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Ken Myers, Friend of Classical Education, Recovering from Heart Attack
Many readers of this blog know Ken Myers--a remarkable reader, interviewer and thinker. His audio journal, Mars Hill Audio has been a form of sustenance to thousands of thoughtful Christians in the U.S. He is also an advocate of the renewal of classical, Christian...
Rush Limbaugh on Classical Studies and Latin
Today (11/1/2011) on his radio program, Rush Limbaugh responded to a woman with a classical studies degree who was complaining (via a sign at a protest) that she could not get a job. This led Limbaugh to suggest that perhaps she should not have taken a classical...
What is Classical Education? Part III
What is Classical Education? Christopher A. Perrin, M.Div, Ph.D. Most of us have a difficult time defining the word education—it has a wide range of meaning and is used in different ways in different contexts. Certainly education can be formal (as in a college...
Oxford Mathematician John Lennox on Daniel and Pluralism
This past June, Dr. John Lennox (the renowned mathematician and philosopher of science from Oxford University) addressed a group of classical administrators and educators at a retreat sponsored by the Institute for Classical Schools. One of his seminars was a...
Hallelujah: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen has been writing songs for over forty years. He is universally recognized as one of the great song writers of our time, having explored a variety of genres with an almost facile genius. Raised in a Messianic Jewish home, he has always explored religious...
A Review of Waiting for Superman
Waiting for Superman (Paramount Pictures) Christopher A. Perrin It is hard to watch David Guggenheim’s documentary Waiting for Superman without leaning into the screen with anticipation and hope, only to droop with disappointment, yes even despair. It is the kids...
Four Headmasters Discuss School Discipline
Discipline at a school will pretty much tell the school's tale. Put another way, show me the discipline approach at school and I will show you the soul of the school. The way administrators and teachers seek to create and maintain student behavior, attitude and...
An Example of Great Socratic Teaching
As I talk and consult with classical schools and teachers, I am frequently asked what makes for great Socratic teaching. Good Socratic teaching is an art that is hard to define and takes time to master. Every Socratic class is a kind of performance or drama, and no...
What is Math Anyway?
I thought many of you would enjoy this brief clip of Latin, physics and math teacher, Bill Carey. Bill taught Latin, physics and calculus to students at Ad Fontes Academy in Virginia for five years. He participated in last summer's Lyceum on Math and Science...
Interview with Author James K.A. Smith on Classical Education
Many readers of this blog may recall my review of the book Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview and Cultural Formation by James K. A. Smith who is also an associate professor of philosophy at Calvin College. I like the book immensely, and think that Smith has...
What is Classical Education? Part II
My hat is off to my colleague and friend Bob Ingram, headmaster at the Geneva School of Orlando. He writes the lead article in the recent issue of Geneva’s monthly newsletter, The Courier, and addresses that irritating question of how to define classical Christian...
What is Classical Education? Part I
"Education" is a hard word to define. Even "Christian" is hard to define. And certainly "classical" is a tough word. Put all three of these words together and you have a three-layer cake that is very hard to eat. I have read a lot of books about education, and...
Ken Myers on Classical Education: Interviewing the Interviewer
This November (2010), I had a chance to spend about two hours interviewing Ken Myers of Mars Hill Audio. Ken is the author of All God’s Children and Blue Suede Shoes and the host of the Mars Hill Audio Journal. The academically-inclined admire and envy Ken, because...
Learning and Leisure: Developing a School of Schole
We Americans have no trouble being busy. American educators are about the busiest people I know. Classical school administrators are usually frenetic. Teachers work so hard for nine months that they truly do need a summer’s rest. How do classical students fare? Well, they need those three months of summer too.
Classical Education As A Marathon Race: An Interview With Mark Guthrie, Head of School at Caldwell Academy
In this inspiring interview, Mark Guthrie compares classical education to a marathon he ran in 2000. He discovers that no one really runs alone and that education is a race that takes time, support, community and grace. This interview is highly recommended for new administrators and teachers as Mark powerfully captures the heart of classical Christian education by means of his marathon narrative.
Desiring a Kingdom School: A Review of Desiring the Kingdom by James K. A. Smith
We all have ideals—ideals for a wonderful marriage, the best job, a superb vacation. Our ideals, however, are often fuzzy. What does the ideal church really look like? An ideal government? What about an ideal school?
This Journalist Understands Classical Education
Let’s face it—it is hard to speak clearly about classical Christian education. I have been studying it, implementing it and writing about it for almost 15 years and I still can become tongue-tied when someone asks me “What is classical Christian education?” I am always brushing up and revising my elevator speech.
That is why the recent article about Covenant Classical School (CCS) in Naperville, Illinois, is so remarkable. CCS is not an established school. It opened its doors barely a month ago with 87 students.
Change Your School: A Review of Switch by Chip and Dan Heath
We all have something we want to change. It might be an organization; it might be your home. All of us, if we’re honest, want to change ourselves. If you work for a school, I am sure you can create a quick list of five items you would like to change that would improve the institution.