Show Notes
This episode is dedicated to homeschool mothers! Many people have asked me to share my homeschool journey and I wanted to know more about Autumn Kern's journey into the Charlotte Mason Classical homeschool world. Autumn and I share our ups and downs as homeschool moms as means of encouragement to our fellow home educators.

Some topics covered include:

• How we got started in the homeschool movement
• The classical connection to Charlotte Mason
• Common challenges to homeschool moms
• How to recover from burn out
• How to handle crisis situations
• How to juggle management of a home while homeschooling

Resources Mentioned
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
A Thinking Love by Karen Glass (Vol 1 Charlotte Mason)
An Essay Towards a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason (Centenary Expanded Edition published by Smidgen Press)

Previous Guest Episode
Autumn joined my former co-host Trae Bailey in 2022. That episode was titled Autumn Kern: The Common Classical Charlotte Mason Mom. Click here for the link: https://classicaleducationpodcast.transistor.fm/episodes/autumn-kern-the-common-classical-charlotte-mason-mother

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This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________

Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic
 
© 2026 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserve

Show Notes
Mandi joins Adrienne to discuss various themes in Mandi's book, Thoroughness and Charm. Adrienne noticed connections to Charlotte Mason's core principle that Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life. All of these aspects merge into what an excellent and alive classroom looks like. Through anecdotes and experience, Mandi shares her passion and her story about the art of teaching. 

Some topics covered include:

• Why is it important to understand teaching as an art?-- What difference does it really make?
• How to create a common language in the classroom
• What are the differences between classroom liturgies and classroom catechisms
• How and why integrating subjects/disciplines is important
• How to live a "classical" life and model this for your students

Resources and People Mentioned
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
Unbinding Prometheus by Donald Cowan (Essay, The Three Moments of Learning)
Donald and Louise Cowan Center
The Art of Teaching by Gilbert Highet
Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov
Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb

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This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________

Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic
 
© 2026 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Show Notes
Orthodox Christian educator, Dr. Keith Buhler joins Adrienne to discuss his chapter in the new anthology compiled by David V. Hicks (author of Norms & Nobility). 

Some topics covered include:

• Education is a life, not just a pursuit of academics
• The role of the teacher as a role model and mentor in virtue
• Orthodox traditions
• Growing children in good habits in the classroom
• Education is a lifelong pursuit that does not end upon graduation

Resources and People Mentioned
Into The Light: Classical Education and Orthodox Christianity, compiled by David V. Hicks and Anthony Gilbert
The Republic by Plato
A Dish of Orts, Essays by George MacDonald (The Fantastic Imagination Essay)
Sir Gibbie, George MacDonald
G.K. Chesterton
poems by C.S. Lewis
The Awakening of Miss Prim
Norms and Nobility by David Hicks

Ten Traits of a Good Teacher by Chris Perrin

C. S. Lewis Poetry

Kevin Clark and Ravi Jain The Liberal Arts Tradition
Peter Kreeft
Poem on Oxford by C. S. Lewis

After Prayer by Malcom Guite (A Kind of Tune Poem)
George Herbert

Sir Gibbie by George MacDonald

Aristotle

Podcast Episode on Nature Journaling with John Muir Laws
Podcast Episode on Norms & Nobility with David V. Hicks

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This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________

Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic
 
© 2026 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

MELODY FOWLER: Roots Farm Education Founder, Director, Form III Instructor Ages 10-12
Melody is a happy wife of 28 years, a proud mother of three and now an over-the-moon grandma of four grandchildren. She was born in El Paso, Texas, and moved to Redding when she was five years old. She loved learning as a child and her favorite pastime was to play school in her garage with younger siblings and neighborhood friends on vintage desks her father bought at local yard sales.

After receiving her Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Studies and teaching credential from Simpson University, Melody taught a self-contained fifth grade classroom for 11 years before moving on to the 8th grade teaching English and U.S. History for four years. She finds it essential to teach the next generation to revere and protect the rich inheritance of liberty they have been gifted. She also completed her administrative credential in Educational Leadership and wrote her Master's paper on Charlotte Mason.

She participated in the Northern California Arts Project, the Shasta County Math Grant, and a three-year ELL grammar program teaching English as a second language. Melody was involved in her site’s leadership team, acted as a site council member, and successfully advocated for funding creative problem-solving programs like Odyssey of the Mind for the gifted and talented. She also volunteered to coach other activities like student government, softball, and cheer.

In her free time, she enjoys learning about education, philosophy, economics, history, gardening, and spending time with her family and six dogs.

CHAD FOWLER: Roots Farm Education  Founder, Director, and Form II Instructor Ages 8-9

Chad was born and raised in Shasta County. He and his wife Melody have three children with the youngest almost 16. From an early age, Chad had an interest in gardening and animals and participated in Shasta County 4-H. Chad worked his family business as well as other working retail management for many years. After helping in his son's kindergarten class and coming from a family of teachers, Chad decided his place needed to be in the classroom and he went back to school. He received his BA in Liberal Studies and teaching credential through Simpson University. He later completed his administrative credential and Masters degree in Educational Leadership through National University. 

He has been a public school educator since 2008 and served as a Master Teacher, Teacher in Charge, Activities Director and Lead Teacher. He has participated in the Shasta County Math Grant, the Northern California Arts Project for teachers, Gates Literacy Grant and other teacher development trainings since 2008. Chad enjoys time in the garden growing vegetables, fruits and flowers, camping with his family and spending time with his Nigerian Dwarf Goats and chickens. 

Roots Farm Education
In the year 2020 they started with 57 students and now have nearly 100 students. They are building slow with in-depth training for their teachers and mission alignment with the incoming families. Their mission states: Roots Farm Education provides home-educated families with a learning environment that integrates agriculture and academics. Stemming from a Christ-centered, Charlotte Mason education, the curriculum embodies western thought with the instruction that pursues truth, promotes wisdom and beauty, creates a pathway to responsibility, and fosters individual initiative and ingenuity. With the land as the laboratory and assistance from experts within the community, factual knowledge in math and science will be hands-on along with essential life skills such as: producing, processing, and marketing food, animal husbandry, sewing, and basic construction. Roots aim is to cultivate a generation of children ready to succeed in higher education, career, and life, while positively impacting the world around them and preserving the lost art of self-reliance.

Show Notes
Two seasoned teachers from the public school system decided to break away and start a school that would focus on agriculture and a Christian classical pedagogy. This inspiring episode of challenges, faith, and vision tells their story. 

Some topics covered include:

• Practical advise on how to start a new school: how to create a clear vision, realistic expectations, and acceptance of trials
• How to hire the right teachers
• How did the first year go and where are you now?
• What struggles did you face during the planning process?
• How Temple Grandin helped them develop a purpose for agriculture studies
• How Charlotte Mason's philosophy influenced their approach and purpose
• Visit Ambleside England
• Joys of learning and Focus on education in faith
• Forms for classes and their flexibility
• What a generous curriculum according to Charlotte Mason really looks like in practice
• Advice to Classical Education and Faith based Schools
• Classroom teachers and how they adapted
• Bible Study
• Not using Chromebooks and studies that prove why not
• Herzog Foundation support for faith based schools: the Business side

Resources and People Mentioned

• Charlotte Mason
• Karen Glass
• Classical Education Facebook Group and Beautiful Teaching with Adrienne Freas
• Benjamin Lyda 
• The Herzog Foundation
• John Heitzenrater
• Maria Montessori
• Lisa Ector, Board of Directors for CMI

Books and Curriculum Mentioned

• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingles Wilder
• Charlotte Mason volumes
• Guide to Working With Farm Animals by Temple Grandin
• Dark Enough to See the Stars in a Jamestown Sky by Connie Lapallo
• RightStart Math
• Microscopic World by Rosie Dickins
• Octopus Scientist by Sy Montgomery
• Island of Surtsey: Iceland's Upstart Island by Loree Griffin Burns
• Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and the Study Guide
• Marco Polo: his travels and adventures by George Makepeace Towle
• Canterbury Tales book and videos
• Chris Hall on Common Arts
• Books about damaging use of Chromebooks
• Jamestown books; Dark Enough to See the Stars in a Jamestown Sky by Connie Lapallo and Blood on the River by Elisa Carbone
• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
• Alfie Kohn books on education

Schools they visited in Dallas

• Mount St. Michael Catholic School in Dallas
• John Heitzenrater's school (He was the headmaster of Founders Classical in Corinth Texas when Chad and Melody visited. Now he is the headmaster of  Chrysostom Academy in PA).
• St. George Classical Academy in Denton, TX founded by Benjamin Lyda, author of Scriptorium Writing and Living Classical. 

