What is a mentor, anyway? In Homer’s Odyssey, Mentor is a wise older friend of Odysseus who advises his son Telemachus. Ten years after the Trojan War ends, Odysseus has still not found his way home to Ithaka. The men of the island try to convince his wife, Penelope, to marry...
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When I read my beloved Odyssey, which I seem, finally, to have learned how to read on its own terms, I find myself filled with admiration at the almost miraculous creativity of Homer and Odysseus, of Athene and Demodokos and Hephaistos, and (maybe my favorite) of Penelope. At one point,...
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Date Night falls in the middle of the week. My husband and I make it a priority so we can withdraw from our businesses and enjoy some experience in common. This week we went to a theater to watch Won’t Back Down. It tells the story of two mothers who fight...
Read the Full ArticleAs the weather cools down in the piedmont of North Carolina, I begin anticipating the Dixie Classic Fair. I love the crisp air, clear skies, the smell of funnel cakes and grilled sausage, the sound of barkers offering to guess my weight and age, the reminders of the important...
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1. Away with Memory, or: “That’s Why We Have Calculators and Google.” I didn’t memorize facts in school and I turned out okay. Trust me. I take the time necessary to whip out my smart phone and pull up the calculator app, or open the browser and navigate to Google, so...
Read the Full Article“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV). Growing up in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, I learned and loved the rhythm of the seasons. A new school year brought the smell of new leather shoes and book bag, the...
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“It’s fun to have fun, but you have to know how,” quips the Cat in the Hat. He is referring to balancing a cup, plate, and teapot on top of his hat on a rainy day, but he speaks the truth, especially when it comes to art appreciation. Where...
Read the Full ArticleWhen we think about the world theologically, we are trying to understand the world as God sees it. We usually see the world through very finite lenses—our perspective does not extend beyond the end of our noses. Many people take what their immediate senses tell them, and use that...
Read the Full ArticleI love studying the ancients and comparing their world to ours. The Romans, specifically, were very similar to us. In Classical Conversations, we study with a classical, Christian method. Once in a while, I will google Classical Conversations reviews to see what people are saying about us. Some people...
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The meat of this essay will focus on simple pedagogical practices for young children, but first I must necessarily speak philosophically to the parents of these youngsters. In case it has been a while since you took your college philosophy class, and in case you have let such bits...
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Remember when your munchkins were young – when they were tiny, chubby, and cute? Remember all the priceless moments with your infant: cuddling, cooing, first steps, first words, first time accurately hitting the porcelain? These are the moments we treasure in our hearts. We remember these times with fondness...
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When I graduated from high school, the Foundations program was still in its infancy and my understanding of the classical model was similarly juvenile. The grammar stage of learning was for six- and seven-year-olds, I thought, not for a mature learner like me. Years later, my understanding of the...
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