The first I heard of the potential of someone carrying around a letter from their employer stating that they are “Essential” to the operation of their organization, I thought to myself, “Well, aren’t they special?” Over the past number of weeks, due to COVID-19, companies and organizations have sought to justify their operation (and potential existence) as being “Essential” to the operation of society. From … Continue reading Are you an “Essential Worker”?
By Nathan Carr With an unobstructed view to Joy, let us go back to the first school tradition of the Christian Church—the monastery. How did the first attempt at formal Christian education enlist its students into the great “story being told?” Among the monastic schoolmasters of the 4th century—abbots and abbesses—one in particular gives profound insight into the formation of several abbeys throughout Egypt: St. … Continue reading Pachomius
By Ian Mosley, Instructor of Latin, School of the Ozarks When I was a fairly new-minted Christian, I was introduced to the concept of spiritual disciplines by the writers Dallas Willard and Richard Foster. Particularly Foster’s Celebration of Discipline helped me enter imaginatively into the role that practices and habit play in spiritual formation. In a culture like ours that values spontaneity and authenticity, it … Continue reading Teaching as a Spiritual Discipline
For several years, when summer’s heat begins to die down and back-to-school preparations begin, I’ve sat my children down in front of the captivating documentary On the Way to School.[1] With popcorn bowls in hand, we watch together as a family, and then my older children write a page or two of personal reflection. While there may be some murmuring over having a writing assignment … Continue reading Getting Ready: Resources for Reflection as the School Year Approaches
By Nathan Carr Vigen Guroian, in his Tending the Heart of Virtue, quotes Flannery O’Connor as having said the following: “a story is a way to say something that can’t be said any other way….You tell a story because a statement would be inadequate.” You are inviting the eye-roll in your three-year old classroom if you simply said, “Olive Kate, you are resisting my role … Continue reading Wake the Dead with Air Guitars: Adventures in Training 3-Year Old’s in Virtue
By Nathan Carr Tim Wu, a Columbia professor who has written an editorial or two for The New York Times, is concerned that America is losing her hobbies—more alarming, leisure altogether. To blame: “We’re afraid of being bad at them….if you’re a jogger, it is no longer enough to cruise around the block; you’re training for the next marathon. If you’re a painter, you are no longer … Continue reading Mere Mediocrity
By Jenna Carey, College of the Ozarks freshman and 2018 graduate of School of the Ozarks Coming from a classical education background, universal truth was ingrained in me as a foundational reality. When people ask if truth changes based on perspective, my initial reaction is to reply, “Of course reality doesn’t change. There’s only one truth and whether or not you accept it is up … Continue reading The Reality of Truth
As a new parent of a child who is attending school, I have noticed that I ask my child the same questions everyday in pursuit of how things went. I tend to ask similar questions at school of the students I sit around the lunch table with or pass in the hallway. Questions can reveal quickly what we value as parents, and unfortunately in my … Continue reading Worthwhile Questions
“Stuff and nonsense can be fun,” says Mary Poppins in the new Mary Poppins Returns, and I couldn’t agree more. More and more as I grow older, I feel the weight of worldly responsibility. Bills to pay, meetings to schedule and attend, a family to care for, and a feeling of inadequacy for all of it. I sympathize with Michael Banks in the movie because … Continue reading Stuff and Nonsense: What Mary Poppins Taught Me
As leaders in our schools, it is no secret that not one of us is perfect. We all have our weaknesses. We all have our strengths. It is imperative that we are keenly aware which is which. This is true for a number of reasons, including our own development, how we structure our support team, what tendencies we must be aware of ourselves, and perhaps … Continue reading Gratitude: Feeling It Isn’t Enough
My boss at School of the Ozarks is a big Lonesome Dove fan, so despite my admittedly poor knowledge of westerns, I have a good many lines of this movie memorized on account of their frequent usage around school. One of my favorites is a line by Woodrow Call after a particularly violent scene leaves some beat-up bad guys and a crowd of stunned villagers. … Continue reading What I Can’t Tolerate In A Student
The Classical Thistle 