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This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast:

Show Notes
I met Charlene when I led a full-day workshop on narration at Founders Classical Academy in Rogers, Arkansas a few years ago. During a recent classical education conference, Charlene approached me to share how narration was working with her students. The stories she shared were so beautiful that I had to get her on the show to help encourage other teachers and parents about how narration works in the classroom. 

Some questions that were covered include:

• What was the process you took to get started in narration--or did you just jump right in?
• Tell us what happened from the teacher's perspective.
• What did you notice happening with students' art of attending?
• How many times a day do you ask the students to narrate? 
• Is it your experience that narration covers critical thinking skills, analysis, and all the standards?
• Let's talk about the art of narration in math, and some questions to ask.
• Tell our listeners how you play with narration and some fun things you've done.
• Would you say something encouraging to other teachers?
• Do you see a difference in new inexperienced students? How do you help them feel comfortable?

Resources, Books, and People Mentioned

• Jason Barney
• Karen Glass
• Charlotte Mason
• The Thanksgiving Day by Alice Dalgliesh
• The Ugly Duckling
• Hansel and Gretel
• Cinderella
• Narration: The Voice of the Trivium by Adrienne Freas
• Mathematician, Paul Lockhart math books
• The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf, scripted drama
• Aesop's Fables

 Favorite quotation: " Read the best books first"--Henry David Thoreau

    Book she wishes she had read sooner: The Bible 

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Beautiful Teaching NARRATION CONFERENCE:

2025 Online Conference with the Beautiful Teaching Team- Narration: The Art of Learning with Keynote Guest, Jason Barney, October 24-25, 2025 https://beautifulteaching.coursestorm.com/

Show Notes
John Ahern has successfully implemented the practice of keeping a commonplace book with his students. In this episode he explains why it is an important practice, how to create time to do it, and how to establish best practices in a school setting.

If you have wondered how to succeed at keeping a commonplace book, this episode is incredibly practical and will help you confidently get started in this beautiful practice.

Resources Mentioned

Link to the Circe Institute article: https://circeinstitute.org/blog/how-to-make-a-commonplace-book/

Notebooks the school uses: https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/classic-notebooks-1.html

Also: https://www.amazon.com/Leuchturm1917-Journal-Hardcover-Notebook-Numbered/dp/B09T75BG8L?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1

The Book of Memory by Mary Carruthers
Leisure the Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
To Kill a Mockingbird
Isaac Newton's Common Place Notebook

19C Common Place Notebooks

Bleak House by Charles Dickens
A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt

Authors Mentioned

Charlotte Mason

Plato

Aristotle

St Augustine

Homer

Quintillion

Cicero

Romans

Dostoevsky

Dante

Aquinas

John Winthrop

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Beautiful Teaching online courses & narration conference:

• BT online webinars, interactive courses, and book studies registration: https://beautifulteaching.coursestorm.com/
• 2025  Online Conference with the Beautiful Teaching Team- Narration: The Art of Learning with Keynote Guest, Jason Barney, October 24-25, 2025
• Reading Josef Pieper with Dr. Fred Putnam will take place on Thursday evenings Sept-Dec. Space is very limited. This is a seminar experience. Interaction with Dr. Putnam is essential for this online course. If you are interested in having this immersive experience with him, you can enroll here: https://beautifulteaching.coursestorm.com/course/reading-josef-pieper-with-fred-putnam

Show Notes
I had a delightful discussion with Dr. Ellis last year and invited him on to the show to discuss some really important concepts within the classical education movement. In order to rightly understand the tradition of a liberal arts education, we need to rightly define and understand the meaning of particular words. We discuss some wonderful words that are important to our understanding of the tradition which impacts how we teach. 
Some topics included:

• Expanding on how the mind works while teaching the liberal arts.
• Fascinating word studies on Greek and Latin as spoken languages.
• The inclusion of a wealth of material from Constantine VII, Historically, Philosophically, and Theologically. 
• Explaining anamnesis ( recollection): How this recollection through dialogue, song, and habituation, brings or makes things present. 
• Writing; Is the focus on analysis and understanding, or is the aim to be able to speak wisely with an idea or account of a story that is understood and will bring about a greater reality? 
• The meaning of the word "Logos."

UPCOMING SUMMER ANCIENT LANGUAGE WORKSHOPS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS
Join Dr. Ellis at the University of Dallas for their summer intensive courses in Latin and Greek that they are hosting in partnership with the Polis Institute in Jerusalem.

More info here:

https://www.polisjerusalem.org/programs/international/

Resources
(Dr. Ellis's dissertation)  The Historical Semantics of the Contemporary Classical Education Movement: Principia: A Journal of Classical Education, Volume 2, Issue 1, 2023- https://www.pdcnet.org/principia/content/principia_2023_0002_0001_0025_0041

What is Classical Education? By: Erik Ellis - https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2023/07/what-is-classical-education-erik-ellis.html

Are the Great Books Enough to Revive Our Education System? By: Erik Ellis - https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2020/04/great-books-enough-classical-education-erik-ellis.html
_____________________________________
Beautiful Teaching online courses:

• BT online webinars, interactive courses, and book studies registration: https://beautifulteaching.coursestorm.com/
• 2025 Annual Online Classical Education Conference with the Beautiful Teaching Team - October 24-25, 2025
• Reading Josef Pieper with Dr. Fred Putnam will take place on Thursday evenings Sept-Dec. Space is very limited. This is a seminar experience. Interaction with Dr. Putnam is essential for this online course. If you are interested in having this immersive experience with him, you can enroll here: https://beautifulteaching.coursestorm.com/course/reading-josef-pieper-with-fred-putnam

________________________________________________________
This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________

Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic
 
© 2025 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Beginning as a seminary professor of Biblical Hebrew and Koiné Greek, his teaching expanded to include not only the languages and interpretation of the Bible, but also linguistics, translation theory and practice, English literature, philosophy, etc. During those years of teaching, experiences with students led him from being a fairly conventional teacher (lectures, quizzes, tests, grades, attendance, etc.) to a text- (or subject-) and student-centered pedagogy that others have identified as “classical”. The main thrust of his teaching has always been helping students learn to read-learning to attend to, reflect on, and respond to texts, whatever those texts may be (including poems, novels, Scripture, works of art and music, etc.). 

In the Templeton Honors College, he led undergrad courses on the Old and New Testaments, Hebrew, Greek, and seminars on Joseph Pieper, The Count of Monte Christo, and philosophy of education, and five masters-level courses in the MAT: "Classical Pedagogy I: The Culture of the Classroom", "Philosophy & History of Education II: The American Public School System", "The Ethos of a School", "Drama in the Classical School (With an Emphasis on Shakespeare)", and "Teaching the Bible as a Classic Text" (online through the Templeton Honors College). 

While homeschooling their daughters, Fred and his wife met weekly with homeschooled high-schoolers; he taught Shakespeare, poetry, literature, philosophy, Hebrew, and Greek, while his wife tutored individual students in reading and creative writing. 

Born in New Hampshire, he grew up on farms in northeast Connecticut, emigrated to PA in 1970, and insists that he is a New Englander on "southern assignment". He knows that hills are made of granite, Guernseys give the best milk, and continues to await a real northern-style winter. An ordained minister, he preaches in various churches in southeastern Pennsylvania, where he and his wife live near their daughters and grandchildren, and where he also reads, translates and analyzes the Hebrew and Greek Bible, and putters. 

Show Notes
In this episode, Adrienne and Dr. Putnam discuss the seminal works of Josef Pieper. They also do a deep dive into what a beautiful way of teaching really looks like. Some highlights include:

• How Dr. Putnam teaches (What is classical pedagogy?)
• Teaching & learning are relational activities-- the teacher's view of a student is central to the pedagogy
• His course: The Ethos of a School-- how a school can establish and maintain a humane identity even during major changes
• How Pieper can help teachers understand virtues and their applications in teaching
• How Pieper can help us understand what it really means to learn and how it affects being a teacher
• Understanding the nature of being a person and its implications for teaching

Resources Mentioned

• An Anthology by Josef Pieper
• Only the Lover Sings by Josef Pieper
• Leisure, The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper
• The Courage to Teach: The Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life by Parker J. Palmer
• How Children Learn by John Holt
• Teaching with Your Mouth Shut
  by Donald L. Finkel 
• TedTalk: Kathryn Shultz on Being Wrong https://www.ted.com/talks/kathryn_schulz_on_being_wrong?language=en

________________________________________________________
Beautiful Teaching online courses:

• BT online webinars, interactive courses, and book studies registration: https://beautifulteaching.coursestorm.com/
• Reading Josef Pieper with Dr. Fred Putnam will take place on Thursday evenings Sept-Dec. Space is very limited. This is a seminar experience. Interaction with Dr. Putnam is essential for this online course. If you are interested in having this immersive experience with him, you can enroll here: https://beautifulteaching.coursestorm.com/course/reading-josef-pieper-with-fred-putnam

________________________________________________________
This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________

Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic
 
© 2025 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserve

The Symbolic World Press is Jonathan Pageau’s new collaborative publishing venture specializing in skillfully bound and well-crafted books you can hold and read with your family and friends. SWP publications recall some of the most important and ancient stories out of the digital space and onto the printed page in masterfully designed books. The books are inspired by classic tales that are re-told in surprising ways that both compel the modern reader and resonate with the ancient traditions of storytelling.

