Against Indignation 

Mr. Ian Nugent
School administrator hands character awards to students.

“Who do you all think you are?” I leveled this accusation posed as a question to the first class of 8th graders I ever taught during the first semester of the first year of my teaching career. The recollection of this moment still makes my stomach twist and starts me muttering “what was I thinking?” and “you truly were an idiot, Ian…” What was the sin committed by this hapless group of barely-teenagers to elicit such a withering opening line, delivered with a look of utter contempt, and followed by an equally vitriolic monologue?…

Planning a History Lesson with the Trivium in Mind

Mr. Steven Battaglia
Teacher instructing students in the Medieval Era.

When talking with teachers who are new to classical education, I am often asked about planning a lesson “classically.” In response I suggest that a classical lesson is distinct from all other lessons in that it possesses elements of the classical Trivium: Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric.  

Teacher instructing students in the Medieval Era.

If the ingredients of a lesson contain three features: deciding what to teach, organizing materials and activities, and bringing the lesson to life, then the Trivium is most readily applicable in the organization of the lesson.…

Why take notes?

Miss Jennifer Mulvey

In every upper elementary and high school classroom across America, you will see students taking notes. Everyone reading this article probably remembers the days of scribbling down math example problems or frantically trying to keep up with an enthused history teacher in writing down important names, dates, and details. But why do we have students take notes? What is the purpose and benefit for a student?…

One of “Life’s Treasures”: Developing the Truest Form of Friendship through Art 

Ms. Abigail Teska
Gauguin's painting of his close friend Vincent van Gogh working on his famous painting of sunflowers.

When I talk to teachers or parents about our rich art curriculum and displays of student artwork, I often hear, “I wish I had that opportunity. I could never do something like that. I’m just not artistic.” Being an artist is an undeniably vulnerable task that requires truthfulness of expression and, as artist Henri Matisse proposes, takes courage. Each person has the ability to be an artist and as Pablo Picasso once said, “every child is an artist.”…

Kindergarten To Calculus: Taking Advantage of a K-12 School 

Sam Clausen
Middle school student cheers in celebration.

Families attend my classical charter school for many reasons. Our curriculum brings students into contact with the greatest books, ideas, and role models in Western civilization. Our students have incredible success in their collegiate years after the education they receive from us. Our families pay no tuition and need not fit into any social, economic, or political mold in order to attend our school.…

Practical Ideas for Strengthening Your Instruction of Lingua Latina 

Mr. Steven Battaglia
Front cover of the Lingua Latina textbook.

Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata: Familia Romana (Lingua Latina) is a Latin textbook published by a Danish man, Hans Henning Orberg, first in 1955 and then revised in 1990. The text is designed for fast paced instruction where, like modern foreign language teaching methods, Latin must be spoken as much as possible in class. This approach, therefore, is meant to discipline students to develop the skill of reading and speaking the language quickly.…

When Next Week Isn’t Going to Slow Down 

Sam Clausen
Close up of a High School humanities teacher explaining something to his students sitting around the table.

I often catch myself thinking that if I just make it through this day or until that break, then I’ll get a chance to catch my breath. Despite my hopes, the next week is almost always full of its own new challenges and problems that I could not or did not anticipate. The following is a list of five truths and their corresponding disciplines that help me teach well when I realize that next week isn’t going to slow down. …

Is “real” always better when it comes to art? 

Ms. Abigail Teska
Seurat's pointillism painting of individuals enjoying a relaxing afternoon on green grass adjacent to a body of water.

How do I draw a dog that looks real? As young aspiring artists, students often ask questions like this because they measure their success and growth in art based on how real they can make something look. Recently, my seventh-grade students discovered that artists possess many tools to draw the viewer in and gain appreciation for their art. And, these strategies can be much more powerful and exciting than realism. …