Developing Classical Thinkers

The apostle Paul, author of a series of letters in the New Testament, had a vocation by which he took care of himself through the day: tentmaking. Indeed, as a pharisee, Paul was required to learn such a trade so that he had a meaningful, marketable skill with which to earn his daily bread and bless others. The idea is so popular that individuals in education or in ministry refer to side jobs (or even a full-time job) as "tentmaking"--that is, something outside of their highly-specialized academic that is more technical and hands-on. In this episode, Winston Brady speaks with Miguel Echevarria, a professor of New Testament at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC about the idea of tentmaking and how students can learn from Paul's example. Dr. Echevarria is the co-author of a new book on Paul entitled, "40 Questions About the Apostle Paul," available here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/40-Questions-About-Apostle-Paul/dp/0825447526/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3IIHUOPSYNUKN&keywords=miguel+echevarria&qid=1704821075&sprefix=miguel+echev%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-1

In this episode, Winston Brady and Keller Moore discuss classroom management tips and strategies, with Winston sharing three rulers or, better yet, "hypothetical scenarios" to help classroom teachers manage large classrooms between 25 and 35 students, at the Junior High level. Those scenarios are as follows:Hypothetical Scenario #1: If someone is talking, you should not be talking.Hypothetical Scenario #2: If we are working, please stay in your seats.Hypothetical Scenario #3: If you have time to “lean,” you have time to clean.

In this episode, Winston Brady speaks with Hunter Hastings, Vice President of the Kingman Institute. The Kingman Institute is dedicated to integrating the principles of entrepreneurial free-market capitalism into business and education. We teach the morality of merit-based reward and an applicable understanding of value-based entrepreneurship.Hunter Hastings is an economist by education, a marketer in my professional track, a venture capitalist by vocation, and a passionate supporter of entrepreneurship. He currently serves as the Vice President of the Kingman Institute.More information about Hunter Hasting and his work can be found at https://hunterhastings.com/

One Thales Rolesville staff member is leaving this quarter, taking a job at a local sandwich shop. While his departure is sad, we not only wish him the best but want to draw out from this new opportunity some valuable lessons for our students.Chief among those lessons are: the value of hard work, the joy of learning in and of itself, and the need to learn those people skills called "emotional intelligence" needed to flourish.Take care, Mr. Crownover!

Key among her insights: the need for leaders to "connect" before they "correct", cultivate a sense of empathy and sympathy with their team, and be willing to endure the same sorts of challenges students and teachers go through each school day.In this episode, Winston Brady speaks with Rachael Bradley, administrator of the Thales Academy Franklin campus. In the episode, Rachael shares her insights into being an administrator and how to motivate both students and teachers to give their best each day. Rachael Bradley has a passion for education that has accompanied her throughout her career. Mrs. Bradley is a strong advocate of the formation cultivated and maintained at Thales Academy. Mrs. Bradley received a B.S. in Family and Child Development and an M.A. in Education from Virginia Tech. She has worked in private, public, and charter schools throughout her career in teaching. She currently serves as the administrator at Thales Academy Franklin campus, located just outside of Nashville, Tennessee.Interested in teaching at Thales Academy? Please check out our website if you are interested in pursuing a career at Thales Academy and learning about needs across our network. Find out more at https://www.thalesacademy.org/contact/careers.Our theme music is Vivaldi's "Four Seasons," performed by John Harrison.

Merry Christmas! With Christmas coming up, it's time to revisit our favorite Christmas films and understand the elements that make up a Christmas film. In the episode, Winston Brady and Keller Moore discuss the criteria that make for an essential Christmas film. The criteria are as follows: (1) A Christmas film must have a happy ending(2) A Christmas film must end in a state of good fortune for the protagonist(3) A Christmas movie must have at least one warm and fuzzy moment(4) A Christmas film must have at least one scene with snowLet us know what you think in the comments. Merry Christmas!

In this webinar, just in time for the 2023-Christmas season, Dr. Anthony Esolen walked viewers through four seminal pieces of art including: "The Nativity" by Giotto (1314-1315), "The Presentation of the Holy Family" by Mantegna (1455), "Christ among the Doctors" by Dirck van Baburen (1622), and "The Holy Family" by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1650).The beauty we see, hear, or touch has the power to enter our minds and memories more powerfully than do philosophical or political abstractions expressed in words. As teachers, we must remember this, especially when we want to introduce our students to ways of life embodied in another culture. A painting -- even the decorated hilt of a sword -- can work wonders. Dr. Anthony Esolen received his A.B. in English Literature from Princeton University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Renaissance English Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.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. Dr. Esolen is a senior editor and regular writer at Touchstone magazine and has published well over 1000 articles in a wide variety of journals. With his wife, Debra, he writes a daily a web magazine, Word & Song, dedicated to language, music, poetry, and classic film.

On this date, at 7:55, December 7, 1941, Imperial Japan launched their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Their goal was to keep the U.S. military from supporting American possessions like the Philippines and Guam or British outposts like Singapore and Hong Kong. Such territories Japan attacked within hours of striking Pearl Harbor, annexing them all as part of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, the name Japan had given to their empire.Check out reflections on Pearl Harbor from Winston Brady, available in two forms: on our podcast Developing Classical Thinkers and at the American Spectator.Theme music is from John Harrison and the Wichita State Players.

In this talk, George Leef presented an overview of education policy in the United States, beginning with the Higher Education Act of 1965. Mr. Leef's examined the many unintended consequences that have resulted from federal meddling and government intrusion into higher education and academia, chief amongst these unintended consequences was the transformation of standard curricula away from the liberal arts and towards a series of social goals.George Leef is director of editorial content for the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from Carroll College (Waukesha, WI) and a juris doctor from Duke University School of Law. He is the host of Classical Cafe on radio station WCPE in Wake Forest, NC is the author of two books, "Free Choice for Workers" in 2005 and a novel, "The Awakening of Jennifer Van Arsdale" in 2022.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 6, 2023.Interested in teaching at Thales Academy? Please check out our website if you are interested in pursuing a career at Thales Academy and learning about needs across our network. Find out more at https://www.thalesacademy.org/contact/careers.

The Covid-19 pandemic has radically reshaped our world and almost every level of society. Capitalizing on these changes, the World Economic Forum has been urging a “great reset” for civic and political leaders to reshape the world in light of the pandemic. But what changes are they proposing, and will any of these changes make our world a better place?Learn about these changes and more in this lecture from Brian Balfour, a Senior Vice President of Research for the John Locke Foundation. Mr. Balfour oversees the organization’s research and analysis on a variety of issues related to economic policy.If you want to read more of Mr. Balfour's work, check out Brian Balfour's "Economics in Action," a high school economics textbook based on the principles of the Austrian School of Economics. The book is available from Thales Press: https://amzn.to/3W4cmZs This webinar was streamed live on November 16, 2023.Interested in teaching at Thales Academy? Please check out our website if you are interested in pursuing a career at Thales Academy and learning about needs across our network. Find out more at https://www.thalesacademy.org/contact/careers.