When I taught at Cair Paravel Latin School in Topeka, Kansas, we often reminded ourselves that the heart of a school is its faculty of friends. We learned this from Professor John Senior who led the Pearson Integrated Humanities Program (IHP) at the University of Kansas and whose graduates had founded our school in 1980. This meant that our knowledge, passions, practices, and relationships would shape the community in which students would be formed by the true, good, beautiful, and holy. This is the same for any ACCS school. Teachers create the culture that shapes their students. Therefore, teachers need to be the kinds of people they want their students to become.
They also need to be masters of their craft who are skilled at apprenticing students into the way of classical learning. Training teachers to be masters of the craft of classical teaching has been a significant challenge for many schools: teachers and administrators often weren’t classically educated themselves, pedagogical resources for classical education have been limited, headmasters and deans are busy managing the school, teachers often leave after a few years, classical pedagogy is still being discovered, and academic programs in classical education have not existed. Until now.
One of the reasons I stepped away from Classical, Christian schools was to research the tradition while earning a doctorate from the University of Oxford. Now, as Dean of the Templeton Honors College at Eastern University, I am thrilled to join other Christian colleges and universities supporting ACCS schools through courses and degrees in classical education and pedagogy. Many of the people leading these other programs are friends and acquaintances, and the collaborative spirit among us is strong. We each want to see the others flourish because we believe our programs will enrich ACCS schools and the cultures they are creating.
As we were developing our program, I recalled all the questions I had when I started at Cair Paravel: What is classical pedagogy? How has the practice and philosophy of education changed from the ancients to the moderns? What are the Good, the True, and the Beautiful, and how can they inform my classroom and school? What about classical education for special needs children? What’s the difference between classical and progressive views of childhood and adolescence? What is the role of wonder and how do we practice it? How do the liberal arts help students develop virtue, shape their affections, and order their loves? What is the goal of Classical, Christian education?
These and other questions guide Templeton’s MA in Classical Teaching (MAT) and the many other excellent programs around the country. I could not be more pleased with what they are offering both new and experienced Classical, Christian teachers like Ryan Klein and Danielle Dillenschneider, two of our current students:
“As a brand-new teacher, the MAT in Classical Education is enabling me to start my career on the right foot. I’ve been given a rich environment in which to develop my pedagogy, encounter the depths of the Western Tradition, forge relationships with teachers wiser than myself, and become a better resource for my students. I believe whole-heartedly that this program is helping me become the kind of teacher I want to be.” – Ryan Klein
“After sharing what I learned with my coworkers and students, we have all seemed to come alive in a new way. Now, there is a deeper understanding and love for classical learning in my school. I am indebted to the fantastic professors that brought me to this point.” – Danielle Dillenschneider
Let me summarize how I think these programs can support ACCS schools and teachers.
Schools
- Retain teachers by helping them earn an advanced degree that confirms their vocation.
- Expand the headmaster’s or dean’s ability to mentor teachers.
- Save money on third-party trainers by investing in master teachers who can train others in your school.
- Increase the quality of instruction and enrich the culture of your school.
- Enable select teachers to become leaders and mentors in your school.
- Help prospective parents see how ACCS schools differ from homeschool options, non-classical Christian schools, and public schools.
- Connect your teachers and school with national leaders.
Teachers
- Earn an advanced degree.
- Receive training in the classical methods, materials, and practices that differentiate your school from other educational options available.
- Learn the classical tradition your students are learning.
- Model the importance of life-long learning.
- Learn best practices from teachers in other classical schools.
- Become a leader in your school.
- Discover contemporary research that supports the classical tradition.
- Receive mentoring from both K-12 and university master teachers.
- Benefit from classical colleges and scholars that have often been offering undergraduate classical education for many years.
I warmly commend these programs to you and invite you to explore each of them to discover which one might best serve you, your schools, and your students.
Dr. Brian A. Williams, BA, MA, ThM, MPhil, DPhil (Oxon)
Dean, Templeton Honors College at Eastern University
Assistant Professor of Ethics & Liberal Studies
Director, MAT in Classical Education