Jonathan's Resources Mentioned Include:
God’s Dog by Jonathan Pageau

Jonathan Pageau Fairy Tale Series

https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/

Show Notes
I invited Jonathan Pageau back on my show to revisit fairy tales and go deeper than I did with my first interview (Season 3, Episode 14). I also wanted to expand a bit on his presentation for The Great Hearts Conference on how fairy tales reflect "The Music of the Spheres." I also wanted to dive a bit more into how to teach fairy tales to students. Some of the key points we covered include:

- Fairy Tales and “ Music of the Spheres” (His original presentation at The Great Hearts Conference is on YouTube)

- Patterns forming experiences and behavior 

- Narration: Retelling stories

- Developing an imagination

- Relationships, Analogies, & Faith

- Celebrate fairy tales with tea time

- Attention , Memory, Transmission 

- Teaching Fairy Tales to High School Students 

- Noticing symbolism in Fairy Tales and Bible Stories

Authors and Books Mentioned 

Jonathan Pageau

Snow White

J. R. Tolkien essay "On Fairy Stories" (Free in the public domain)

Martin Heidegger 

Charlotte Mason 

Albert Einstein 

Brothers Grimm

"The Fantastic Imagination" essay by George MacDonald (the last chapter in A Dish of Orts in the public domain)

Walking on Water Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeleine L’Engle
Until We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

________________________________________________________
Beautiful Teaching online courses:

• BT online webinars, interactive courses, and book studies registration: https://beautifulteaching.coursestorm.com/

________________________________________________________
This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________

Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic
 
© 2025 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserve

Show Notes
In this episode, Kolby and Adrienne dive into the philosophy of a person and the role of a teacher according to Charlotte Mason. Recently, several neoclassical programs (Memoria Press and Classical Conversations) released videos answering the popular question, "Is Charlotte Mason Classical?" We decided to dive directly into what we believe is the fundamental difference in the tradition of classical ed (which Mason is closely aligned to) and the the progressive classical movement (otherwise known as neoclassical).

Resources Mentioned

• Neoclassical Vs. Classical Tradition: a comparison on Beautiful Teaching's website: https://www.beautifulteaching.com/neoclassical-vs-classical
• Memoria Press Latin Study
• The Core by Leigh Bortins (founder of Classical Conversations)
• Charlotte Mason Vol VI & Vol I
• Aristotle
• The Bible
• A Thinking Love: Studies from Charlotte Mason's Home Education by Karen Glass
• Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
• Educational Renaissance

________________________________________________________
Beautiful Teaching online courses:

• BT online webinars, interactive courses, and book studies registration: https://beautifulteaching.coursestorm.com/

________________________________________________________
This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________

Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic
 
© 2025 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserve

Karen Glass is part of the Advisory of AmblesideOnline. She has four children, ages 13 to 27, who have been homeschooled using Charlotte Mason’s methods from beginning to end.  Karen has been studying and writing about Charlotte Mason and Classical Education for over twenty years and has written the popular books Consider This: Charlotte Mason and The Classical Tradition,  Know and Tell: The Art of Narration, In Vital Harmony, and her newest book A Thinking Love: Studies from Charlotte Mason's Home Education.

Dr. Robert Terry has over twenty years of experience in classical education. He has been a teacher of multiple disciplines, a curriculum designer, and has worked extensively in teacher training and development. He has served as the Curriculum Director and Vice President of Academics at a multi-campus University-model classical Christian school in the Dallas area. While academic head he successfully accomplished two ACCS accreditations. Before discovering classical education, Robert was a CPA. He has also served his school as a Finance Director in the past. Robert holds an MA in Philosophy focusing on the great Christian texts and a Doctorate focused on the work of the Oxford Inklings. He has been married to Elisabeth for twenty-five years and has been active in homeschooling their four grown children.

Show Notes
On this episode, my guests discuss the important connections that Mason made from reading Samuel Taylor Coleridge's On Method. We discuss how important this connection is to her philosophy, as well as how it has had an impact on the classical education movement. Some important discussion points include:

• The poet's influence on Mason
• The revitalization of Shakespeare, wonder, and a curiosity framework in education
• A deep understanding of ideas and making relational connections
• Method as it is tied to a pedagogy
• Mason's method of a lesson and how to properly interpret her 20 principles
• Reason for caution: Why reading Charlotte Mason in part can be misleading 

Resources
If you want to read Coleridge, Karen Glass recommends this version. It is a facsimile of the same version that Mason had in her PNEU library: A Dissertation On The Science Of Method ISBN:  978-1018198736

Karen's blog on Coleridge and Mason Connections: https://www.karenglass.net/page/2/?s=coleridge

Connections with Coleridge #1—A nod from Charlotte Mason

Connections with Coleridge #2—Introducing Treatise on Method

Connections with Coleridge #3—Law and Order

Connections with Coleridge #3.5—A Speculative Detour

Connections with Coleridge #4—Dipping into Method

Connections with Coleridge #5—In Pursuit of Method

Connections with Coleridge #6—Meet the Philosophers

Connections with Coleridge #7—Laws, Ideas, and Truth

Connections with Coleridge #8—A short history of the education of mankind

Connections with Coleridge #9—In Search of the Soul

Connections with Coleridge #10—A Few Final Words

Treatise On Method: Coleridge

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner: Coleridge 

Kuala Khan: Coleridge

Shakespeare

Francis Bacon

Plato

C.S. Lewis

Tolkien

Quintilion 

Pascal 

____________________
Beautiful Teaching (BT) Resources:

• BT online webinars, interactive courses, and book studies registration: https://beautifulteaching.coursestorm.com/
• BT Newsletters: https://www.beautifulteaching.com/newsletters

________________________________________________________
This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________

Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic
 
© 2025 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserve

• Professor of English
• Robert H. Ray Chair in Humanities
• Scholar-in-Residence

Dr. Patrick Egan: Clapham Christian Classical School

• Academic Dean
• Contributor of Educational Renaissance 

Jason Barney: Coram Deo Academy in Carmel, IN

• School Principal
• Author of Charlotte Mason: A Liberal Education for All (published by CAP)
• Contributor of Educational Renaissance 

Show Notes

• Common misunderstandings of Charlotte Mason (especially if you only read her principles)
• What does Mason say about memory work and how does it compare to Dorothy Sayer's view?
• Who in the Romantic era is good that Charlotte Mason embraced? 
• What did she reject from the Romantic philosophers?
• Various quotes from Mason that reflect her alignment to the liberal arts tradition
• What is her view of a child and how does it influence her pedagogy?
• How and why narration is classical and superior as a classical pedagogy
• What is Paideia? -- Does Mason have a paideia in her philosophy?
• How the habit training model of Charlotte Mason mirrors/agrees with the classical tradition

Resources Mentioned
The Great Books
John Locke, Coleridge, Wordsworth
Charlotte Mason: A Liberal Education for All by Jason Barney
For The Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
Consider This: Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition by Karen Glass
Abolition of Man by CS Lewis
The Seven Laws of Teaching by John Milton Gregory
An Essay Towards a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte M. Mason (Centenary Expanded Edition has restored her original essay, "Two Education Ideals" where she compares Rousseau's Emile unfavorably to her favoring John Milton's Of Education)
Metalogicon by John of Salisbury
Institutes of Oratory by Quintilian
Charlotte Mason's Great Recognition of the Middle Ages through the fresco (vol. 2- Parents and Children by Mason)

Charlotte Mason Quotes
Louis Markos: "Our schools turn out a good many clever young persons, wanting in nothing but initiative, the power of reflection and the sort of moral imagination that enables you to 'put yourself in his place.'"- (Mason, Vol 6, pg. 25)

