What is classical education?

When I set out to write this post, I thought it would be a breeze. Talking about classical education makes up at least 50% of my job. I give tours to prospective families multiple times per week. I constantly correspond with parents answering their questions. I even teach other school administrators how to talk about classical education. So, how hard could it be to summarize it here? Very hard. So hard that I actually have five other drafts of this post sitting in my Google Drive.

It’s not that classical education is hard to understand or even hard to explain. It’s that there is just so much to say. 

For that reason, there are many pieces of classical education that I won’t get to include in this post. My goal is to cover the meaning, method, and end goal of classical education. I’ll cover more specific information and dive into classical education's history and evolution in future blogs. For now, enjoy! 

Nuts and Bolts:

Classical Education is an educational philosophy.

One of the most common misconceptions I hear on a weekly basis is that Classical education must be either expensive or religious.

Classical schools come in all shapes and sizes. 

They can be public, private, Christian, non-Christian, charter, district, or some combination of those. For example, the school I work at is a tuition-free, public, charter school. But there are also several classical schools in our area that are private, and some that are private and Christian. 

The bottom line is this: classical education is available through a variety of school types and is suitable for every child.

Meaning

Alright, now that we’ve got some of the nuts and bolts down, let’s talk about what classical education actually means. 

When you hear “classical” I want you to think “enduring.” Throughout history, there have been certain things that humanity has claimed as the best in every discipline: works that have stood the test of time. They are excellent. Classical education is interested only and exclusively in studying those things that are and continue to be excellent. 

Now, this doesn’t mean that everything in a classical curriculum is old. It does mean, however, that classical education treats curriculum with objective standards. Meaning that in literature, for example, there are good books and there are bad books. 

Part of the reason that classical education is commonly and wrongly perceived as being “old” or “outdated” is because it often takes several generations to see what endures. 

But a classical curriculum demands the very best in every subject. It does not settle for mediocre. Now, you may be thinking to yourself - “Well, ok, but who determines what is excellent?” My answer is audiences and critics. 

“Children have limited time in school, and it is our responsibility to make it count...

…At a Classical school, your children will learn about what history has claimed as the best, most vital, and most worthy of their time. “ 

I’m going to use literature and history here because they are pretty tangible examples when talking about curriculum. However, that’s not to say that science and math are unimportant or overlooked in a classical curriculum. They too are hallmark subjects with foundations in the classical tradition, but they deserve their own, separate blog post that I look forward to writing in the future.

Every author, including authors today, aspire to write something that will still be on shelves 50 or 100 years from now. How does one do that? Well, they have to write something that appeals to modern audiences and critics, but also audiences and critics 100 years from now. That means they have to write something that is true today and will continue to be true in the future. 

Shakespeare has endured because he appealed to the critics and audiences of his day just as much as he appeals to those today. He wrote about truth, virtue, relationships, and human happiness in ways that other playwrights of his day simply could not.

Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is another example. At just under 275 words, President Abraham Lincoln wrote some of the most important things we have about preserving our Union.

Did you know that Edward Everett, a famous orator at the time, spoke for two hours before Lincoln? Yet Lincoln’s is considered the Gettysburg Address and has endured in history classes, political speeches, and pop culture references for generations. 

But the distinguishing factor in these works and authors is not just that they have endured. It’s that they speak to human happiness in a tangible, lasting way. Shakespeare teaches us the importance of virtue in even the smallest interactions.

While President Lincoln reminds us of the power and meaning that “the last full measure of devotion” has in the preservation of liberty. 

Children have limited time in school, and it is our responsibility to make it count. At a Classical school, your children will learn about what history has claimed as the best, most vital, and most worthy of their time.  

Method

Many people mistakenly think that classical education is  revolutionary or “reinventing the wheel.” It’s actually the opposite, dating back to Ancient Greece, and was much later the education of America’s founding fathers. The progressive movement within education, however, has made it seem like a novel alternative. Here’s why:

Most classical classrooms have a traditional layout - with desks in rows, facing toward the front. They are typically in low-tech environments where teachers communicate directly to students rather than through computers or tablets.  Teachers instruct their students on how to learn well, help them develop good habits and character, and encourage joyful learning. 

“It is so lovely to see teachers and students who take their work seriously but do not take themselves too seriously…

…Whether it be through feasts, outdoor lessons in science, or musical and theatrical performances, students have opportunities to joyfully engage in learning at a classical school.”

Teaching students to learn well means guiding them at different developmental stages. Classical schools work to teach students content, but also to develop the habits of learning itself!  In the younger years, classical education lays a foundation of knowledge. Younger students cover heaps of content that they learn through singing, chanting, instruction, reading, and class discussion. Middle school students start delving more into discussion and debate - asking “how?” and “why?” in class.  Their teacher leads their discussion and guides them in the art of asking productive, respectful questions. High school students take more time in creative thinking and expression. They practice what the best thinkers did before them through writing, rhetoric, and problem-solving. 

To develop good habits and character, classical schools teach students that a part of being truly great also means being good. So we talk about virtue in real tangible ways. They ask questions like “What does Don Quixote have to say about Friendship?” and “What role does moderation play in Crime and Punishment.” By focusing on virtue through direct, specific questions, students can connect why these virtues are good things to have within themselves and why they are essential in a prosperous society. The habit of practicing virtue, in coordination with academic habits, sets students up with skills that will equip them for life. 

Lastly, it’s important to say that joy is a big piece of classical education. If you’ve watched The Dead Poets Society, you might think that classical education is crusty, cold, or dry. I’m amused at how Robin Williams appears to be the rival of classical education in that movie - but really, he is a wonderful example of how many classical schools operate! It is lovely to see teachers and students who take their work seriously but do not take themselves too seriously. Whether it be through feasts, outdoor lessons in science, or musical and theatrical performances, students have opportunities to joyfully engage in their learning at a classical school.

End Goal

So what does this amount to? What do classical teachers hope for their students after they’ve left? Well, the answer is twofold. First, as a society, we must see the role of education, at least in part, as ensuring our survival as a country. Second, we must look at the individual life of every student and how education contributes to it. 

Take the family, for example. Families closely guard and keep certain traditions alive. The culture and customs of a family continue because the leaders of that family are intentional about explaining their significance to the children. Belonging to any family comes with certain obligations and expectations.

On a larger scale, a society is handed down over and over again from parents to children. That society survives when its citizens have a firm understanding of their place within it. And so, a classical education ensures that its students are informed of their civic rights and responsibilities.

As for the individual student - I think it’s safe to say that secondary (or K-12) education is one of the most if not the most formative experiences in a child’s life.

And yes, classical education is for families who care about college and career readiness. Education at a classical school is an excellent academic education. My classical school, Golden View Classical Academy, has a lot to boast about in terms of SATs, PSATs, and raised scholarship dollars. 

But classical education is for families interested in more than just college and career readiness. It’s for the family that cares about the kinds of choices their child will make on a Friday night or how they will handle hating their first job or a disagreement with a friend or coworker. 

It’s for the family that wants their child to be able to find happiness no matter their circumstances. Classical education is for anyone who wants to live a meaningful life - a life that endures.