Developing Classical Thinkers

Thales founder Bob Luddy offers our listeners lessons for our students in regards to good character, personal integrity, and virtuous leadership, oriented on "Lessons from Youth," "Lessons in Business," and "Lessons for the Future."

In today's episode, Winston Brady speaks with Sheel Chandra, graduate of the class of 2018 and a current student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, about his experiences at Thales and what it means to be "Classically educated."

In today’s episode, we look at the life of the abolitionist leader, author, and noted orator Frederick Douglass (1818-1895). Born into slavery on a plantation in Tuckahoe, Maryland, Frederick Douglass endured great suffering and hardship during his childhood and adolescent years. Despite the often harsh treatment he endured from his masters, and the lengths they went to keep Frederick illiterate and uneducated, Douglass succeeded in teaching himself to read and later chanced upon a rhetoric textbook called "The Columbian Orator," a work that contained samples of noteworthy speeches from ancient Greece and Rome as well as contemporary speeches. "The Columbian Orators" and the speeches it contained helped, in part, to inspire Douglass to take whatever steps needed to gain his freedom. Our 8th grade students read Douglass’ autobiography, "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass," and in today’s episode, we examine the small part that texts from the Classical world, such as those included in "The Columbian Orator," had in forming the character of Frederick Douglass. For more Information, check out the following resources: Winston Brady, “The Legacy of Frederick Douglass,” available at https://blog.cltexam.com/the-legacy-of-frederick-douglass/“The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,” at Dover Thrift: https://store.doverpublications.com/0486284999.htmlFrederick Douglass, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” available at the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University, available at https://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/what-to-the-slave-is-the-fourth-of-july/Frederick Douglass, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Socratic Seminar reading, available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NhxtMlf5skV1zIiJr5PDBAN3bD01_oiRUYRKEuijNZA/edit?usp=sharingDeveloping Classical Thinkers' Survey for New and Upcoming Episodes: https://forms.gle/TVQANRjbQHiymxVs7

In this episode, Winston Brady speaks with Andrew Pudewa, the founder and director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW, for short). IEW's mission "is to equip teachers and teaching parents with methods and materials which will aid them in training their students to become confident and competent communicators and thinkers," and Andrew shares those tips and insights with our listeners today. More information about IEW can be found here: https://iew.com/intro-iew/history-mission-people/missionFor more information on influences at Thales Academy and how we equip students to be talented writers and Classical thinkers, check out our influences page at https://www.thalesacademy.org/influencesDeveloping Classical Thinkers' Survey on New and Upcoming Episodes: https://forms.gle/TVQANRjbQHiymxVs7

In this episode, Will Begley, Josh Herring, and Travis Copeland discuss the poetry of Richard Wilbur. They focus on the poems "A Wood" and "4C," which are available for you to read here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mJYY27pCAbK4SFqCpbs1w5mOvuI0dcd-hvhUto03pDk/edit?ts=601c197c Richard Wilbur (1921-2017) was an American poet and literary translator who is often associated with a movement known as New Formalism. In his poetry, Wilbur used traditional and nonce forms to explore the universals visible in everyday experiences. This episode will focus on two of Wilbur’s poems, both of which highlight and recast things that are overlooked or underrated. More information about Richard Wilbur can be found here at the Poetry Foundation: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/richard-wilburIn this episode, Travis, Will, and Josh referenced dogwood trees, maltese crosses, and the Romantic poet John Keats. Here are links to photos of these items. Dogwood Trees: https://www.thespruce.com/thmb/EwwBIhCoH2lMfvyyMB2BtS4i-UA=/2667x2000/smart/filters:no_upscale()/pink-dogwood-172784414-b9cc9ba1f47d46b9950abcf91c1b14b9.jpgMaltese Crosses: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Malteserkreuz.svg/1200px-Malteserkreuz.svg.pngJohn Keats’ “When I have Fears That I May Cease to Be”: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44488/when-i-have-fears-that-i-may-cease-to-be

