Growing Classically

In this fifth episode of our series on John Milton Gregory’s Seven Laws of Teaching, Ryan Gilmore is joined by longtime first grade teacher and lower grammar department chair Don Montgomery to explore the Law of the Lesson. Together they reflect on why effective teaching must begin with what students already know and intentionally guide them toward what they do not yet understand. The conversation highlights the importance of review, encouragement, and pacing, especially in classrooms and home settings where teachers feel pressure to move quickly. This episode offers practical wisdom for teachers and parent co-teachers who want learning to be clear, confidence-building, and truly formative rather than rushed or fragmented.

The language used in teaching must be common to the teacher and the learner.

In this fourth episode of our series on John Milton Gregory’s Seven Laws of Teaching, Ryan Gilmore is joined by beloved grammar school teacher and department head Brooke Peyton to explore the Law of the Language. Together they reflect on why shared meaning, clear definitions, and patient communication are essential to real learning and true formation. Drawing from classroom experience and homeschooling contexts, the conversation highlights how misunderstanding often hides beneath apparent attention and why teachers must intentionally “catch” confusion before it takes root. This episode invites teachers and parent co-teachers alike to see language not just as a tool for instruction, but as a vital means of shaping understanding, community, and wisdom.

Free PDF of The Seven Laws of Teaching by John Milton Gregory through Veritas Press! 

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https://naumsinc.org/ 

https://classicalchristian.org/

"The learner must attend with interest to the fact or truth to be learned."

In this third episode of our series on John Milton Gregory’s Seven Laws of Teaching, Ryan Gilmore is joined by experienced grammar school teacher, Kay Nunn, to explore the Law of the Learner. Together they reflect on why attention and interest are essential to real learning and how teachers can spark curiosity rather than demand compliance. Through practical classroom examples and years of experience, the conversation highlights teaching as an act of formation that honors the dignity of the student. This episode invites teachers and parents to rethink engagement, not as classroom management, but as a pathway to wisdom.

Free PDF of The Seven Laws of Teaching by John Milton Gregory through Veritas Press! 

https://www.oakgroveclassical.com/

https://www.instagram.com/oakgroveclassicalacademy/

https://www.facebook.com/OakGroveClassical/

https://naumsinc.org/ 

https://classicalchristian.org/

"A teacher must be one who knows the lesson or truth to be taught." 

In this episode, Ryan Gilmore is joined by Dr. Nathan Sherman to explore John Milton Gregory’s first law, the Law of the Teacher. Through stories from the classroom and years of teaching experience, they reflect on why true teaching is about formation, not just information transfer, and why preparation, humility, and curiosity matter deeply. The conversation highlights how students learn not only from what teachers say, but from who teachers are and what they love. This episode invites educators and parents alike to consider how their habits, loves, and example shape the students entrusted to them.

Stay curious! 

Free PDF of The Seven Laws of Teaching by John Milton Gregory through Veritas Press! 

https://www.oakgroveclassical.com/

https://www.instagram.com/oakgroveclassicalacademy/

https://www.facebook.com/OakGroveClassical/

https://naumsinc.org/ 

https://classicalchristian.org/

In this opening episode of our eight-part series, we introduce John Milton Gregory and his Seven Laws of Teaching and explore why they continue to matter for Christian classical educators. Gregory reminds us that teaching works best when it aligns with the way students actually learn rather than personal preference, and that this kind of teaching leads to deep and lasting formation. We also consider why his framework fits naturally within a University-Model® School, uniting classroom teachers and parent co-teachers around shared principles of learning. In the episodes ahead, seasoned educators from our community bring each law to life with practical wisdom you can put into practice right away.

Free PDF of The Seven Laws of Teaching by John Milton Gregory through Veritas Press! 

https://www.oakgroveclassical.com/

https://www.instagram.com/oakgroveclassicalacademy/

https://www.facebook.com/OakGroveClassical/

https://naumsinc.org/ 

What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. - New City Catechism Question #1

https://newcitycatechism.com/

https://www.oakgroveclassical.com/

https://www.instagram.com/oakgroveclassicalacademy/

https://www.facebook.com/OakGroveClassical/

https://circeinstitute.org/what-is-classical-education/

https://naumsinc.org/ 

"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." - Psalm 119:11

https://www.oakgroveclassical.com/

https://www.instagram.com/oakgroveclassicalacademy/

https://www.facebook.com/OakGroveClassical/

https://circeinstitute.org/what-is-classical-education/

https://naumsinc.org/ 

“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” - Credited to Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Christian/Parenting:

• The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
• The Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens by Paul David Tripp
• George Muller: Man of Faith and Miracles by Basil Miller

Classical Education: 

• The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education by Leigh A Bortins
• The Liberal Arts Tradition: A Philosophy of Christian Classical Education by Kevin Clark and Ravi Jain
• Home Education (The Home Education Series) by Charlotte Mason

Read Alouds:

• The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (sequel The War I Finally Won)
• Beverly Cleary Collections (Specifically Audio):
• Henry Huggins
• Ramona Quimby
• Ralph S. Mouse Audio Collection 

Adult:

• Once Upon A Wardrobe by Patti Callahan
• The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
• Little Men by Lousia May Alcott

https://www.oakgroveclassical.com/

https://www.instagram.com/oakgroveclassicalacademy/

https://www.facebook.com/OakGroveClassical/

https://circeinstitute.org/what-is-classical-education/

https://naumsinc.org/