The Case for Classical P.E.: A Practical Application for Upper School
By Jenny Crockett, Guest Author “Pupils develop a well-disciplined attitude toward the ‘hard work principle’ in terms of heavy, energy-output type of activities.” This is a quote from Stan LeProtti’s program guide for the La Sierra High School PE program. He expected his students to do hard things. He took a whole man approach to physical education to produce students who were both physically and physiologically fit, … Continue reading The Case for Classical P.E.: A Practical Application for Upper School
Letter to a First Year Teacher
By Dr. Brad Dolloff, Guest Author As head of a classical Christian school, I could not be more thrilled my oldest child has started a career as a classical Christian school teacher. He graduated from School of the Ozarks, the school I helped found on the campus of College of the Ozarks, went on to study at John Brown University (where he studied under Jessica … Continue reading Letter to a First Year Teacher
When the Struggle is Worthwhile
My excitement rose with the sun. Despite the previous night’s rain—which had served to muddy many of the famed fisheries of Paradise Valley—we were headed for the clear water of DuPuy’s Spring Creek, arguably one of the finest trout waters in Western Montana. Our guide had warned us that DuPuy’s was a more technical fishery, and some days, expert fishermen leave the creek empty-handed. Still, … Continue reading When the Struggle is Worthwhile
On Rearranging My Classroom (Mundane Meditations Series)
I’ve found that life presents a series of bizarre paradoxes. One of the more profound of these paradoxes is the desire of everyone to fit in. We all want to belong to something, to feel at home in it—whether it’s a family, a group of friends, a club. But simultaneously, we each like to conceive of ourselves as unique, not like anyone else. We want … Continue reading On Rearranging My Classroom (Mundane Meditations Series)
What Are You Looking For? The Crossroads of Classical Education and College
By Wade Ortego, Guest Author Whether it is the numerous startups launching, charter schools clamoring to copy the model with state approval, or mainstream Christian schools seeking to boost enrollment with transitions to the classical curriculum, the classical model is on the rise. After the past two years of lockdowns, online learning, and teacher strikes, families seek something new for their child’s education. While many … Continue reading What Are You Looking For? The Crossroads of Classical Education and College
Teaching as Hospitality
By Carrie Eben, Guest Author Hospitality might not be the first word for many to describe a posture of teaching. My first understanding of the word hospitality was limited to the act of entertaining guests, and if this is one’s only understanding of the word then a negative response is warranted—the role of the teacher is not to entertain her students. However, this is not … Continue reading Teaching as Hospitality
On a School Day Morning
As the school year begins, I share with you a prayer I have written that may help you and your family, perhaps especially when the excitement of the new year wears off. On a School Day MorningBy Sara Osborne O God of early mornings, Drowsy children, Unwashed uniforms, Missing socks, Uneaten breakfasts, Incomplete homework, Forgotten permission slips, Late library books, Uncombed hair, And fast-brushed teeth— … Continue reading On a School Day Morning
Re-Visioning Our Writing
By Christine Norvell, Guest Author I confess. I have asked students to make revisions to their essays. In fact, I may have casually said, “You just have some light revision work,” or “This needs heavy revision.” It sounds flippant to my ears now. Trite. But those comments all beg the same question—what does it really mean to revise our writing? One of my former students … Continue reading Re-Visioning Our Writing
You Should Teach Poetry: Science Demonstrates It
By Albert Cheng, Guest Author Albert Cheng is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Education Reform in the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas, where he teaches courses in education policy and philosophy. He is the director of the Classical Education Research Lab, where he conducts research on the effects of classical education on character formation. He is a Senior Fellow at … Continue reading You Should Teach Poetry: Science Demonstrates It
In Assigning Seniors Somber Sonnets
In his collection of poetry on loss and lament, Poet-Priest Malcolm Guite offers the following comparison of the use of a Drone in some forms of music to the experience of Loss in our lives. He says, “[“Drone” is] the word that describes that continuous repetitive sound we hear in some early forms of music, especially the Gaelic lament. The drone of the bagpipe grounds … Continue reading In Assigning Seniors Somber Sonnets
Intentional Grammatical Mistakes: Miriam Joseph and Martianus Capella on Bad Grammar (Explorations in the Art of Grammar Series #4)
By Jenna Carey, Guest Author We are immersed with grammatical concepts from the moment we are born to the moment we take our last breath. Our parents bombard us as babies with, “can you say da-da; can you say ma-ma,” then we grow up, leaving “da-da” and “ma-ma” behind, shouting “I love you, I’ll see you at Christmas” on the way out the door. Not … Continue reading Intentional Grammatical Mistakes: Miriam Joseph and Martianus Capella on Bad Grammar (Explorations in the Art of Grammar Series #4)
Fighting “The Death of Words” (Explorations in the Art of Grammar Series #3)
By Sara Osborne[1] As a college writing instructor, I have noticed a disturbing trend in my students’ ability to choose and use words appropriately. These same students also appear increasingly unable to comprehend critical vocabulary used in non-fiction writing. The unfortunate result of these challenges is an inability to contribute to class discussions on important ideas and the inevitable struggle with articulating a coherent response … Continue reading Fighting “The Death of Words” (Explorations in the Art of Grammar Series #3)
The Classical Thistle 