Classical Education

About the Guests

1. Kathleen Cotter Clayton is the daughter of Dr. Joan A. Cotter, author and developer of the RightStart™ Mathematics program. Kathleen is involved with curriculum development and has written or co-authored 17 manuals. She travels, teaches online middle-school classes, and speaks across the US and Canada, sharing the mission to help children understand, apply, and enjoy mathematics. Kathleen has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and has two Masters Degrees from the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. In her spare time, Kathleen designs and creates mathematical quilts and loves to travel all around the world. 
2. Teresa Foltin is the School Liaison with RightStart Math. She has a Bachelor's in English Literature and a Master’s in Student Affairs in Higher Education. Previously the Director of Student Activities at an American university in Germany, she is now a homeschooling mom of five. Teresa travels across the US talking to parents and teachers, calming, encouraging, and exciting them about math education. She is interested in adoption, travel, horses, gardening, and reading. The Foltin family lives in Colorado on a small homestead with a menagerie of critters.

Contact RightStart Math:
Mention that you heard about them from The Classical Education Podcast.
Sign up for help & more info: https://rightstartclassroom.com/
Website: https://rightstartmath.com/

Show Notes
Uplifting describes this conversation about Mathematics with guests, Cathleen Cotter Clayton, and Theresa Fulton of RightStart Math. When games are involved, everyone wants to participate. When a math program is written and approved by an electrical engineer and a physicist, as an excellent and intuitive way to teach math, why not share it!  Forget the tears, and fears about fractions. Find out the stories behind it’s success and the how and why this math program fits within the Classical Tradition of education for grades Kindergarten through eighth grade.

Some Ideas Discussed:

• Success in Homeschool and School Programs
• A fearless experience with fractions
• History of Right Start Math and the Research behind it
• Adrienne’s homeschool story “Enjoying Math!”
• How RightStart Math fits into the Classical model and similarities with the medieval time period (Treviso Arithmetic)
• The importance of place value
• Geometry and the Quadrivium
• Right Start Math Tutoring
• Right Start Support and Presentations for Schools

Books & Ideas Mentioned

• Casting Out Nines ( RightStart calls in "check numbers". This is a video explanation)
• Treviso Arithmetic Information
• Treviso Arithmetic PDF (Explains place value and casting out nines and other interesting ways of teaching math the medieval way)
• The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas
• The Magnificent Obsession by Lloyd C. Douglas
• Coming soon to be published: a new book by Dr. Cotter

After the recording, Adrienne found an interesting public domain book on Gutenburg called A Scrap-Book of Elementary Mathematics. It has interesting and old tricks for teaching arithmetic that seems to align nicely with this way of teaching math. 

________________________________________________________

Upcoming Workshop Links:

• Society for Classical Learning Winter Workshops, 2024 (scroll to read more about Adrienne's Narration Intensive)
• Snapshot Series Courses by Beautiful Teaching Master Teachers
• Sign up for Beautiful Teaching Monthly Newsletter by visiting the website! 

Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast:

________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

About the Guest
Junius Johnson is a writer, teacher, speaker, independent scholar, and musician. His work focuses on beauty, imagination, and wonder, and how these are at play in the Christian and Classical intellectual traditions. He is the executive director of Junius Johnson Academics, through which he offers innovative classes for both children and adults that aim to ignite student hearts with wonder and intellectual rigor. An avid devotee of story, he is especially drawn to fantasy, science fiction, and young adult fiction. He performs professionally on the french horn and electric bass. He holds a BA from Oral Roberts University (English Lit), an MAR from Yale Divinity School (Historical Theology), and an MA, two MPhils, and a PhD (Philosophical Theology) from Yale University. He is the author of 5 books, including The Father of Lights: A Theology of Beauty, and On Teaching Fairy Stories. An engaging speaker and teacher, he is a frequent guest contributor to blogs and podcasts on faith and culture. He is co-host of The Classical Mind podcast and is a member of The Cultivating Project.

Show Notes
Dr. Junius Johnson joins Adrienne to discuss the art of teaching. In this episode they discuss some important mistakes that happen in classical schools and how to overcome them. Junius explores the creative ways in which teachers should approach ALL subjects and help students enter into fruitful discussions no matter what the subject.