Josh Herring, Dean of Student for Thales Academy Rolesville, went on The Open Door podcast; as part of their discussion, Mario Ramos-Reyes asked Josh what it means for Thales Academy to be a classical school. His answer is given in this episode of Developing Classical Thinkers.If you're interested in the Open Door Podcast, you can check them out at https://www.spreaker.com/user/wcatradio/wcat-radio-the-open-door-010821b

In this episode, Josh Herring, Winston Brady, and Matt Ogle discuss the idea of a “No Excuses” Discipline Policy as taken from the book “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Teachers." "Battle Hymn" was written by the faculty at the Michaela School, a “free school” (similar to charter schools in the U.S.) in Britain. Josh, Winston, and Matt focused on one essay, “No Excuses Discipline Changes Lives” by Michaela teacher Jonathan Porter. While the group didn’t agree with everything in the essay, it was fascinating to read about school culture and classroom management at another school across the pond. In the discussion, the group focuses not on a "no excuses" system but instead on how to build a positive, engaging classroom environment uniquely suited to the needs and culture of Thales Academy. If you would like to hear more about the Michaela School, check out an interview with their founder, Katharine Birbalsingh, on Anchored, the podcast of the CLT, available here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anchored/id1530053338?i=1000494860076

In many ways, the Classical education movement began with “The Lost Tools of Learning,” a lecture delivered by Dorothy Sayers at a Vacation Course in Education at Oxford in 1947. In this episode, we’ll take a look at the life of Dorothy Sayers, walk through “The Lost Tools of Learning,” examine some objections to her argument raised by Classical educators, and end with how Thales implements some of the ideas in “The Lost Tools of Learning” into our school. Here are some links to resources referenced in today’s episode:Direct Instruction: https://www.thalesacademy.org/academics/what-is-direct-instructionDorothy Sayers’ Lost Tools of Learning: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eRn-UqzHShRg5tZVifqcPEXeW3yktKfk/view?usp=sharingDorothy Sayers Society: https://www.sayers.org.uk/

On this episode, Winston Brady interviews Dr. Anika T. Prather about the value of a Classical education and the role Classical texts played in shaping the minds of leaders in the African-American community, notably Frederick Douglass, Anna Julia Cooper, W.E.B. DuBois, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., among others. Dr. Anika T. Prather earned her B.A. from Howard University in elementary education. She also has earned several graduate degrees in education from New York University and Howard University. She has a Masters in liberal arts from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland and a PhD in English, Theatre and Literacy Education from the University of Maryland at College Park. Her research focus is on building literacy with African American students through engagement in the books of the Canon and recently self-published her book “Living in the Constellation of the Canon: The Lived Experiences of African American Students Reading Great Books Literature.” She has served as a teacher, supervisor for student teachers, director of education and Head of School. Currently she teaches in the Classics department at Howard University and is the founder of The Living Water School in Southern Maryland. In her research, Dr. Prather focuses on “building literacy with African American students through engagement in the books of the Canon”—that is, reading through the books in a Great Books curriculum to inspire in her students a lifelong love of learning. "Living in the Constellation of the Canon: The Lived Experiences of African-American Students Reading Great Books Literature": https://www.amazon.com/dp/172493337X/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_DJo9EbDYGWCEV

This is our third (and final) interview with Dr. Don Devine. In the interview, Devine and Winston Brady, Dean of Academics at Thales Academy, talk about current trends in education, the importance of reading the very best books, and Devine's experience working in the Reagan administration.Don Devine is a well-respected professor and civil servant with a long career in academia and public service. He is also the author of the new book, "The Enduring Tension: Capitalism and the Moral Order." Devine is a passionate supporter of Classical education, and he wrote much of the scope and sequence of our high school program at Thales Academy. We have provided links to Don Devine’s new book, "The Enduring Tension," in the show notes below and our website for more information about our academic program and our influences. Don Devine, The Enduring Tension: https://www.amazon.com/Enduring-Tension-Capitalism-Moral-Order/dp/1641771518Thales Academy JH/HS Curriculum Overview: https://www.thalesacademy.org/academics/what-is-classical-education