About The GuestDr. Phillip J. Donnelly is Professor of Literature for the Great Texts Program in the Honors College at Baylor University. His teaching and research focus on the connections between philosophy, theology, and imaginative literature, with particular attention to Renaissance literature and the reception of Classical educational traditions.  He serves on the editorial board of Principia: A Journal of Classical Education.  He is the Director of the Texas Chapter of the Alcuin Fellowship and serves on the national board for the Alcuin Fellowship.  He is the author of The Lost Seeds of Learning: Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric as Life-Giving Arts (Classical Academic Press) and Milton’s Scriptural Reasoning (Cambridge Univ. Press).  He is the co-editor (with D.H. Williams) of Transformations in Biblical Literary Traditions (Univ. of Notre Dame Press). Show NotesThis engaging conversation gives voice to the nature of verbal arts. As written in his book, The Lost Seeds of Learning: Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric as Life-Giving Arts,  Dr. Phillip Donnelly offers the image of a living seed to represent purposeful communication. From this episode, you will gain a vision for skills learned in the classroom that are alive, not detached, with a new sense of enthusiasm for the art of grammar.  Some points of discussion include: Why is the trivium so important?What is the core function of the trivium?Why a seed metaphor?What is grammar in the trivium?Books Mentioned in the EpisodeFor 15% off CAP products use discount code CEPODCAST15 at checkout.Dr. Donnelly's book is published by CAP (Classical Academic Press)The Classical Trivium: The Place of Thomas Nash in the Learning of His Time by Marshall McLuhanConfessions by St. Augustine (trans. Maria Boulding)________________________________________________________Upcoming Winter Workshop Links:Fundamentals of a Charlotte Mason Education 7 Week Intensive (with Karen Glass, Kiernan Fiore, and Adrienne Freas) Snapshot Series Courses by Beautiful Teaching Master TeachersSociety for Classical Learning Winter Workshops, 2024 (scroll to read more about Adrienne's Narration Intensive)Sign 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

About The GuestJake Weidmann is a professional artist and certified as one of nine Master Penman in the world. Certified through IAMPETH (International Association of Master Penman, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting) in July 2011, Weidmann holds the title as the youngest Master Penman by three decades and the youngest to ever attain the title. Weidmann’s peers (other Masters) are noted for working with the White House, Queen Elizabeth and the Pope. His journey into calligraphy has been the “special sauce” for everything he now creates, incorporating the traditional calligraphic flourishing into his fine art. Weidmann is self-taught in each of his disciplines (calligraphy, painting, drawing, woodworking, and engraving). Coined by 5280 Magazine as today’s Renaissance Man, Weidmann’s analog mediums defy the digital-centric age we live in as he employs old world tools and techniques to achieve his finished works. While he typically works with private clients, Weidmann has worked with Apple, Inc., Crossway Books, and Biola University and has spoken from countless stages including Tedx and Thinq and was featured on PBS Television.Website: jakeweidmann.comFacebook: facebook.com/jakeweidmannInstagram: @jakeweidmannShow NotesWhen deciding how to apply the art of penmanship for children in your schools, you will want to consider the evidence that supports handwriting as a foundation for literacy. Beyond the evidence that connects the hands in creativity and flourishing communication, you’ll hear why, how, and what tools to use in applying the art of penmanship.  Some topics and questions covered in this episode:Dependency on technology to the detriment of healthy child development Will you speak to cursive writing and learning to read? What is the history behind Spencerian Cursive and why is it important?What should educators look for in curriculum for penmanship?How is cursive tied to phonics?How do writing tools make a difference?What tips do you have for teachers?ResourcesCommercial about Jake that Adrienne uses at teacher trainings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvSyQDu49pIThe following are affiliate links for Jake Weidmann:https://www.amazon.com/shop/jakeweidmann1) link to Michal Sull's curriculum for kids --also here: https://spencerian.com/2) link to blackwing pencils3) link to pilot varsity pen4) link to Jake's pens that he sells or will sell.5) Brian Guelle's fountain pensMaster Penman Society: https://www.iampeth.com/master-penman-societyA book that Jake wishes he had read earlier in his life: A Joy For Ever by John Ruskin________________________________________________________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