Some Ideas Discussed:

• The importance of helping students engage with real learning and relational connections
• The importance of believing in students
• The pitfalls of teaching objectives
• Holding onto lesson plans loosely
• Creating an atmosphere of wonder
• How a teacher can increase his or her own imagination! 

Books Discussed in This Episode Include:
On Teaching Fairy Stories by Junius Johnson

The Chronicles of Narnia
JK Rowling
Dante's Divine Comedy
The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White
Through The Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper
Beowulf
Hamlet
The Voyage of the Dawn Treador by CS Lewis

Paintings to inspire imaginative conversations with your students
(Print them in color and let them study it with a partner and then narrate as many details as they can remember without looking at it.)

1. Children's Games by Bruegel
2. Masque of Love by John Duncan 
3. The Plumbers by Norman Rockwell
4. Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull
5. The Death of Caesar by Jean-Léon Gérôme 
6. Sudden Shower over Shin-Ōhashi bridge and Atake by Hiroshige and then compare it to van Gogh's Bridge in the Rain (after Hiroshige)

Books to Build Imagination (for educators to read for self-edification in learning to wonder)

1. Godel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid, by Douglas R. Hofstadter. This book can get really dense at times, but it uses the work of these three figures to stretch and challenge our view of reality.
2. G.K. Chesterton, Tremendous Trifles. A delightful, accessible must-read in which Chesterton re-orients our attention to the small and everyday things.
3. Fantastical and speculative fiction. A great place to start is The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, one of the unsung masterpieces of the 20th century.
4. The Awakening of Miss Prim by by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera  

Games mentioned

1. Splendor
2. Lords of the Waterdeep
3. Golf card game... can be played with regular card of buy this already made set called Play Nine. 

________________________________________________________

Upcoming Winter Workshop Links:

• Society for Classical Learning Winter Workshops, 2024 (scroll to read more about Adrienne's Narration Intensive)
• Snapshot Series Courses by Beautiful Teaching Master Teachers
• Sign up for Beautiful Teaching Monthly Newsletter by visiting the website! 

Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast:

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

About the Guest
Alex Markos is part of the Humanities faculty at the Geneva School of Boerne, TX, where he currently teaches 9th grade Greek and Roman history and literature. Last year (2022-23), he created and taught a class on virtue for the freshmen and previously taught 3 rd -5 th grade Latin for six years at Geneva. He holds a B.A. in History and Classics from Hope College and an M.A. in Apologetics from Houston Baptist University (now Houston Christian University). For his Apologetics capstone project, he developed a curriculum for teaching virtue through Scripture and Greek mythology. He has spoken four years in a row for the nationwide Society for Classical Learning summer conference on topics including Greek mythology, The Chronicles of Narnia, incorporating leisure in the classroom, and the art of crafting a new class. He has a passion for classical Christian education and aims to inspire his students to love learning and to grow in virtue.

Show Notes
Originally aimed at learning how to create a new class, we diverged into a lot of practical information that teachers will love! Alex Markos shares his love of books as the son of our former podcast guest Dr. Louis Markos. In this episode, the joy of teaching really comes out as Alex focuses on what the process looks like when creating a new class. He walks us through the brainstorming process and the many practical and thoughful ways in which to engage students!  As the discussion unfolds you will learn how to create a spirit of inquiry and ultimately how to help students order their affections. 

Some Ideas Discussed:

• The importance of integrating a class with other classes
• How to create a class cathechism and why it matters
• What are the practical implementations and expectations from a good class?
• How to read hard texts
• How to help students create great questions in order to have good discussions
• Helping students undertsand basic categories of questions
• Helping students think deeply about application of big ideas

Books Discussed in This Episode Include:
The Lord of the Rings
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Blue Fairy Book
The Red Fairy Book 
Augustine's Confessions
Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle
"Allegory of the Cave" from The Republic
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster
________________________________________________________

Upcoming Winter Workshop Links:

• Fundamentals of a Charlotte Mason Education 7 Week Intensive (with Karen Glass, Kiernan Fiore, and Adrienne Freas) 
• Snapshot Series Courses by Beautiful Teaching Master Teachers
• Society for Classical Learning Winter Workshops, 2024 (scroll to read more about Adrienne's Narration Intensive)
• Sign up for Beautiful Teaching Monthly Newsletter by visiting the website! 

Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast:

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

About The Guest
Dr. Phillip J. Donnelly is Professor of Literature for the Great Texts Program in the Honors College at Baylor University. His teaching and research focus on the connections between philosophy, theology, and imaginative literature, with particular attention to Renaissance literature and the reception of Classical educational traditions.  He serves on the editorial board of Principia: A Journal of Classical Education.  He is the Director of the Texas Chapter of the Alcuin Fellowship and serves on the national board for the Alcuin Fellowship.  He is the author of The Lost Seeds of Learning: Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric as Life-Giving Arts (Classical Academic Press) and Milton’s Scriptural Reasoning (Cambridge Univ. Press).  He is the co-editor (with D.H. Williams) of Transformations in Biblical Literary Traditions (Univ. of Notre Dame Press). 

Show Notes
This engaging conversation gives voice to the nature of verbal arts. As written in his book, The Lost Seeds of Learning: Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric as Life-Giving Arts,  Dr. Phillip Donnelly offers the image of a living seed to represent purposeful communication. From this episode, you will gain a vision for skills learned in the classroom that are alive, not detached, with a new sense of enthusiasm for the art of grammar.  Some points of discussion include: 

• Why is the trivium so important?
• What is the core function of the trivium?
• Why a seed metaphor?
• What is grammar in the trivium?

Books Mentioned in the Episode
For 15% off CAP products use discount code CEPODCAST15 at checkout.

Dr. Donnelly's book is published by CAP (Classical Academic Press)
The Classical Trivium: The Place of Thomas Nash in the Learning of His Time by Marshall McLuhan
Confessions by St. Augustine (trans. Maria Boulding)

________________________________________________________

Upcoming Winter Workshop Links:

• Fundamentals of a Charlotte Mason Education 7 Week Intensive (with Karen Glass, Kiernan Fiore, and Adrienne Freas) 
• Snapshot Series Courses by Beautiful Teaching Master Teachers
• Society for Classical Learning Winter Workshops, 2024 (scroll to read more about Adrienne's Narration Intensive)
• Sign up for Beautiful Teaching Monthly Newsletter by visiting the website! 

Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast:

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

About The Guest
Jake Weidmann is a professional artist and certified as one of nine Master Penman in the world. Certified through IAMPETH (International Association of Master Penman, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting) in July 2011, Weidmann holds the title as the youngest Master Penman by three decades and the youngest to ever attain the title. Weidmann’s peers (other Masters) are noted for working with the White House, Queen Elizabeth and the Pope. His journey into calligraphy has been the “special sauce” for everything he now creates, incorporating the traditional calligraphic flourishing into his fine art. Weidmann is self-taught in each of his disciplines (calligraphy, painting, drawing, woodworking, and engraving). Coined by 5280 Magazine as today’s Renaissance Man, Weidmann’s analog mediums defy the digital-centric age we live in as he employs old world tools and techniques to achieve his finished works. While he typically works with private clients, Weidmann has worked with Apple, Inc., Crossway Books, and Biola University and has spoken from countless stages including Tedx and Thinq and was featured on PBS Television.
Website: jakeweidmann.com
Facebook: facebook.com/jakeweidmann
Instagram: @jakeweidmann

Show Notes
When deciding how to apply the art of penmanship for children in your schools, you will want to consider the evidence that supports handwriting as a foundation for literacy. Beyond the evidence that connects the hands in creativity and flourishing communication, you’ll hear why, how, and what tools to use in applying the art of penmanship.  

Some topics and questions covered in this episode:

• Dependency on technology to the detriment of healthy child development 
• Will you speak to cursive writing and learning to read? 
• What is the history behind Spencerian Cursive and why is it important?
• What should educators look for in curriculum for penmanship?
• How is cursive tied to phonics?
• How do writing tools make a difference?
• What tips do you have for teachers?

