Classical Education: Nine Reasons It’s Right For You

You’ve been hearing it for a year now:

COVID teachers are lazy!”

“Kids aren’t learning anything doing Zoom school!”

How many times have you heard these? How many times have you thought these? Whether you are a parent, teacher, or student, this year has been rough. We’ve dealt with abrupt changes, “pivoting on a dime”, and constant changes to our practices. Teachers are throwing out materials that they’ve used for years. Students and parents are being forced to become computer literate overnight. The landscape of education has completely changed.

Or has it?

What has changed? Teachers are still lecturing from a PowerPoint. Students are still writing notes (or not). They’re still using the same online tools (Quizlet, NearPod, Kahoot, etc.). They’re still using the same worksheets that no student enjoys. They’re getting similar results. Some students are doing well, the ones that are self-motivated. Yet, many students are failing. They aren’t coming to class. They don’t see “Zoom school” as “real school”. Even as schools begin to return to in-person instruction, we’re still seeing student performance fall. Why?

We’re using the tactics that have been only “okay” for decades.

So many educators, parents, and administrators are stuck on the idea of education as they knew it. It does not have to be this way! We can change and innovate, and it’s nothing that hasn’t been done before. We need to look back to our past, particularly the rich academic history of the Mediterranean. Classical education, for hundreds of years, worked to educate the entire student. On top of teaching facts, students are cultivated in logic, reasoning, and rhetoric. They emerge well-spoken, intellectual adults capable of high levels of critical thought.

Sounds great, right? Let’s get into the details:

1. Classical education provides a moral framework alongside academic excellence.

2. Classical education is evidence-based.

3. Classical education places a strong emphasis on language, logic, and fact-checking.

4. Classical education encompasses all subjects.

5. Classical education teaches for knowledge’s own sake, not to a test.

Even since the 1990s, research has shown that standardized tests are not indicative of student knowledge or success. The testing conducted by the public school system is high-stakes and stressful. It puts an undue burden on both students and teachers. While tests can be useful, a single multiple-choice test cannot accurately show the results of a year’s learning. The classical model de-emphasizes standardized testing. Instead, students take teacher-made exams that make sense. They test on exactly what they learned. The classical model also places high importance on the Socratic method. Students get probing questions to get them reasoning their logic out loud. The test is more a conversation about what they learned. The teacher poses insightful questions, gaining insightful responses from the students. This method is infinitely better at assessing critical thinking skills than a multiple-choice test.

6. Classical education creates independent thinkers.

7. Classical education is traditional education.

8. Classical education forces student engagement.

9. Classical education educates the entire child, developing a well-rounded, prepared adult.

Does this sound right for you or your student? Look into the classical education options around you. Classical education is growing every day! There is surely a good option for you.

This is what you’ve been looking for!

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BA History. MA Education-Secondary educator, education copywriter, financial feminist. Maverick Educational Copywriting. https://maverickedcopywriting.carrd.co/

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Cheyenne Green Vowell

BA History. MA Education-Secondary educator, education copywriter, financial feminist. Maverick Educational Copywriting. https://maverickedcopywriting.carrd.co/