Jason Barney:  "Almost anything may be made of a child by those who first get him into their hands. We find that we can work definitely towards the formation of character; that the habits of the good life, of the alert intelligence, which we take pains to form in the child, are, somehow, registered in the very substance of his brain; and that the habits of the child are, as it were, so many little hammers beating out by slow degrees the character of the man.  Therefore we set ourselves to form a habit in the same matter-of-fact steady way that we set about teaching the multiplication table; expecting the thing to be done and done with for life. " (The History and Aims of the P.N.E.U. pamphlet)

Patrick Egan: "But the Florentine mind of the Middle Ages went further than this: it believed, not only that the seven Liberal Arts were fully under the direct outpouring of the Holy Ghost, but that every fruitful idea, every original conception, whether in Euclid, or grammar, or music, was a direct inspiration from the Holy Spirit, without any thought at all as to whether the person so inspired named himself by the name of God, or recognised whence his inspiration came." (Mason, Vol 2, pg. 271)

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This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
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Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic
 
© 2025 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

• Dr. Matthew Post:  Founder and Former Director of the Classical Education Graduate program at The University of Dallas; Served with The National Classical Education Symposium, The Institute for Classical Education, and The National Council for Classical Educators; Currently serves as Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, Honors College at The University of Tulsa
• Dr. Laura Eidt: University of Dallas- Affiliate Assistant Professor of Modern Languages, Humanities Program Director, Director of UD's K-5 Latin Curriculum Latin Through Stories
• Dr. Robert Terry: Over 25 years at a Classical University Model School teaching and serving as curriculum director and faculty development, Masters in Great Books, Doctorate of Theology (ThD in Inkling Studies)
• Jonathan Fiore: Formerly homeschooled, Graduate of Hillsdale, Masters in Classical Education from The University of Dallas, Humanities Teacher at Holy Innocent's Catholic School

Topics Covered

• What are the essential criteria for a school to be considered classical?
• There are 4 touchstones that make up a classical education: Christ-centered, cultivation of wisdom and virtue, appreticeship in the 7 liberal arts, and a focus on the timeless and traditional
• Community and leadership must have an understanding of the tradition for success
• Atmosphere is central to the success -- order and harmony (beauty) is really important
• Are the following things necessary?- Great Books, Socratic Dialogue, integration of subjects, Charlotte Mason, Trivium & Quadrivium, Latin? 
• Love and freedom are at the heart of classical education
• Does reading the classics or teaching ancient Greek history automatically define your school as "classical"?
• Are we preparing students to see themselves as part of a community and a country?
• How ought we assess students if education is rooted in love and liberty?-- What does the research tell us about good and bad ways to assess students?
• What are some common roadblock in classical education?
• Memory work should be meaningful rather than rote fact chants
• Seminars
• Formation of teachers and parents is necessary 

Resources we Discussed:

• Paradox of Education in a Republic by Eva Brann
• Jefferson's Natural Aristocracy
• Homer's Iliad and Odyssey

What is a book or poem that every classical teacher and board member should read?

• The Liberal Arts Tradition by Clark and Jain
• Plato's Gorgias
• The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera
• Homer's Iliad (Fagles or Lattimore translation)
• Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis
• Paradox of Education in a Republic by Eva Brann

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This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________

Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic
 
© 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Show Notes
This discussion drills down into to how to help children grow by offering them a living curriculum. The work of teaching is the cultivation of the whole child. As classical educators, we need to think deeply about our curriculum and pedagogy. New teachers often wrestle with what this looks like in the classroom. An understanding of curriculum and its incarnational role will greatly influence the development of the whole child.  Habit training is unpacked as an intellectual virtue at the heart of the entire foundation of a classical education.

Discussion Points:

• How can we best help children grow?
• What is curriculum?-- Is it the books you are reading or is it the standards, benchmarks, and roadmaps that drive the instruction in the classroom?
• How does our definition influence our classroom instruction?
• As Christian Classical educators, is there another way to view curriculum that is centered on an incarnational model?
• What are some challenges with having check lists? Are there helpful checklists?
• Why is habit training so important and in what areas do we need to focus on?
• How can our habit training influence our standards and grading rubrics?

Resources we Discussed:

• Andrew Zwerneman podcast interview has all the resources that will help you with grading: https://classicaleducationpodcast.transistor.fm/episodes/leading-assessing-seminars-with-andrew-zwerneman-from-cana-academy
• Classical Education Rubric Checklist: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VYej2Qw2GrEItZI_wZjAy0hf7OS3oYpz/view?usp=drive_link
• Catholic (virtue-based) Standards:
  https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/educator-resources/resources/academics/catholic-curriculum-standards/#standards-and-resources

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  This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
  Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________

  Credits:
  Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
  Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
  Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic
   
  © 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Along with his professional pedigree, he is a lifelong practitioner of several of the common arts profiled in his book, Common Arts Education.  For more than thirty years, Chris has sought out training for and advanced his skills in 

armament, agriculture, material-working arts, ancestral skills, preparedness, and more.  He is a practicing musician, amateur radio operator, and avid outdoorsman, all of which serve to inform and shape his ongoing development of, and in, the arts.

Chris founded Always Learning Education in order to serve teachers, schools, homeschool families, and others who are interested in learning and propagating the common arts.   He lives on a small homesteaded farm in central Virginia with his wife and three homeschooled sons.

\https://alwayslearningeducation.net/

Show Notes
In this episode, Chris Hall shares a few of his favorite poems and discusses poetry for science lessons! This episode will inspire you in the delightfulness of integrating poetry and stories into science lessons.

Poems on this Episode

When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer By Walt Whitman

The Peace of Wild Things By Wendell Berry

Shakespeare's Sonnet 37
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Remembering Season 1, Episode 3 Chris Hall joined our podcast to discuss the common arts https://share.transistor.fm/s/a08b71cb
That podcast episode can be heard here. We discussed the following: 

• What are the common arts? 
• How do they relate to a classical education? 
• How do we bring up the whole human being, thriving in wonders of life and right ordered relationships? 
• How to balance and bolster both common arts and liberal arts in education. 

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SCL FALL RETREAT, 2024

Chris and I were both invited to lead the teacher track sessions at Society for Classical Learning's 2024 fall conference in Dallas the last weekend in October. We are collaborating and are creating not only some wonderful sessions on the theory of classical education but also practical sessions where you will leave feeling equipped.  You will discover the transcendentals (truth, goodness, and beauty)— through theory and hands-on practicum sessions. This conference is not only for classroom teachers but also for home educators. 

Tickets are on sale at the Society for Classical Learning website be sure to look for their link to the fall retreat so you can read more about this conference, our sessions, and register online.

https://www.societyforclassicallearning.org/fall-retreat-24/ 

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This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________

Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic
 
© 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

https://www.canaacademy.org/

Show Notes
Leading seminars is one of Andrew's areas of expertise. Adrienne invited him back on the show to discuss the principles of leading great seminars and how to give grades that matter.

Discussion Points:
Referring to Zwerneman's "10 for 10: How to Grade Seminar Participation" the following are discussed:

• Why seminars are an important pedagogy for classical school
• The  principles for guiding good seminars 
• Distinguishing between the higher habits of mind and the skilled habits of work 
• What are some good reasons for grading seminars and how to grade them

Resources from Cana Academy

10 for 10: How to Grade Seminar Participation

https://www.history250.org/

8 Tips for Leading a Great Seminar Discussion

8 Tips On Coaching a Reluctant Discussant

https://www.canaacademy.org/free-resources : scroll down to Seminar Leadership Videos

https://www.canaacademy.org/shop

Example of Free Sample: 

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57e9653aebbd1a90d5cf34c6/t/5dfbd171db0c927d0316e45e/1576784250891/IliadGuideFreePreview+Secured.pdf

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This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________

Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic
 
© 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Show Notes & Highlights
Adrienne introduces you to Anne-Marie Carter in a completely joyful interview about creatively connecting History of the world and History of America through the arts. 

Anne-Marie Carter falls in love with teaching after moving from a scripted school to  Founder’s Classical School in Tyler, Texas. They discuss some of the following: 

• Why and How to make an artful Book of the Centuries.
• Presenting a feast of ideas, to love many things and care about many things.
• The art and music teacher collaborates with the classroom teachers. 
• Creativity and how to grade the student's work.
• What materials are needed

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/6lbOdS6Hq8Y

The second half of this interview is all visual. To view the examples and hear how to make a book of centuries, visit our YouTube Channel. 
youtube@classicaleducationpodcast
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Books Mentioned
Charlotte Mason quote about history: (Vol. 6, 178), Mason's section on the teaching history begins on page 169 in vol. 6)
Consider This: Charlotte Mason and The Classical Tradition by Karen Glass

Books by Charlotte Mason

Abolition of Man by C S Lewis

The Living Page by Laurie Bestvater

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo 

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This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________

Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic
 
© 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Show Notes

Mariah Martinez shares what she has learned about Classical pedagogy and how to apply this art of teaching classically, simply and well. She shares her experience working at a classical charter school and the impact that it has had on her students. She also shares about the two types of classical pedagogy which she will expand on at the Vital Ideas Conference, 2024.