Resources

Commercial about Jake that Adrienne uses at teacher trainings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvSyQDu49pI

The following are affiliate links for Jake Weidmann:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/jakeweidmann

1) link to Michal Sull's curriculum for kids --also here: https://spencerian.com/

2) link to blackwing pencils

3) link to pilot varsity pen

4) link to Jake's pens that he sells or will sell.

5) Brian Guelle's fountain pens

Master Penman Society: https://www.iampeth.com/master-penman-society

A book that Jake wishes he had read earlier in his life:
A Joy For Ever by John Ruskin
________________________________________________________

Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast:

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

About the Guest
Karen Swallow Prior, Ph. D., is a reader, writer, and professor. She is the author of The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis (Brazos, 2023); On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books (Brazos 2018); Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist (Thomas Nelson, 2014); and Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me (T. S. Poetry Press, 2012). She is co-editor of Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues (Zondervan 2019) and has contributed to numerous other books. She has a monthly column for Religion News Service. Her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, First Things, Vox, Think Christian, The Gospel Coalition, and various other places. She hosted the podcast Jane and Jesus. She is a Contributing Editor for Comment, a founding member of The Pelican Project, a Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum, and a Senior Fellow at the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture. She and her husband live on a 100-year-old homestead in central Virginia with dogs, chickens, and lots of books.

Show Notes
Adrienne Freas and Karen Swallow Prior enjoy discussing the idea of culture creation through great literature. Why not think of reading for enjoyment instead of just reading for an assignment? Enjoy more balance while gaining an enriching approach to literature. 

Some Questions Include:

• How is the book, On Reading Well helpful for parents and teachers?
• What do you believe is helpful in your books and what do you hope teachers and parents will take away ? 
• What is your view concerning critical theory in contrast with the idea of reading well? 
• What are the implications for how we teach students?

Resources and books mentioned:

Artist Makoto Fujimura

On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books

The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis

Moby Dick

The Bible

To Kill A Mockingbird

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Jane Eyre

Gerard Manly Hopkins poetry

East of Eden

________________________________________________________

Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast:

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

About the Guest
Jon has worked at Coram Deo Academy since 2010. Before serving as Dallas Campus Headmaster, he served as Dean of Students at the Flower Mound campus. He has taught a variety of Logic and Rhetoric level History, Theology, Latin, and Greek courses. 

Jon earned an M.A. in Religion from Reformed Theological Seminary, and a Certificate in Anglican Studies from Wycliffe College, University of Toronto. He also holds a B.A. in History and Education from the University of Texas at Dallas. 

Jon has found Coram Deo to be a perfect combination of his two callings: academic and pastoral ministry. In addition to serving as a place to train the minds and hearts of the next generation of Christian leaders, CDA also provides a place to build relationships that will last a lifetime and beyond. 

Jon and his wife Vivien have three children, Zoë, Rowan, and Billie. They worship together at Church of the Incarnation in Dallas, where Jon also serves on the clergy team. He was ordained a Priest in August 2019. 

Show Notes
Guest, Jon Jordan shares wisdom from his experience as a headmaster of a Christian classical school in Dallas, Texas. He shares his passion for good education through his leadership approach of walking alongside his school leaders. He shares practical ideas for helping parents embrace the classical tradition in order to cultivate a healthy Christian culture. 

Some topics they discuss include:

• Helping parents embrace the school mission
• Coming alongside school leadership and empowering them to be heads of their domain
• Creating a growth mindset for a unified community between school and parents
• Helping parents experience a classical education
• Attending to a culture that practices virtue in practical ways

Resources Mentioned
The Big Ten (link to PDF)
The Return of the King by Tolkien
Screwtape Letters C.S. Lewis
The Great Divorce C.S. Lewis

________________________________________________________

Whether you are a teacher or a parent, ask yourself…

• What is the purpose of education?  
• What is the beginning of education, AND does it ever come to an end? 
• What type of education is best, and what type of education might I or my child pursue in the future?

 Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

Where Should I Start?

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast:

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

About the Guest

Dr. Brian A. Williams is Dean of the Templeton Honors College, Associate Professor of Ethics & Liberal Studies, and Dean of the College of Arts & Humanities. Before coming to Eastern, he was Lecturer in Theology and Christian Ethics at the University of Oxford and Director of Oxford Conversations, a collection of curated video interviews with leading Christian academics and scholars at Oxford.

