Developing Classical Thinkers

Conferences for teachers tend to be "mountaintop" experiences. These events are fruitful times of learning and reflection on the art of teaching and why the task of education is so vitally important today.On this episode of Developing Classical Thinkers, Winston Brady interviews three Thales staff members about their recent experience traveling to Potomac, Maryland and attending the Heights Forum, a conference for classical educators. Anthony Batalla, Tim McDonald, and Marc Chiurco share about their experience and the lessons they picked up while at this great event hosted by the Heights School. More information can be found at https://heightsforum.org/about/.The Heights Forum is a department of The Heights School. We assist parents, school leaders, and teachers in their own efforts to educate boys into men fully alive. Through in-person and digital resources we share our experience in forming the hearts and minds of boys, and invite you to join the conversation.

Is Christmas "classical"? And by "classical," we mean an idea, a book, a value, an institution, or an ideal originating in the ancient world vivified by the Judeo-Christian tradition during the medieval period. In this episode, Winston Brady, Josh Herring, and Will Begley discuss the joys and difficulties of the Christmas season, where the holiday originated from, what the day truly means, and some ideas to reflect on and celebrate. 

Classical education strives to preserve the past to give hope for the future. We recognize that the more we know about the past, the more confident our hope is that the future will be better, brighter, and more full of the joy and opportunities we hope to see in the world. The Christmas season is a particularly important time to reflect on such things, given the distance between what Christmas is and what Christmas has become–a byword for a shopping season that if you include the time needed to return unwanted gifts, stretches from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve. This Christmas, don’t celebrate with empty materialism but give gifts in imitation of the God who gave Himself. Now that’s a reason to celebrate!Special thanks to Josh Herring and Shawn Crownover for contributing to this episode. Merry Christmas, everyone!Today's theme music is available under the following terms:Hark! The Herald Angels Sing by Dee Yan-Key is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

An epic poem is by definition, a long poem on themes of universal importance. Every culture seemingly has one of its own, but a few have risen to the top as being one of a handful of epics that are must-reads on every Great Books program. In this episode, host Winston Brady speaks with Anthony Esolen about epic poetry and what makes an epic, epic. Anthony Esolen is the Distinguished Professor of Humanities at Thales College. Dr. Esolen has been a professor of literature and humanities for 35 years and is the author or translator of more than 30 books, which include a range of English translations, analyses of culture, literary and Biblical criticisms, meditations on modern education, meditations on the Christian life, and original poetry.

In this lecture, Dr. Chelsea Wagenaar offers her insights into leading robust discussions and explore common pitfalls to leading a good discussion in a literature (or other humanities) course, as well as numerous strategies to get students comfortable, talking, and invested in the material.Dr. Wagenaar also looked at ways teachers can respond to students during discussion and work to overcome any possible nerves about the "unpredictable" nature of student discussion.Dr. Wagenaar received a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia and a Ph.D. in English from the University of North Texas. She teaches Literature and Trivium.

In this episode, Winston Brady and Josh Herring discuss about the Certificate in Classical Education Program at Thales College. CCEP for short, this is a certificate program that teaches the unique purposes and goals behind classical education, allowing classical educators to excel in their field and help their students to fulfill their potential.The Certificate in Classical Education Philosophy (CCEP) program consists of eight courses taken in any order (details below), culminating in a certificate. Each course is offered with the following model: participants are in cohorts of up to twelve; class is held through Google Meet; at each meeting, participants are led in a seminar discussion of a text read the previous week in preparation for the class. Each class meets five times over nine weeks. The certificate is earned upon completion of all eight courses (expected to be completed over two years). The classical renewal movement is growing at incredible speed, and the movement needs teachers and leaders who understand why we do what we do. We invite you to join us! This program is free of charge to Thales Academy teachers and administrators. For those outside of Thales Academy, each course carries a $300 course fee.Check out https://www.thalescollege.org/academics/philosophy for more information or email Josh Herring at josh.herring@thalescollege.org

According to tradition, the first Thanksgiving was celebrated at Plymouth Plantation in 1621. 102 settlers had crossed the Atlantic on board the Mayflower and landed off the coast of Cape Cod. They did not call themselves pilgrims, but the word pilgrim–meaning someone who undertakes a long, difficult journey for a spiritual purpose–is the best way, perhaps the only way, to describe these settlers and their mission. They hoped to establish a colony whose laws, practices, and mores derived from the Bible and might be, one day, a shining city on a hill, as later migrant John Winthrop described their errand in the wilderness. We wish all the listeners of Developing Classical Thinkers a happy Thanksgiving!

Teaching is more than information transfer; it involves personal formation and imparting a "way of being" toward your subject matter (and, ideally, toward life in general). This formative approach is in line with both certain approaches to teaching that can be found in certain examples of both ancient and modern pedagogy. It can open up new vistas for students and teachers alike, as will be demonstrated with examples from middle-school Latin.Dr. Kelley received a B.A. from Carolina University and an M.Div. and Ph.D. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He teaches Latin and Trivium.

In this episode, science and educational consultant Tom Hardy looks at a brief overview of science and science education in the United States since World War II.Tom Hardy is a friend of Thales Academy and Thales Press, working as a consultant for mathematics and science curricula. He holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry and has done graduate work at the University of Chicago in mathematics education. He has worked as a teacher and headmaster in private schools for over 20 years. He is also versed in construction and mechanical trades. He is the author of a new textbook, "Physical Science and Technology," and has written articles on various issues in education.

In this session, Brian Balfour will look at issues making headlines in the news such as inflation, price controls, and tariffs. He will explain how and why inflation sets in, why price controls create shortages of vital goods and services, and why tariffs help create cartels and higher prices passed onto consumers. Lastly, Mr. Balfour will present why free markets offer a better alternative as prescribed by the Austrian School of Economics.Brian Balfour is Senior Vice President of Research for the John Locke Foundation, where he oversees the organization’s research and analysis on a variety of issues. He previously worked for the Civitas Institute for 13 years, and has a master’s degree in economics from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. He specializes in fiscal policy issues and is also the author of the book “Economics in Action,” which teaches the free-market principles of the ‘Austrian School’ of economics.This lecture was delivered live at the Fall Classical Summit, a regional classical conference held at Thales Academy Rolesville Junior High-High School on October 4, 2024. Want to read more of Brian Balfour's work? Interested in economics taught from this perspective? Need a textbook that helps students see the vital principles and intuition behind economic concepts?Check out Brian Balfour's "Economics in Action," a high school economics textbook based on the principles of the Austrian School of Economics, available here: https://amzn.to/3W4cmZs