About the GuestKaren Swallow Prior, Ph. D., is a reader, writer, and professor. She is the author of The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis (Brazos, 2023); On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books (Brazos 2018); Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist (Thomas Nelson, 2014); and Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me (T. S. Poetry Press, 2012). She is co-editor of Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues (Zondervan 2019) and has contributed to numerous other books. She has a monthly column for Religion News Service. Her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, First Things, Vox, Think Christian, The Gospel Coalition, and various other places. She hosted the podcast Jane and Jesus. She is a Contributing Editor for Comment, a founding member of The Pelican Project, a Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum, and a Senior Fellow at the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture. She and her husband live on a 100-year-old homestead in central Virginia with dogs, chickens, and lots of books.Show NotesAdrienne Freas and Karen Swallow Prior enjoy discussing the idea of culture creation through great literature. Why not think of reading for enjoyment instead of just reading for an assignment? Enjoy more balance while gaining an enriching approach to literature. Some Questions Include:How is the book, On Reading Well helpful for parents and teachers?What do you believe is helpful in your books and what do you hope teachers and parents will take away ? What is your view concerning critical theory in contrast with the idea of reading well? What are the implications for how we teach students?Resources and books mentioned:Artist Makoto Fujimura On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great BooksThe Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in CrisisMoby DickThe BibleTo Kill A MockingbirdUncle Tom’s CabinJane EyreGerard Manly Hopkins poetryEast of Eden________________________________________________________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

Headmaster Jon Jordan shares his wisdom and experience as the headmaster of a Christian classical school in Dallas. He discusses helping parents embrace the school mission, supporting staff and families in classical education, understanding virtues as moral muscles and their impact on education, strengthening moral muscles through spiritual disciplines, and integrating virtues into education.

Dr. Brian Williams, Dean of the Templeton Honors College, discusses classical education and its ongoing conversation. He explores 'poetic knowledge', announces upcoming webinar courses, and emphasizes the significance of a liberal arts education. The transformative power of Dante's Comedy and the importance of reading the entire Divine Comedy are also highlighted.

About the GuestJohn (Jack) Muir Laws is a principal leader and innovator of the worldwide nature journaling movement. Jack is a scientist, educator, and author, who helps people forge a deeper and more personal connection with nature through keeping illustrated nature journals and understanding science. His work intersects science, art, and mindfulness. Trained as a wildlife biologist and an associate of the California Academy of Sciences, he observes the world with rigorous attention. He looks for mysteries, plays with ideas, and seeks connections in all he sees. Attention, observation, curiosity, and creative thinking are not gifts, but skills that grow with training and deliberate practice. As an educator and author, Jack teaches techniques and supports routines that develop these skills to make them a part of everyday life.He is the founder and president of the Wild Wonder Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging nature connection and conservation through attention, curiosity, art, science, and community. Laws is the founder and host of the Nature Journal Club, a family-friendly, intergenerational community that connects with nature through art and field journaling. He has recieved numerous and prestigous rewards in environmental educaiton.  He has written and illustrated books about art and natural history including The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling (2016), The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds (2012), Sierra Birds: a Hiker’s Guide (2004), The Laws Guide to the Sierra Nevada (2007), and The Laws Pocket Guide Set to the San Francisco Bay Area (2009). He is a regular contributor to Bay Nature magazine with his “Naturalists Notebook” column. He is the primary author and editor of the curriculum: Opening the World through Nature Journaling. This free teaching guide is kid-tested and teacher-approved and integrates science, language arts, and visual arts through keeping a nature journal. He is the founder and host of the Bay Area Nature Journal Club, monthly free nature sketching workshops, field trips, and events, connecting people with nature through art.Visit his website for many FREE resources: https://johnmuirlaws.com/Show NotesLearn how to create a spirit of inquiry! Learn how to order your affactions towards the good and the true! Join Adrienne and John Muir Laws to learn the secrets behind keeping good nature journals and why it is perhaps one of the most important practices for a good and beautiful education. Hear their stories reflecting on personal experiences in the great outdoors, and their passion to help students order their affections towards things that are good and true. Topics Discussed include:Why nature journals?  Ordering the affections towards the good and trueGrowth Mindset and helping students grow towards their full capacityPractical ideas for getting startedHow to assess nature journals (what to do and what NOT to do)Resources to help with nature studyResources MentionedJohn Muir Laws YouTube Channel (lots of FREE resources)Nature Journal Connection (free educational videos for teachers-- not students-- to help create lessons)Nature Journal Educators Forum (FREE online meetings. See his calendar for event links to the meetings)Wild Wonder FoundationHow To Teach Nature Journaling (Free download by John Muir Laws)_________________________________________________________Whether you are a teacher or a parent, ask yourself…What is the purpose of education?  What is the beginning of education, AND does it ever come to an end? What type of education is best, and what type of education might I or my child pursue in the future? Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. Where Should I Start?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