He holds an MPhil and DPhil in Christian Ethics from the University of Oxford (UK), where he was a Clarendon Scholar; an MA and ThM in Systematic and Historical Theology from Regent College (Vancouver, Canada); and a BA in Biblical Studies from Ozark Christian College (Joplin, MO).

His current research examines the tradition of Didascalic Christian Humanism, focusing on the works of Hugh of St. Victor, Philip Melanchthon, and John Henry Newman. Dr. Williams’ broader academic interests include virtue ethics, Christian and Muslim political thought, Karl Barth’s theology and politics, classical education, and Dante Alighieri’s Commedia. He is the author of The Potter’s Rib: The History, Theology, and Practice of Mentoring for Pastoral Formation (Regent College Publishing); co-editor of Everyday Ethics: Moral Theology and the Practices of Ordinary Life (Georgetown University Press); and General Editor of Principia: A Journal of Classical Education.

Dr. Williams is also a National Alcuin Fellow and a Research Fellow with the Institute of Classical Education.

He is married to Kim Williams and has three children: Ilia, Brecon, and Maeve.

Show Notes
Wonder and great questions about Classical Education are beautifully described in this interview with Dr. Brian Williams. Adrienne Freas presents the questions that parents are asking. What exactly do we mean by the Tradition of Classical Education? 

Some Topics and Ideas in this Episode Include:

• Frescoes can be used to vividly describe the Classical Tradition and why Classical Education is beautiful.
• The spirit of inquiry and how scholars benefit from an education rooted in questions
• Great questions bring about compelling conversations. 
• How to find a classical school that reflects the Tradition?-- What are we looking for that reflects the tradition?
• What is beauty?-- How materials and culture provide a way to flourish as human persons

Resources Mentioned

Principia: A Journal of Classical Education: Volume 2, Issue 1, 2023: Editor's Introduction: Principia Tradition & Classical Education

Cair Paravel Latin School, founded in 1980
Templeton Honors College
The Great Books of the Western World

Raphael Frescoes discussed that are in the Vatican:

• Scuola di Ateni or School of Athens
• La Disputa or Disputation of the Holy Sacrament
• II Parnaso or Parnassus

Chris Hall (the bird expert)... here is the episode we interviewed him on in Season 1.
Kierkegaard
Dostoevsky
Poetic Knowledge by James Taylor
Divine Comedy by Dante

_______________________________________________________

Want to learn more about Classical Education?  Check out our NEW Snapshots Series!

________________________________________________________

Whether you are a teacher or a parent, ask yourself…

• What is the purpose of education?  
• What is the beginning of education, AND does it ever come to an end? 
• What type of education is best, and what type of education might I or my child pursue in the future?

 Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

Where Should I Start?

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast:

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

About the Guest
John (Jack) Muir Laws is a principal leader and innovator of the worldwide nature journaling movement. Jack is a scientist, educator, and author, who helps people forge a deeper and more personal connection with nature through keeping illustrated nature journals and understanding science. His work intersects science, art, and mindfulness. Trained as a wildlife biologist and an associate of the California Academy of Sciences, he observes the world with rigorous attention. He looks for mysteries, plays with ideas, and seeks connections in all he sees. Attention, observation, curiosity, and creative thinking are not gifts, but skills that grow with training and deliberate practice. As an educator and author, Jack teaches techniques and supports routines that develop these skills to make them a part of everyday life.

He is the founder and president of the Wild Wonder Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging nature connection and conservation through attention, curiosity, art, science, and community. Laws is the founder and host of the Nature Journal Club, a family-friendly, intergenerational community that connects with nature through art and field journaling.
He has recieved numerous and prestigous rewards in environmental educaiton.  He has written and illustrated books about art and natural history including The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling (2016), The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds (2012), Sierra Birds: a Hiker’s Guide (2004), The Laws Guide to the Sierra Nevada (2007), and The Laws Pocket Guide Set to the San Francisco Bay Area (2009). He is a regular contributor to Bay Nature magazine with his “Naturalists Notebook” column. He is the primary author and editor of the curriculum: Opening the World through Nature Journaling. This free teaching guide is kid-tested and teacher-approved and integrates science, language arts, and visual arts through keeping a nature journal. He is the founder and host of the Bay Area Nature Journal Club, monthly free nature sketching workshops, field trips, and events, connecting people with nature through art.