Some Highlights:

• What you must have in order to obtain good pedagogy;  from Norms and Nobility by David Hicks
• Does the state of education matter?
• What leads to an incomplete education?
• What happens with isolation and online programs?
• How do we form well ordered minds and souls?
• Two types of pedagogy and the subcategories 
• Observed differences that Classical Education has made in the students at her school

Resources Mentioned
Norms and Nobility by David Hicks ---An affordable REISSUE of Norms and Nobility releases August 6, 2024 (look for the blue book with the introduction by Andrew Kern)
Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky
Audiobook: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Narrated by: Virginia Leishman

 
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ONE day left to register for the conference on June 28-29, 2024
Vital Ideas Online Classical Education Conference Information -
https://www.beautifulteaching.com/conference

________________________________________________________
This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________

Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic
 
© 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Before joining Meritas, Hicks spent thirty years in independent education, heading St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Jackson, Mississippi; St. Mark’s School of Texas in Dallas; St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire; and the Darlington School in Rome, Georgia. 

After graduating from The Stony Brook School (New York) in 1966, Hicks studied at Princeton where he majored in English and graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1970. He then read for a master’s degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) at Jesus College, Oxford as a Rhodes scholar. He later studied at the University of Moscow.

Hicks served as an officer in the U.S. Navy and is the youngest man ever to teach on the faculty of the Naval War College. In 1976, he ran for Congress in New York’s Westchester County in a race he narrowly lost to long-time incumbent Richard Ottinger. In 1981 his book, NORMS & NOBILITY: A TREATISE ON EDUCATION, won the Outstanding Book Award for Education from the American Library Association. In 1996, Hicks created a stir in boarding school communities around the United States when he published his essay, “The Strange Fate of the American Boarding School,” in The American Scholar. His and his brother Scot’s translation of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations was published by Scribner as THE EMPEROR'S HANDBOOK in 2002.   Since then Scot and Davd have produced a series of annotated translations of Plutarch’s Lives for CiRCE: The Lawgivers; The Statesmen; and The Tyrant.

Forthcoming books by Hicks: The Stones Cry Out: Reflections on the Myths We Live By (CAP) and with Father Anthony Gilbert, Orthodox Christianity and Classical Education (SVP).

Hicks has served on numerous boards throughout the world, most recently including the TASIS Foundation (Switzerland), the Campion School (Greece), St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (New York), TASIS Dorado School (Puerto Rico), San Roberto International School  (Mexico), and St. Peter’s Monastery Foundation (Montana). 

Hicks and his wife Mary Elizabeth have four grown children and live on a ranch (West of the Moon) off the grid near Harrison, Montana.  They are members of St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Church In Bozeman.

Show Notes

• David shares about his education as a child into his early career and how it lead him towards writing Norms and Nobility. 
• Adrienne and David dive into what it means to create a spirit of inquiry rooted in dialects. 
• David delves into the thesis of Norms and Nobility and expands on the quote on page 18 of his book. 
• David discusses what early Christian education looked like.  
• David details about all his newer writing projects

David V. Hicks Resources
REISSUE of Norms and Nobility releases August 6, 2024 (look for the blue book with the introduction by Andrew Kern)
Orthodox Christianity and Classical Education: An Anthology edited by David V. Hicks (published by St. Vladimir's Press. Release date is not yet available)
The Stones Cry Out by David V. Hicks (CAP publishing- Preorder form is available here)
The Emporer's Handbook : A New Translation of the Meditations Trans. by David and Scot Hicks (the new paperback version is Marcus Arelius's Meditations also translated by Hicks)
The Plutarch books (all 3: The Lawgiver, The Statesman, The Tyrant) can be found on Circe Institute's website here.

Resources Mentioned
Thucydides (He did not mention what book, but this is the version that Dr. Matthew Post used for his classes at UD)
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Book of Lost Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jabobs
The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture by Wendell Berry (audiobook is free on audible)
Plutarch's Lives
Singapore Math
The Psalter
Film: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Christianity and Classical Culture by Charles Norris Cochrane (free pdf here)

 
Past Guests on the Podcast who are Mentioned in this Episode:
RightStart Math
Teaching Math Like Socrates with Number Lab
Tending The Heart of Virtue: Vigen Guroian
Dr. Christopher Perrin on What is Classical Education?
Bryan Smith: A Sage in the Liberal Arts Tradition

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Beautiful Teaching is hosting an online classical education conference (Karen Glass is one of the keynote speakers).
https://www.beautifulteaching.com/conference

$20 off Discount Code:
IDEAS20
note: copy/paste exactly without any spaces before or after.
It is good through June 20.

DETAILED PROGRAM GUIDE

Conference Recordings: All sessions will be recorded. Live attendance is greatly encouraged, but come and go as needed. The recording will be av...

This episode was sponsored by Classic Learning Test (CLT), Beautiful Feet Books, and Eighth Day Books!

Conference attendees have a chance to win gift certificates from these sponsors as well as our other conference sponsors!

Join us for our First Conference! 

 
Explore some of our Conference Sessions on this episode:
Discuss your conference topic and what can attendees expect to take away from your session?

• Karen Glass: The Children Ask for Bread 
• Peach Smith: Teaching Science Classically for K-12 
• Mark Signorelli: Before the Books & Story and Civics
• Aaron Mitchell: Teaching Euclid as a Way Beyond Gnostic Cartesian Mathematics
• Mariah Martinez: Introducing Two types of Classical Pedagogy: Mimetic and Socratic & Recitation: A Rhetorical Art for PreK-12
• Jonathan Fiore: The Things We Carry– Two Graduates of Classical Education Reflect on its Impact
• Adrienne Freas: Loving Many Things

Some Question We Discuss:

1. What does the term "Vital Ideas" mean and why is it the them for our first classical education conference?
2. Who has had the greatest influence on your philosophy of education and why?
3. "what makes being an educator in the classical tradition different than just being an educator per se?"
4. What do you think are the greatest difficulties for classical educators?

_________________________________________________________________________

Vital Ideas Conference Information -
https://www.beautifulteaching.com/conference

$20 off Discount Code:
IDEAS20
note: copy/paste exactly without any spaces before or after.
It is good through June 20.

DETAILED PROGRAM GUIDE

Conference Recordings: All sessions will be recorded. Live attendance is greatly encouraged, but come and go as needed. The recording will be available 2 weeks after the conference. The recordings will be available for 9 months.

Sessions: We have 16 sessions and 12 Speakers! Our sessions are for parents, home educators, classroom teachers, and school leadership. Each breakout in the program is marked with the recommended audience to help you choose the right sessions for  your needs. See the detailed program guide! 

________________________________________________________
This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Bryan has worked in private schools for most of his career, but for a decade he worked with Great Hearts Academies, a charter school network operating in Arizona and Texas. He began his employment at Great Hearts as the founding head of school for one of eleven Arizona campuses. During Great Hearts’ expansion into Texas, Bryan served as the founding headmaster for the first network school in the Dallas / Fort Worth Metro area.

Bryan’s most recent work as a consultant has allowed him to continue helping school staff with planning, solid pedagogical and administrative practices, classroom management and student culture.

You can find Bryan Smith on LinkedIn

Show Notes
Bryan Smith and Adrienne Freas of Beautiful Teaching, reflect on what is attractive about a Liberal Arts Education. They talk about the principles that define a classical school, and why the ethos of classical education imparts a hopeful view of humanity. A noble end unfolds from permanent and universal reflections. The principles that anchor classical schools are discussed in this significant podcast. All educators will appreciate the wisdom of how to place school on course either to develop or to improve.