A young poetry enthusiast and her homeschooling mom discuss the importance of poetry for children. They explore personalized birthday shout out poems, favorite poems like 'My Shadow' and 'Mr. Nobody', and the benefits of reciting poems for deeper understanding. The hosts share their passion for poetry and how it can enhance learning and emotional connections in everyday life.

Dr. Dave Rose, Professor of Economics, discusses the importance of civics and economics education. Topics include the connection between civics and culture, cooperation in economic development, traditional practices in economics, recognizing contributions of Black entrepreneurs, fostering self-governance in classical schools, and the importance of teaching economics alongside philosophy in a classical education.

This episode originally aired in Season 1, episode 4. We have many new listeners now. We think this episode is worth a republish! Enjoy the show!Four teachers join us to talk about their joyful experiences teaching Plutarch in both classrooms and homeschools. This episode highlights different perspectives and personal experiences with the writings of Plutarch. We discuss why classical schools ought to put forth effort to incorporate Plutarch in their curriculum. Our guests give a contagious love for Plutarch to this episode and they are all active members in our Facebook Group. Philip Schaffer: Taught Plutarch in a number of high school courses: Rhetoric, Composition, Latin, and Ancient History. He adapted sections from the Lives into Latin for his students to translate.Dawn Garrett: Teaches Plutarch in homeschool co-ops using Anne White’s Guides. Lisa Mayeux: Leads both middle school and high school students in Scholé Group with Classical Academic Press.Mrs. Peach Smith: Read and loved Plutarch as a child. She has passed her love of Plutarch to her children and her high school students.  Books Mentioned In This EpisodeWe have affiliate links. I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases through them. This helps to support the podcast and keep it free of advertising. Plutarch Translations for Parallel LivesJohn Dreyden TranslationSir Thomas North TranslationA.H. Clough TranslationChildren and Teen VersionsOur Young Folk’s Plutarch by Rosalie Kaufman The Children’s Plutarch: Tales of the Greeks by F.J. GouldThe Children’s Plutarch: Tales of the Romans by F.J. GouldPlutarch's Lives for Boys and Girls by WestonEssays by PlutarchMoralia by PlutarchPlutarch on Listening to LecturesPaintings to teach PlutarchThe Eclectic Light Company OUR MISSIONWe exist for the benefit of both parents and teachers who are seeking to understand classical education. Teaching is an art and teachers need opportunities to cultivate their craft. Parents need to feel confident that their children are receiving the best education possible. Therefore, our goals are to help parents make well-informed decisions about the education of their children, and to help teachers experience true joy in their vocation. We help bridge gaps that currently exists between many classical schools and the parents who send their students to these schools. We guide teachers and parents on the path of a beautiful education. We help teachers delight in their sacred work. We help parents understand that a good education should fill students with wonder and delight! Join in the conversation of discovering the joy and beauty of a well-ordered education. https://www.beautifulteaching.com/OUR SERVICESIf you like our podcast, you will love our online sessions!Meet our Team of Master Teachers: https://www.beautifulteaching.com/aboutWe offer immersion sessions so you can experience classical pedagogy. A complete listing of our courses is at  https://beautifulteaching.coursestorm.com/_________________________________________________________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 ★ Support this podcast ★

Andrew Zwerneman discusses the importance of teaching history classically and the impact of fragmented vs. whole stories. Topics include Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Cana Academy for Teachers, and the art of classical observational teaching. The episode also explores concerns about modern culture, Augustine's Anthropology, and utilizing poetry to bring history to life.