Classical Education

Guests Dr. Louis Markos: Houston Christian University: Professor of EnglishRobert H. Ray Chair in HumanitiesScholar-in-ResidenceDr. Patrick Egan: Clapham Christian Classical SchoolAcademic DeanContributor of Educational Renaissance Jason Barney: Coram Deo Academy in Carmel, INSchool PrincipalAuthor of Charlotte Mason: A Liberal Education for All (published by CAP)Contributor of Educational Renaissance Show NotesCommon 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 traditionWhat is her view of a child and how does it influence her pedagogy?How and why narration is classical and superior as a classical pedagogyWhat is Paideia? -- Does Mason have a paideia in her philosophy?How the habit training model of Charlotte Mason mirrors/agrees with the classical traditionResources MentionedThe Great BooksJohn Locke, Coleridge, WordsworthCharlotte Mason: A Liberal Education for All by Jason BarneyFor The Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer MacaulayConsider This: Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition by Karen GlassAbolition of Man by CS LewisThe Seven Laws of Teaching by John Milton GregoryAn 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 SalisburyInstitutes of Oratory by QuintilianCharlotte 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)________________________________________________________This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________Credits:Sound Engineer: Andrew HelselLogo Art: Anastasiya CFMusic: 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

About our GuestKiernan Fiore has worked as a teacher, administrator, trainer, and curriculum developer since 2011. Kiernan was classically home educated using a Charlotte Mason methodology, and her own educational experience is the inspiration for her work. She holds a BA in English from Hillsdale College and an MA in Shakespeare Studies from King’s College London and is certified in 4-8th Grade ELAR and Social Studies in Texas. After six years of working with the Founders Classical network of charter schools in Texas, she now serves as Dean of Curriculum at Holy Innocents School in Long Beach, CA. She also serves as a consultant on special projects and curriculum alignment with Beautiful Teaching, LLC. She has been married to Jonathan, also a classical educator, for six years and is the mother of three children. Show NotesThis 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-academyClassical Education Rubric Checklist: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VYej2Qw2GrEItZI_wZjAy0hf7OS3oYpz/view?usp=drive_linkCatholic (virtue-based) Standards:https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/educator-resources/resources/academics/catholic-curriculum-standards/#standards-and-resources________________________________________________________This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________Credits:Sound Engineer: Andrew HelselLogo Art: Anastasiya CFMusic: 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

About our GuestAndrew J. Zwerneman serves as Cana Academy’s President and as one of their MasterTeachers. For 40 years, he has taught and consulted in secondary schools that emphasize classic humanities. For 19 years he headed schools—2 at the public charter school, Tempe Preparatory Academy in Tempe, Arizona, 17 at Trinity School at Meadow View in Falls Church, Virginia. He is the founder and owner of The Academy Project, LLC, which wrote the original curricula and trained faculties for Thomas MacLaren School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Trinity Academy in Portland, Oregon. Education: B.A., A.B.D., University of Notre Dame; M.A., St. John’s University. He is the author of History Forgotten and Remembered (2020) and The Life We Have Together: A Case for Humane Studies, A Vision for Renewal (2022).https://www.canaacademy.org/Show NotesLeading 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 schoolThe 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 themResources from Cana Academy10 for 10: How to Grade Seminar Participationhttps://www.history250.org/8 Tips for Leading a Great Seminar Discussion8 Tips On Coaching a Reluctant Discussanthttps://www.canaacademy.org/free-resources : scroll down to Seminar Leadership Videoshttps://www.canaacademy.org/shopExample of Free Sample: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57e9653aebbd1a90d5cf34c6/t/5dfbd171db0c927d0316e45e/1576784250891/IliadGuideFreePreview+Secured.pdf________________________________________________________This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________Credits:Sound Engineer: Andrew HelselLogo Art: Anastasiya CFMusic: 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

About The GuestMariah Martinez has worked in education since 2015 as a teacher, curriculum developer, and mentor teacher. Mariah attended the Honors College at Houston Baptist University where she received a B.A., double majoring in Philosophy and English. In 2021, she received a Master of Humanities in classical education from the University of Dallas. She is certified as a 7-12 ELAR instructor in the state of Texas. She began her teaching career at a Great Hearts school in San Antonio and now works at a Founders Classical charter school in Texas. She has eight years of middle and high school teaching experience and is a founding faculty member of the high school at her current location where she now serves as the assistant headmaster for the upper school. She has experience not only with developing classical curricula for the high school environment but has also developed guides for creating house systems and student leadership positions. Mariah's goal is to help make the methods of classical education and the philosophies behind them accessible for all.Show NotesMariah 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 HicksDoes 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 schoolResources 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 DostoyevskyAudiobook: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Narrated by: Virginia Leishman ________________________________________________________ONE day left to register for the conference on June 28-29, 2024Vital 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 HelselLogo Art: Anastasiya CFMusic: 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

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC. Our team provides immersion courses, seminar led book studies, and comprehensive support for parents & K-12 classical educators.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 CivicsAaron Mitchell: Teaching Euclid as a Way Beyond Gnostic Cartesian MathematicsMariah Martinez: Introducing Two types of Classical Pedagogy: Mimetic and Socratic & Recitation: A Rhetorical Art for PreK-12Jonathan Fiore: The Things We Carry– Two Graduates of Classical Education Reflect on its ImpactAdrienne Freas: Loving Many ThingsSome Question We Discuss:What does the term "Vital Ideas" mean and why is it the them for our first classical education conference?Who has had the greatest influence on your philosophy of education and why?"what makes being an educator in the classical tradition different than just being an educator per se?"What do you think are the greatest difficulties for classical educators?_________________________________________________________________________Vital Ideas Conference Information -https://www.beautifulteaching.com/conference$20 off Discount Code: IDEAS20note: copy/paste exactly without any spaces before or after.It is good through June 20. DETAILED PROGRAM GUIDEConference 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 HelselLogo Art: Anastasiya CFMusic: 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

About The GuestsACCESS LITERACY TEAMDorothy KardatzkeI 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 FurnoMy 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 NotesPhonics 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. _____________________________________________ ResourcesLink to their Home page: https://www.accessliteracy.com/Parent page including phonogram videos: https://www.accessliteracy.com/parentsLink for ordering teaching materials through Hillsdale: https://www.accessliteracy.com/projects-2Link for ordering the Student Orthography Notebook: https://www.accessliteracy.com/projects-2Books mentionedWhy Our Children Can’t Read, and What You Can Do About It by Diane McGuinnessAuthor in the Science of Reading field — Dr. Louisa MoatsThe Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton- PorterHow to Read a Book by Mortimer AdlerHow To Read a Difficult Book (free link to one page essay) by Mortimer Adler________________________________________________________This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________Credits:Sound Engineer: Andrew HelselLogo Art: Anastasiya CFMusic: 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

GuestsMichael 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 NotesThe 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 mentionedPlatoSocratesShakespeare, Sonnet 18Charlotte MasonConfucius Dr. W. Edwards DemingAeneid OdysseyThe Bible"The Seven-Lesson Schoolteacher" by John Taylor Gatto (from Dumbing us Down)Zhuan Falun by Hongzhi LiPodcast Episode on Motivation and Praise: How to Encourge Intrinsinc Motivation_______________________________________ANNOUNCING A NEW PROGYMNASMATA CURRICULUMBenjamin 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/pilotANNOUNCING 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.________________________________________________________This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★ _________________________________________________________Credits:Sound Engineer: Andrew HelselLogo Art: Anastasiya CFMusic: 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