Some Key Moments Include:

• What books are really necessary for a classical school to include on their lists?
• Why The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius ought to be in every classical highschool curriculum
• What the early Christians thought about education
• Classical education is rooted in common assumptions--these are elaborated

Resources Mentioned
The Consolation of Philosphy - Boethius

The Discarded Image - C.S. Lewis

Essay “Schooling in Byzantium” by Bryan Smith (this will be a chapter in a new book coming out by St. Vladimir's press with essays compiled by David Hicks. More info coming soon)

St. Basil on Prepositions: The Human Condition

The Iliad &The Odyssey - Homer

The Psalter
Atigone

Books 1 and 2 of Samuel

On the Incarnation by Saint Athanasius the Great of Alexandria with an introduction by C.S. Lewis 

Plato
The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis

Frog and Toad series - Arnold Lobel
"The Allegory of the Cave" from Plato's Republic

Paradise Lost- John Milton

The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky 

Poetry by Virgil

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This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

ACCESS LITERACY TEAM

Dorothy Kardatzke
I live with my husband in Columbus, Ohio. I taught for more than 25 years in both general education classrooms and in classrooms for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Since 1997, when I was first trained in the English code, all my literacy instruction has been delivered using programs that are Orton-based. I left the classroom in 2018 to create space to write curriculum, and train/coach teachers. However, I will always be a teacher. It is who I am! I tutor little folks and big folks in literacy whenever I have the chance.

​

I had a rather circuitous educational journey which offered me the opportunity to embark on what I do presently. I completed a double major in Elementary Education and Deaf Education from Augustana College. I later completed post-graduate work in Linguistics and Language Development at the University of South Dakota and Neuroanatomy  at The Ohio State University.

​

During leisure time, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, hiking, fishing, canoeing, camping and cross-country skiing.

Melody Furno
My husband and I live in Columbus, Ohio where I taught an Orton-based Method for literacy in Kindergarten and first grade classrooms for 19 years. Encountering struggling readers in the classroom motivated me to enroll in coursework and to research current information on reading disabilities and dyslexia to set up interventions in the classroom.

​

Since leaving the classroom, I have used an Orton-based Method to train and consult teachers in literacy across the country and tutor struggling readers in 4th and 5th grades for Columbus Public Schools. 

​

I enjoy nature, fishing, hiking and biking. My special interest is to encourage faith-based ministries to play a part in addressing youth and adult illiteracy.   

Show Notes
Phonics programs are an important foundation for teaching students how to read. There are many programs and they differ widely. Learn about the unique features of this program. Discover what is important when looking for a phonics curriculum for your students. 

Dorothy Kardatzke  and Melanie Furno are the founders of Access Literacy.  Their phonics curriculum,  Literacy Essentials: Journey from Spelling to Reading is commonly used in classical schools.  In this interview, they articulate the details that explain what a good phonic-based program looks like and why it matters. The Access Literacy program supports the road to integrating the components of writing, thinking well, and reading well.
_____________________________________________
Note: Adrienne does not recieve compensation for recommending any curriculum on her podcast. The purpose of presenting curriculum on the podcast is to help parents and school leadership make well-informed decisions on curriculum that is most aligned to the classical tradition.
_____________________________________________ 

Resources
Link to their Home page: https://www.accessliteracy.com/

Parent page including phonogram videos: https://www.accessliteracy.com/parents

Link for ordering teaching materials through Hillsdale: https://www.accessliteracy.com/projects-2

Link for ordering the Student Orthography Notebook: https://www.accessliteracy.com/projects-2

Books mentioned
Why Our Children Can’t Read, and What You Can Do About It by Diane McGuinness

Author in the Science of Reading field — Dr. Louisa Moats

The Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton- Porter
How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler
How To Read a Difficult Book (free link to one page essay) by Mortimer Adler
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This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Credentials: B.S. Secondary Education, Lamar University-Beaumont, Texas; extensive all-level SWR classes & mentoring under Wanda Sanseri.
Rhonda's Training Site

Niki Wise
Although Niki Wise currently resides in Georgia, her BASIC Seminars are offered both in Zoom & in person beyond her borders. She began using Spell to Write and Read back in the 1990s when it was Teaching Reading at Home and School. Not only using this program during her homeschool years, Niki also shared this program with many friends, & even introduced her oldest grandson to spelling & reading with Mrs. Sanseri's proven program. When she is not offering a BASIC seminar, she can be found playing with her 6 grandkids, teaching at Colquitt Christian Academy, & planning road trips with her husband.
Contact Niki: crosswiseswr@gmail.com


Show Notes
This interview with Rhonda Bedee and Niki Wise is part 1 of a 2 part series on phonics. Part 2 (the next episode) will feature the creators of Literacy Essentials: The Journey from Spelling to Reading. You will learn a lot of great information about both programs to help you make your decision on which program best suits your needs. 

Historical efforts to teach reading, writing, and spelling have been developed, applied and studied for centuries. Integrating  lessons from “sound to symbol” equips students with the ability to work through the process of learning to read. The unique features and history of Spell to Write and Read is explained in this episode. We discuss not only why it works, but also how it can (in many cases) help prevent the need for future reading remedies.

_____________________________________________
Note: Adrienne does not recieve compensation for recommending any curriculum on her podcast. The purpose of presenting curriculum on the podcast is to help parents and school leadership make well-informed decisions on curriculum that is most aligned to the classical tradition.
_____________________________________________ 

Resources
Spell to Write and Read Forum (free or for more resources there is a small membership fee)
Free Blank Book Template

Where to buy:  https://swrforum.com/where-to-buy/

Articles & Podcasts Mentioned

NY Times Article: In the Fight Over How to Teach Reading, This Guru Makes a Major Retreat

PODCAST Episode that Rhonda Mentions:  Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong

________________________________________________________
This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Michael Fitzgerald (Principal)

Michael is an experienced educator with an M.S. in Brain-Based Education. After a decade teaching in a variety of school models, he is using his knowledge of classical education to lead Northern Schoolhouse, all while pursuing his doctorate in education.

A dabbler in logic, philosophy, hiking, archery, chess, music, and handiwork, he brings his deep interest in the great minds of history to our Schoolhouse culture.

Katherine Fitzgerald (Instructional Coordinator & Music Teacher)
Katie has nearly two decades’ experience with children in education and humanitarian work. Her studies in educational history, methodology, curriculum, and child psychology form the basis of the programs developed for Northern Schoolhouse.

Music, math, baking, knitting, drawing, and gardening are among her many interests, and she shares her passion for doing and making with our Schoolhouse community.

Show Notes
The Fitzgeralds have built their whole model around what they call the Three Paths of Attention: Knowledge, Genius, & Heart. Through these pillars, they have developed their assessments and cultivated a culture of students who care.  By attending to Knowledge, they steadily progress in their academic studies. By attending to Genius, they strengthen their ability to think and create. By attending to Heart, they become kind people who contribute to their families and communities.

Katherine and Michael Fitzgerald offer frontline practical details about daily routines and expectations they’re experiencing in Northern Schoolhouse. In this episode, the Fitzgeralds provide information about the classical culture of Northern Schoolhouse. They merge beautiful principles that operate under the three pillars of Classics, Nature, and Arts. 

They share stories about how student invest in their own work and greatly enjoy opportunities to grow; there is an essence of excitement about doing well. Most of all, the students care about their scholarly projects and they love working on them. Rather than testing, they use assessments, character maps, and are mindful about the regard for virtues and habits. These, and complementary ideas are outlined in practical ways. 

Resources mentioned

Plato

Socrates

Shakespeare, Sonnet 18

Charlotte Mason

Confucius 

Dr. W. Edwards Deming

Aeneid 

Odyssey

The Bible
"The Seven-Lesson Schoolteacher" by John Taylor Gatto (from Dumbing us Down)

Zhuan Falun by Hongzhi Li

Podcast Episode on Motivation and Praise: How to Encourge Intrinsinc Motivation

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ANNOUNCING A NEW PROGYMNASMATA CURRICULUM
Benjamin Lyda in partnership with Adrienne is launching a pilot for Scriptorium: Writing with the Progymnasmata for grades 3-8. For more information about participating in this pilot, visit the website: https://www.beautifulteaching.com/pilot

ANNOUNCING OUR FIRST CLASSICAL EDUCATION ONLINE CONFERENCE!
11 speakers, 2 days, online and recorded if you cannot attend all of the sessions! Early bird pricing only $69 though April 1. Visit our website for more information.

Beautiful Teaching Conference Details.

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This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★

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Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Click here for the YOUTUBE link if you want to watch this episdoe.

About the Guest
Rebecca was first introduced to Charlotte Mason in 2013 when her oldest child was 3. After exploring other educational methods, she felt she had finally found a philosophy that made sense. Every aspect of Ms. Mason’s ideas, from reading living books to the importance of being immersed in the natural world, appealed to her on many levels. With a degree in art history, she especially appreciated Ms. Mason’s emphasis on exposing children to fine art. Rebecca enjoys the freedom found in a Charlotte Mason education and the fact that it not only nourishes the minds, hearts, and souls of her children but hers as well. She lives in Colorado with her husband, their two children, three cats, two salamanders, and whatever bug pets her kids have adopted. She also writes at her website, a humble place.