Visit his website for many FREE resources: https://johnmuirlaws.com/

Show Notes

Learn how to create a spirit of inquiry! Learn how to order your affactions towards the good and the true! Join Adrienne and John Muir Laws to learn the secrets behind keeping good nature journals and why it is perhaps one of the most important practices for a good and beautiful education. Hear their stories reflecting on personal experiences in the great outdoors, and their passion to help students order their affections towards things that are good and true.

Topics Discussed include:

• Why nature journals?  
• Ordering the affections towards the good and true
• Growth Mindset and helping students grow towards their full capacity
• Practical ideas for getting started
• How to assess nature journals (what to do and what NOT to do)
• Resources to help with nature study

Resources Mentioned

• John Muir Laws YouTube Channel (lots of FREE resources)
• Nature Journal Connection (free educational videos for teachers-- not students-- to help create lessons)
• Nature Journal Educators Forum (FREE online meetings. See his calendar for event links to the meetings)
• Wild Wonder Foundation
• How To Teach Nature Journaling (Free download by John Muir Laws)

_________________________________________________________

Whether you are a teacher or a parent, ask yourself…

• What is the purpose of education?  
• What is the beginning of education, AND does it ever come to an end? 
• What type of education is best, and what type of education might I or my child pursue in the future?

 Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

Where Should I Start?

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast:

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

About Our Guests
11-year-old Grace has loved poetry for as long as she can remember. When she's not climbing a tree, you can find her reading books or writing her own. She also loves to dance! Grace is the founder and host of the Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Poems Podcast and is a recurring guest co-host on the Kids Talk Church History podcast. 

Amy and her husband John are 2nd-generation homeschoolers to five children from 8 to 18 years old, including a homeschool graduate. The Sloan family adventures together in NC where they pursue a restfully-classical education filled with books, conversation, and not-so-occasional nerdiness. Amy encourages homeschoolers through her “Homeschool Conversations with Humility and Doxology” podcast and shares many resources at https://www.humilityanddoxology.com/

Amy believes that the best education is the one that leads to a humble view of one’s self and a glorified view of the beauty of God. She encourages homeschooling mamas that faithful consistency and wonder-filled exploration are not mutually exclusive. Her family’s homeschool prioritizes relationships over checklists, and she believes that beautiful words are more valuable to memorize than inventories of facts. Ultimately, Amy is convinced that Gospel truth alone saves us from endlessly striving and the fear, worry, and anxiety of wondering if we (and our homeschools) are enough.

Show Notes

Adrienne has Grace on to introduce her new podcast, by a kid for kids! Amy (her mom) homeschools Grace and they discuss the importance of poetry in their daily life. This is a delightful episode sure to inspire both parents and teachers to prioritize poetry in their routines. 

Resources Mentioned

Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne

A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson

Midsummer Night's Dream "I Know A Bank Where The Wild Thyme Blows" by William Shakespeare 

Charge Of The Light Brigade Poem by Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson

My Shadow by Robert Louis Stevenson

Be Glad Your Nose Is On Your Face Book by Jack Prelutsky

Ozymandias Poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Mr. Nobody by Walter de la Mare

Edward Lear Poems

Hopkins, Dunn, Dante

Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Poems: 

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Amazon Music
• Podcast Addict
• Google Podcasts

Amy Sloan’s free Quickstart Guide to Shakespeare (workshop + printables): https://birdsend.page/forms/1063/9kAhJE4Rck

_________________________________________________________

Whether you are a teacher or a parent, ask yourself…

• What is the purpose of education?  
• What is the beginning of education, AND does it ever come to an end? 
• What type of education is best, and what type of education might I or my child pursue in the future?

 Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. 

Where Should I Start?

• Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app!
• Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and
• Take advantage of our Services!

This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
Support this podcast:

_________________________________________________________

Credits:

Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel

Logo Art: Anastasiya CF

Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved