Creating Classroom Culture with Mandi Gerth (10x8)

Creating Classroom Culture with Mandi Gerth (10x8)

From The Optimistic Curmudgeon by OptimisticCurmudgeon2021

April 27, 2026 · 1h 21m · Episode 114

About this episode

Mandi Gerth discusses the cultivation of classroom culture and the philosophical underpinnings of teaching.

Mandi Gerth draws from her book Thoroughness and Charm: Cultivating the Habits of the Classical Classroom to explain what teaching is, how teachers can draw on the wisdom of Machiavelli to understand their authority and wield it for the good of their students, and what it means to put on the Western tradition as both a mantle and a crown. Along the way, Mandi shares wisdom from Donald and Louise Cowan, highlights the difficulty of the teaching task, and inspires teachers with a lofty vision of shaping the students' souls to perceive truth, beauty, and goodness. Mandi is the Administrative Director of Cowan Center at the ⁨@universityofdallas⁩ , an instructor in ⁨@thalescollege⁩ 's Certificate in Classical Education Philosophy, and a prolific writer on ⁨@substackinc⁩ . You can find her at https://mrsgerthteaches.substack.com/ You can also order Thoroughness and Charm: Cultivating the Habits of the Classical Classroom here: https://circeinstitute.org/product/thoroughness-and-charm/

People in this episode

Guest: Mandi Gerth

Topics covered

  • classroom culture
  • teaching philosophy
  • Machiavelli
  • Western tradition
  • classical education
  • student development

Keywords

  • classroom culture
  • Machiavelli
  • classical education
  • truth
  • beauty
  • goodness
  • teaching
  • Cowan Center

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cowan Center, University of Dallas, Thales College, Substack

Books & works: Thoroughness and Charm: Cultivating the Habits of the Classical Classroom

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