Show Notes
Picture study is an enjoyable activity that cultivates the habit of attention and shapes the affections for beauty. On this episode, Rebecca from A Humble Place walks Adrienne through a picture study demonstration. This episode is with video on our YouTube channel too.

Art Mentioned 

• Picture Study Demonstration: The favourites of Emperor Honorius by John Williams Waterhouse
• John William Waterhouse picture study packet from A Humble Place
• Artist: Alphonse Mucha
• Artist: Vincent van Goch picture study packet from A Humble Place
• The Night Watch Flashmob
• The Night Watch High Resolution image from the Riijks Museum
• The Primavera by Botticelli
• The Mona Lisa by Davinci

Memory Game with Art

BOOKS Mentioned (We encourage you to visit our sponsor, Eighth Day Books for books mentioned on our show. They are offering FREE standard shipping between March 8 and March 31, 2024 for our listeners.
Coupon code: BEAUTIFUL )

• Thoms Bulfinch's Medieval Mythology (note: Age of Fable is another Bulfinch book that you can request from Eighth Day Books)
• Katie and the Mona Lisa by James Mayhew
• For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
• Parent's Review articles
• Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Fost (Call Eighth Day Books to order your copy. 316-683-9446. Be sure to use the free shipping discount code through the end of March.)

ANNOUNCING A NEW PROGYMNASMATA CURRICULUM
Benjamin Lyda in partnership with Adrienne is launching a pilot for Scriptorium: Writing with the Progymnasmata for grades 3-8. For more information about participating in this pilot, visit the website: https://www.beautifulteaching.com/pilot

ANNOUNCING OUR FIRST CLASSICAL EDUCATION ONLINE CONFERENCE!
11 speakers, 2 days, online and recorded if you cannot attend all of the sessions! Early bird pricing only $69 though April 1. Visit our website for more information.

________________________________________________________
This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Show Notes
Benjamin explains the ways in which modern approaches to writing hinder students from experiencing the joy and art of becoming a good writer. He shares his experience as a writing instructor and how the progymnasmata shines as a really great method for truly helping students learn and enjoy the craft of virtue-based writing.

He was a previous podcast guest with his daughter, Eden. Children Delighting in Shakespeare aired in season 1.

ANNOUNCING A NEW PROGYMNASMATA CURRICULUM
Benjamin Lyda in partnership with Adrienne is launching a pilot for Scriptorium: Writing with the Progymnasmata for grades 3-8. For more information about participating in this pilot, visit the website: https://www.beautifulteaching.com/pilot

Books & Ideas Mentioned
The Four Men by Hilaire Belloc

The Rhetorical Exercises of Nikephoros Basilakes
The Foundacion of Rhetorike by: Richard Reynolds
Institutio Oratoria: Quintilian

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Beautiful Teaching is hosting its first Summer Online Classical Conference! We have 11 presenters. The early bird discount is only $69 till April 1 and then it goes up to $89 per person. 

For conference Information visit: 
https://www.beautifulteaching.com/conference

________________________________________________________

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2024 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

1. Kathleen Cotter Clayton is the daughter of Dr. Joan A. Cotter, author and developer of the RightStart™ Mathematics program. Kathleen is involved with curriculum development and has written or co-authored 17 manuals. She travels, teaches online middle-school classes, and speaks across the US and Canada, sharing the mission to help children understand, apply, and enjoy mathematics. Kathleen has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and has two Masters Degrees from the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. In her spare time, Kathleen designs and creates mathematical quilts and loves to travel all around the world. 
2. Teresa Foltin is the School Liaison with RightStart Math. She has a Bachelor's in English Literature and a Master’s in Student Affairs in Higher Education. Previously the Director of Student Activities at an American university in Germany, she is now a homeschooling mom of five. Teresa travels across the US talking to parents and teachers, calming, encouraging, and exciting them about math education. She is interested in adoption, travel, horses, gardening, and reading. The Foltin family lives in Colorado on a small homestead with a menagerie of critters.

Contact RightStart Math:
Mention that you heard about them from The Classical Education Podcast.
Sign up for help & more info: https://rightstartclassroom.com/
Website: https://rightstartmath.com/

Show Notes
Uplifting describes this conversation about Mathematics with guests, Cathleen Cotter Clayton, and Theresa Fulton of RightStart Math. When games are involved, everyone wants to participate. When a math program is written and approved by an electrical engineer and a physicist, as an excellent and intuitive way to teach math, why not share it!  Forget the tears, and fears about fractions. Find out the stories behind it’s success and the how and why this math program fits within the Classical Tradition of education for grades Kindergarten through eighth grade.

Some Ideas Discussed:

• Success in Homeschool and School Programs
• A fearless experience with fractions
• History of Right Start Math and the Research behind it
• Adrienne’s homeschool story “Enjoying Math!”
• How RightStart Math fits into the Classical model and similarities with the medieval time period (Treviso Arithmetic)
• The importance of place value
• Geometry and the Quadrivium
• Right Start Math Tutoring
• Right Start Support and Presentations for Schools

Books & Ideas Mentioned

• Casting Out Nines ( RightStart calls in "check numbers". This is a video explanation)
• Treviso Arithmetic Information
• Treviso Arithmetic PDF (Explains place value and casting out nines and other interesting ways of teaching math the medieval way)
• The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas
• The Magnificent Obsession by Lloyd C. Douglas
• Coming soon to be published: a new book by Dr. Cotter

After the recording, Adrienne found an interesting public domain book on Gutenburg called A Scrap-Book of Elementary Mathematics. It has interesting and old tricks for teaching arithmetic that seems to align nicely with this way of teaching math. 

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Upcoming Workshop Links:

• Society for Classical Learning Winter Workshops, 2024 (scroll to read more about Adrienne's Narration Intensive)
• Snapshot Series Courses by Beautiful Teaching Master Teachers
• Sign up for Beautiful Teaching Monthly Newsletter by visiting the website! 

Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★

________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Show Notes
Dr. Junius Johnson joins Adrienne to discuss the art of teaching. In this episode they discuss some important mistakes that happen in classical schools and how to overcome them. Junius explores the creative ways in which teachers should approach ALL subjects and help students enter into fruitful discussions no matter what the subject.

Some Ideas Discussed:

• The importance of helping students engage with real learning and relational connections
• The importance of believing in students
• The pitfalls of teaching objectives
• Holding onto lesson plans loosely
• Creating an atmosphere of wonder
• How a teacher can increase his or her own imagination! 

Books Discussed in This Episode Include:
On Teaching Fairy Stories by Junius Johnson

The Chronicles of Narnia
JK Rowling
Dante's Divine Comedy
The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White
Through The Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper
Beowulf
Hamlet
The Voyage of the Dawn Treador by CS Lewis

Paintings to inspire imaginative conversations with your students
(Print them in color and let them study it with a partner and then narrate as many details as they can remember without looking at it.)

1. Children's Games by Bruegel
2. Masque of Love by John Duncan 
3. The Plumbers by Norman Rockwell
4. Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull
5. The Death of Caesar by Jean-Léon Gérôme 
6. Sudden Shower over Shin-Ōhashi bridge and Atake by Hiroshige and then compare it to van Gogh's Bridge in the Rain (after Hiroshige)

Books to Build Imagination (for educators to read for self-edification in learning to wonder)

1. Godel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid, by Douglas R. Hofstadter. This book can get really dense at times, but it uses the work of these three figures to stretch and challenge our view of reality.
2. G.K. Chesterton, Tremendous Trifles. A delightful, accessible must-read in which Chesterton re-orients our attention to the small and everyday things.
3. Fantastical and speculative fiction. A great place to start is The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, one of the unsung masterpieces of the 20th century.
4. The Awakening of Miss Prim by by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera  

Games mentioned

1. Splendor
2. Lords of the Waterdeep
3. Golf card game... can be played with regular card of buy this already made set called Play Nine. 

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Upcoming Winter Workshop Links:

• Society for Classical Learning Winter Workshops, 2024 (scroll to read more about Adrienne's Narration Intensive)
• Snapshot Series Courses by Beautiful Teaching Master Teachers
• Sign up for Beautiful Teaching Monthly Newsletter by visiting the website! 

Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Show Notes
Originally aimed at learning how to create a new class, we diverged into a lot of practical information that teachers will love! Alex Markos shares his love of books as the son of our former podcast guest Dr. Louis Markos. In this episode, the joy of teaching really comes out as Alex focuses on what the process looks like when creating a new class. He walks us through the brainstorming process and the many practical and thoughful ways in which to engage students!  As the discussion unfolds you will learn how to create a spirit of inquiry and ultimately how to help students order their affections. 

Some Ideas Discussed:

• The importance of integrating a class with other classes
• How to create a class cathechism and why it matters
• What are the practical implementations and expectations from a good class?
• How to read hard texts
• How to help students create great questions in order to have good discussions
• Helping students undertsand basic categories of questions
• Helping students think deeply about application of big ideas

Books Discussed in This Episode Include:
The Lord of the Rings
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Blue Fairy Book
The Red Fairy Book 
Augustine's Confessions
Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle
"Allegory of the Cave" from The Republic
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster
________________________________________________________

Upcoming Winter Workshop Links:

• Fundamentals of a Charlotte Mason Education 7 Week Intensive (with Karen Glass, Kiernan Fiore, and Adrienne Freas) 
• Snapshot Series Courses by Beautiful Teaching Master Teachers
• Society for Classical Learning Winter Workshops, 2024 (scroll to read more about Adrienne's Narration Intensive)
• Sign up for Beautiful Teaching Monthly Newsletter by visiting the website! 

Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Show Notes
This engaging conversation gives voice to the nature of verbal arts. As written in his book, The Lost Seeds of Learning: Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric as Life-Giving Arts,  Dr. Phillip Donnelly offers the image of a living seed to represent purposeful communication. From this episode, you will gain a vision for skills learned in the classroom that are alive, not detached, with a new sense of enthusiasm for the art of grammar.  Some points of discussion include: 

• Why is the trivium so important?
• What is the core function of the trivium?
• Why a seed metaphor?
• What is grammar in the trivium?

Books Mentioned in the Episode
For 15% off CAP products use discount code CEPODCAST15 at checkout.

Dr. Donnelly's book is published by CAP (Classical Academic Press)
The Classical Trivium: The Place of Thomas Nash in the Learning of His Time by Marshall McLuhan
Confessions by St. Augustine (trans. Maria Boulding)

________________________________________________________

Upcoming Winter Workshop Links:

• Fundamentals of a Charlotte Mason Education 7 Week Intensive (with Karen Glass, Kiernan Fiore, and Adrienne Freas) 
• Snapshot Series Courses by Beautiful Teaching Master Teachers
• Society for Classical Learning Winter Workshops, 2024 (scroll to read more about Adrienne's Narration Intensive)
• Sign up for Beautiful Teaching Monthly Newsletter by visiting the website! 

Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Show Notes
When deciding how to apply the art of penmanship for children in your schools, you will want to consider the evidence that supports handwriting as a foundation for literacy. Beyond the evidence that connects the hands in creativity and flourishing communication, you’ll hear why, how, and what tools to use in applying the art of penmanship.  

Some topics and questions covered in this episode:

• Dependency on technology to the detriment of healthy child development 
• Will you speak to cursive writing and learning to read? 
• What is the history behind Spencerian Cursive and why is it important?
• What should educators look for in curriculum for penmanship?
• How is cursive tied to phonics?
• How do writing tools make a difference?
• What tips do you have for teachers?

Resources

Commercial about Jake that Adrienne uses at teacher trainings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvSyQDu49pI

The following are affiliate links for Jake Weidmann:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/jakeweidmann

1) link to Michal Sull's curriculum for kids --also here: https://spencerian.com/

2) link to blackwing pencils

3) link to pilot varsity pen

4) link to Jake's pens that he sells or will sell.

5) Brian Guelle's fountain pens

Master Penman Society: https://www.iampeth.com/master-penman-society

A book that Jake wishes he had read earlier in his life:
A Joy For Ever by John Ruskin
________________________________________________________

Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Show Notes
Adrienne Freas and Karen Swallow Prior enjoy discussing the idea of culture creation through great literature. Why not think of reading for enjoyment instead of just reading for an assignment? Enjoy more balance while gaining an enriching approach to literature. 

Some Questions Include:

• How is the book, On Reading Well helpful for parents and teachers?
• What do you believe is helpful in your books and what do you hope teachers and parents will take away ? 
• What is your view concerning critical theory in contrast with the idea of reading well? 
• What are the implications for how we teach students?

Resources and books mentioned:

Artist Makoto Fujimura

On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books

The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis

Moby Dick

The Bible

To Kill A Mockingbird

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Jane Eyre

Gerard Manly Hopkins poetry

East of Eden

________________________________________________________

Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Jon earned an M.A. in Religion from Reformed Theological Seminary, and a Certificate in Anglican Studies from Wycliffe College, University of Toronto. He also holds a B.A. in History and Education from the University of Texas at Dallas. 

Jon has found Coram Deo to be a perfect combination of his two callings: academic and pastoral ministry. In addition to serving as a place to train the minds and hearts of the next generation of Christian leaders, CDA also provides a place to build relationships that will last a lifetime and beyond. 

Jon and his wife Vivien have three children, Zoë, Rowan, and Billie. They worship together at Church of the Incarnation in Dallas, where Jon also serves on the clergy team. He was ordained a Priest in August 2019. 

Show Notes
Guest, Jon Jordan shares wisdom from his experience as a headmaster of a Christian classical school in Dallas, Texas. He shares his passion for good education through his leadership approach of walking alongside his school leaders. He shares practical ideas for helping parents embrace the classical tradition in order to cultivate a healthy Christian culture. 

Some topics they discuss include:

• Helping parents embrace the school mission
• Coming alongside school leadership and empowering them to be heads of their domain
• Creating a growth mindset for a unified community between school and parents
• Helping parents experience a classical education
• Attending to a culture that practices virtue in practical ways

Resources Mentioned
The Big Ten (link to PDF)
The Return of the King by Tolkien
Screwtape Letters C.S. Lewis
The Great Divorce C.S. Lewis

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Whether you are a teacher or a parent, ask yourself…

• What is the purpose of education?  
• What is the beginning of education, AND does it ever come to an end? 
• What type of education is best, and what type of education might I or my child pursue in the future?

 Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

Where Should I Start?

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

Dr. Brian A. Williams is Dean of the Templeton Honors College, Associate Professor of Ethics & Liberal Studies, and Dean of the College of Arts & Humanities. Before coming to Eastern, he was Lecturer in Theology and Christian Ethics at the University of Oxford and Director of Oxford Conversations, a collection of curated video interviews with leading Christian academics and scholars at Oxford.

He holds an MPhil and DPhil in Christian Ethics from the University of Oxford (UK), where he was a Clarendon Scholar; an MA and ThM in Systematic and Historical Theology from Regent College (Vancouver, Canada); and a BA in Biblical Studies from Ozark Christian College (Joplin, MO).

His current research examines the tradition of Didascalic Christian Humanism, focusing on the works of Hugh of St. Victor, Philip Melanchthon, and John Henry Newman. Dr. Williams’ broader academic interests include virtue ethics, Christian and Muslim political thought, Karl Barth’s theology and politics, classical education, and Dante Alighieri’s Commedia. He is the author of The Potter’s Rib: The History, Theology, and Practice of Mentoring for Pastoral Formation (Regent College Publishing); co-editor of Everyday Ethics: Moral Theology and the Practices of Ordinary Life (Georgetown University Press); and General Editor of Principia: A Journal of Classical Education.

Dr. Williams is also a National Alcuin Fellow and a Research Fellow with the Institute of Classical Education.

He is married to Kim Williams and has three children: Ilia, Brecon, and Maeve.

Show Notes
Wonder and great questions about Classical Education are beautifully described in this interview with Dr. Brian Williams. Adrienne Freas presents the questions that parents are asking. What exactly do we mean by the Tradition of Classical Education? 

Some Topics and Ideas in this Episode Include:

• Frescoes can be used to vividly describe the Classical Tradition and why Classical Education is beautiful.
• The spirit of inquiry and how scholars benefit from an education rooted in questions
• Great questions bring about compelling conversations. 
• How to find a classical school that reflects the Tradition?-- What are we looking for that reflects the tradition?
• What is beauty?-- How materials and culture provide a way to flourish as human persons

Resources Mentioned

Principia: A Journal of Classical Education: Volume 2, Issue 1, 2023: Editor's Introduction: Principia Tradition & Classical Education

Cair Paravel Latin School, founded in 1980
Templeton Honors College
The Great Books of the Western World

Raphael Frescoes discussed that are in the Vatican: