Developing Classical Thinkers

In recent weeks, we’ve had a number of big, high-profile stories come out about education: the first being the noted decline in reading and math scores as a result of school closures and online learning over the past two years, the second being the recent cancellation of student loan payments for college students. Today’s episode features a special guest, Brian Balfour of the John Locke Foundation, to talk about student loans and the cancellation of those student loan payments.

Brian Balfour is Senior Vice President of Research for the John Locke Foundation, where he oversees the organization’s research and analysis on a variety of issues. He previously worked for the Civitas Institute for 13 years and has a master’s degree in economics from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI.

Theme music is from John Harrison and Wichita State University.

In recent years the Classical Learning Test has provided for the classical renewal movement what, for everything else we have going for us, has been lacking: a standardized test. CLT provides “assessments steeped in content that is intellectually richer and more rigorous than other standardized tests and college entrance exams,” geared primarily around a substantial author bank “of men and women who have made invaluable contributions to culture and history.”



In this episode, Winston Brady interviews CLT-president and founder Jeremy Tate about the early years getting CLT off the ground, his perspective of the educational landscape, and his thoughts for the future of education. Jeremy Tate is a former college admissions test prep consultant and counselor. Alarmed by the lack of logic- and philosophy-based subject matter in the two dominant forms of entrance exams, he founded Classic Learning Initiatives (CLI) as a means of restoring the foundation of Western education.

Most simply, an entrepreneur is someone who starts his or her own business. They recognize opportunities and needs in the market that others do not see, and from there, they come up with new ways to meet these market needs. Our society values entrepreneurship because such individuals create innovative products and services that improve our quality of life and contribute to human flourishing in a meaningful way.


In this webinar, Bob Luddy, founder of Thales Academy and Thales College, and Winston Brady, Director of Thales Press, will examine the ideals of entrepreneurship and how entrepreneurship contributes to human freedom in a meaningful way, as well as more practical tips on starting and managing your own business.

This webinar was streamed live on August 25, 2022 and is available to watch on the Thales Press YouTube channel.

Many students and teachers have not gone back to school yet. But, Thales Academy has been in session for almost a month now--what have we learned, and what can listeners pick up on as far as the best practices to get the year off on the right track?

Join Winston, Matt, and Josh as they discuss the first days of school and the best pieces of advice they've gotten for how to set up their students for success.

In brief, here are the top three pieces of advice for teachers:
(1) It is easier to "lighten up" than to "tighten up."
(2) No more than rules.
(3) Find the best in each student and tell that student's parents about it.

On today's episode of Developing Classical Thinkers, host Winston Brady interviews a former student and honorary-Thales alumnus Lyle Broughton.

Lyle is a chain reaction artist, meaning that he builds complicated, intricate, and winsome machines and films doing simple tasks in the most complicated and roundabout ways possible.

Check out Lyle's work at his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/jackofallspades98

Do classical schools deliver on their promises? Thales Academy can answer the question by simply pointing to the remarkable academic achievements of last school year, which are similar at both high school campuses and consistent with every graduating class since its inception.

Check out the episode to hear the benefits of classical education and how Thales Academy is helping preparing its graduates to not just survive but thrive in the colleges and careers of their choice.

How does mathematics fit within a classical education? Does the emphasis on the humanities crowd out mathematics? Will students develop the mathematical skills they need if they are classically educated?

Listen to this episode and learn how mathematics, classically taught, can help students develop academic rigor, intellectual curiosity, and a confidence that our world is orderly and beautiful–skills all students need for the world in which they live.

Check out our Thales Press YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram for more information and content like this.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl-5t4R8RSLX9A-CWJC9wDQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thalespress/

What is the West? What does the Western tradition mean? What makes an idea, a book, or an author part of the Western tradition? To answer these questions, Josh Herring will draw on the ideas and framework of scholar Russell Kirk. Dr. Kirk described Western Civilization as a developing process, with the cities of Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London, and Philadelphia contributing specific concepts to the idea of the Western tradition. Today, members of the present generation have inherited this literary and historical tradition and are tasked with curating their inheritance for future generations.

Josh Herring has taught at Thales Academy since 2013 and has written extensively on issues related to Classical education and the humanities. He is currently the Dean of Classical Education at Thales Academy Apex and a doctoral candidate at Faulkner University.

This webinar was streamed on July 25, 2022.

It is often said in education that, "Whoever is doing the work is doing the learning." The typical format of a lesson involves the teacher teaching a concept, and then the student practicing that particular skill through a series of problems meant to reinforce that skill. Such a practice looks different in different classrooms and subject areas, but the goal remains the same: help students learn the material through practice, with the teacher providing meaningful feedback and coaching to students as needed.  

As the final episode in a triptych of episodes on classical pedagogy, host Matt Ogle talks to Winston Brady and Josh Herring about the idea of guided practice and how to manage a classroom of students who are actively working.

Why should we study the humanities, subjects like history, English, or philosophy? Shouldn’t the humanities make way for more relevant, more practical subjects, such as STEM education? We study subjects like history and literature for their own sake (they make us happy), and they help us learn what it means to be human.

Listen to this episode from Thales Press to learn more about how the subjects in the humanities contribute to human flourishing and human happiness so that such subjects are relevant now more than ever.

Check out our Thales Press YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram for more information and content like this.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl-5t4R8RSLX9A-CWJC9wDQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thalespress/