, Mom & Dad encouragement, accountability, and assessments. Experience comes from four decades of home education, public schools, private classical academies, homeschool co-ops, tutoring, English language ESL learners, and teaching special ability students. Credentials: B.S. Secondary Education, Lamar University-Beaumont, Texas; extensive all-level SWR classes & mentoring under Wanda Sanseri.Rhonda's Training SiteNiki WiseAlthough Niki Wise currently resides in Georgia, her BASIC Seminars are offered both in Zoom & in person beyond her borders. She began using Spell to Write and Read back in the 1990s when it was Teaching Reading at Home and School. Not only using this program during her homeschool years, Niki also shared this program with many friends, & even introduced her oldest grandson to spelling & reading with Mrs. Sanseri's proven program. When she is not offering a BASIC seminar, she can be found playing with her 6 grandkids, teaching at Colquitt Christian Academy, & planning road trips with her husband.Contact Niki: crosswiseswr@gmail.comShow NotesThis interview with Rhonda Bedee and Niki Wise is part 1 of a 2 part series on phonics. Part 2 (the next episode) will feature the creators of Literacy Essentials: The Journey from Spelling to Reading. You will learn a lot of great information about both programs to help you make your decision on which program best suits your needs.  Historical efforts to teach reading, writing, and spelling have been developed, applied and studied for centuries. Integrating  lessons from “sound to symbol” equips students with the ability to work through the process of learning to read. The unique features and history of Spell to Write and Read is explained in this episode. We discuss not only why it works, but also how it can (in many cases) help prevent the need for future reading remedies._____________________________________________Note: Adrienne does not recieve compensation for recommending any curriculum on her podcast. The purpose of presenting curriculum on the podcast is to help parents and school leadership make well-informed decisions on curriculum that is most aligned to the classical tradition. _____________________________________________ ResourcesSpell to Write and Read Forum (free or for more resources there is a small membership fee)Free Blank Book TemplateWhere to buy:  https://swrforum.com/where-to-buy/ Articles & Podcasts MentionedNY Times Article: In the Fight Over How to Teach Reading, This Guru Makes a Major RetreatPODCAST Episode that Rhonda Mentions:  Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong ________________________________________________________This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________Credits:Sound Engineer: Andrew HelselLogo Art: Anastasiya CFMusic: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic © 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

GuestsMichael 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 NotesThe 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 mentionedPlatoSocratesShakespeare, Sonnet 18Charlotte MasonConfucius Dr. W. Edwards DemingAeneid OdysseyThe Bible"The Seven-Lesson Schoolteacher" by John Taylor Gatto (from Dumbing us Down)Zhuan Falun by Hongzhi LiPodcast Episode on Motivation and Praise: How to Encourge Intrinsinc Motivation_______________________________________ANNOUNCING A NEW PROGYMNASMATA CURRICULUMBenjamin Lyda in partnership with Adrienne is launching a pilot for Scriptorium: Writing with the Progymnasmata for grades 3-8. For more information about participating in this pilot, visit the website: https://www.beautifulteaching.com/pilotANNOUNCING OUR FIRST CLASSICAL EDUCATION ONLINE CONFERENCE!11 speakers, 2 days, online and recorded if you cannot attend all of the sessions! Early bird pricing only $69 though April 1. Visit our website for more information.Beautiful Teaching Conference Details.________________________________________________________This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________Credits:Sound Engineer: Andrew HelselLogo Art: Anastasiya CFMusic: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic © 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

SPONSOREighth Day Books is sponsoring our upcoming online conference AND this podcast episode. They are offering FREE standard shipping between March 8 and March 31, 2024 for our listeners. Coupon code: BEAUTIFUL (at the checkout, choose the "standard shipping rate." $4.95 will automatically be deducted from the total order.Click here For Adrienne's BooklistClick here for the YOUTUBE link if you want to watch this episdoe.About the GuestRebecca was first introduced to Charlotte Mason in 2013 when her oldest child was 3. After exploring other educational methods, she felt she had finally found a philosophy that made sense. Every aspect of Ms. Mason’s ideas, from reading living books to the importance of being immersed in the natural world, appealed to her on many levels. With a degree in art history, she especially appreciated Ms. Mason’s emphasis on exposing children to fine art. Rebecca enjoys the freedom found in a Charlotte Mason education and the fact that it not only nourishes the minds, hearts, and souls of her children but hers as well. She lives in Colorado with her husband, their two children, three cats, two salamanders, and whatever bug pets her kids have adopted. She also writes at her website, a humble place.Show NotesPicture study is an enjoyable activity that cultivates the habit of attention and shapes the affections for beauty. On this episode, Rebecca from A Humble Place walks Adrienne through a picture study demonstration. This episode is with video on our YouTube channel too. Art Mentioned Picture Study Demonstration: The favourites of Emperor Honorius by John Williams WaterhouseJohn William Waterhouse picture study packet from A Humble PlaceArtist: Alphonse MuchaArtist: Vincent van Goch picture study packet from A Humble PlaceThe Night Watch FlashmobThe Night Watch High Resolution image from the Riijks MuseumThe Primavera by BotticelliThe Mona Lisa by DavinciMemory Game with Art BOOKS Mentioned (We encourage you to visit our sponsor, Eighth Day Books for books mentioned on our show. They are offering FREE standard shipping between March 8 and March 31, 2024 for our listeners.Coupon code: BEAUTIFUL )Thoms Bulfinch's Medieval Mythology (note: Age of Fable is another Bulfinch book that you can request from Eighth Day Books)Katie and the Mona Lisa by James MayhewFor the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer MacaulayParent's Review articlesCelebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Fost (Call Eighth Day Books to order your copy. 316-683-9446. Be sure to use the free shipping discount code through the end of March.)ANNOUNCING A NEW PROGYMNASMATA CURRICULUMBenjamin Lyda in partnership with Adrienne is launching a pilot for Scriptorium: Writing with the Progymnasmata for grades 3-8. For more information about participating in this pilot, visit the website: https://www.beautifulteaching.com/pilotANNOUNCING OUR FIRST CLASSICAL EDUCATION ONLINE CONFERENCE! 11 speakers, 2 days, online and recorded if you cannot attend all of the sessions! Early bird pricing only $69 though April 1. Visit our website for more information. ________________________________________________________This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________Credits:Sound Engineer: Andrew HelselLogo Art: Anastasiya CFMusic: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic © 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Explore the benefits of classical writing over modern approaches, with Benjamin Lyda sharing insights on teaching writing through the progymnasmata method. Learn about a new curriculum for K-8 students, focusing on virtue-based writing and engaging storytelling. Discover the legacy of the progymnasmata in classical education and the importance of integrating narration and rhetoric in writing instruction.

About the GuestsKathleen Cotter Clayton is the daughter of Dr. Joan A. Cotter, author and developer of the RightStart™ Mathematics program. Kathleen is involved with curriculum development and has written or co-authored 17 manuals. She travels, teaches online middle-school classes, and speaks across the US and Canada, sharing the mission to help children understand, apply, and enjoy mathematics. Kathleen has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and has two Masters Degrees from the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. In her spare time, Kathleen designs and creates mathematical quilts and loves to travel all around the world. Teresa Foltin is the School Liaison with RightStart Math. She has a Bachelor's in English Literature and a Master’s in Student Affairs in Higher Education. Previously the Director of Student Activities at an American university in Germany, she is now a homeschooling mom of five. Teresa travels across the US talking to parents and teachers, calming, encouraging, and exciting them about math education. She is interested in adoption, travel, horses, gardening, and reading. The Foltin family lives in Colorado on a small homestead with a menagerie of critters.Contact RightStart Math: Mention that you heard about them from The Classical Education Podcast. Sign up for help & more info: https://rightstartclassroom.com/Website: https://rightstartmath.com/Show NotesUplifting describes this conversation about Mathematics with guests, Cathleen Cotter Clayton, and Theresa Fulton of RightStart Math. When games are involved, everyone wants to participate. When a math program is written and approved by an electrical engineer and a physicist, as an excellent and intuitive way to teach math, why not share it!  Forget the tears, and fears about fractions. Find out the stories behind it’s success and the how and why this math program fits within the Classical Tradition of education for grades Kindergarten through eighth grade.Some Ideas Discussed:Success in Homeschool and School ProgramsA fearless experience with fractionsHistory of Right Start Math and the Research behind itAdrienne’s homeschool story “Enjoying Math!”How RightStart Math fits into the Classical model and similarities with the medieval time period (Treviso Arithmetic)The importance of place valueGeometry and the QuadriviumRight Start Math TutoringRight Start Support and Presentations for SchoolsBooks & Ideas MentionedCasting Out Nines ( RightStart calls in "check numbers". This is a video explanation)Treviso Arithmetic InformationTreviso Arithmetic PDF (Explains place value and casting out nines and other interesting ways of teaching math the medieval way)The Robe by Lloyd C. DouglasThe Magnificent Obsession by Lloyd C. DouglasComing soon to be published: a new book by Dr. CotterAfter the recording, Adrienne found an interesting public domain book on Gutenburg called A Scrap-Book of Elementary Mathematics. It has interesting and old tricks for teaching arithmetic that seems to align nicely with this way of teaching math. ________________________________________________________Upcoming Workshop Links:Society for Classical Learning Winter Workshops, 2024 (scroll to read more about Adrienne's Narration Intensive)Snapshot Series Courses by Beautiful Teaching Master TeachersSign up for Beautiful Teaching Monthly Newsletter by visiting the website! Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!Meet our Team, Explore our Resources andTake advantage of our Services!This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ ________________________________________________________Credits:Sound Engineer: Andrew HelselLogo Art: Anastasiya CFMusic: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic © 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Dr. Junius Johnson, a writer, teacher, and musician, talks about the art of teaching in classical education. He emphasizes the importance of approaching all subjects creatively, cultivating a lifelong relationship with texts, and fostering open discussions. He also explores the role of imagination in teaching and discusses the theme of good kings in Beowulf and its relevance to King Arthur in the Quest of the Holy Grail. Additionally, he shares insights on rereading books, incorporating dialectic discussions in math class, and teaching fairy stories.