Classical Commons
Are you interested in teaching at a classical school? A school administrator in need of talent and resources? A supportive parent, business owner, or lobbyist? Classical Commons is building a network of classical K-12 schools, exceptional teachers, and pedagogical resources to advance classical liberal arts education in the 21st century.
Join us every Tuesday at 1 PM ET for conversations from the cutting edge of K-12 classical ed, and join our community at www.classicalcommons.org.
Episodes
32 episodes
Forming the imagination in a fragmented age | Shannon Valenzuela
Medievalist, educator, screenwriter, and media producer Shannon Valenzuela joins us from the University of Dallas to explore classical education as a living tradition—one that forms the whole person and continues to generate new stories,...
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44:55
The poet's moral journey | Jane Clark Scharl
Poet, playwright, and critic Jane Scharl joins us to explore her debut poetry collection Ponds, the moral labor of finding a poetic voice, and the enduring power of language in an age increasingly dominated by abstraction. In a wide-ranging con...
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1:06:49
A Catholic stronghold in higher ed | Thomas Varacalli and Christine Boor (Belmont Abbey College)
Dr. Thomas Varacalli, Dean of the Honors College, and Dr. Christine Boor, Chair of Classical Liberal Education, join us from Belmont Abbey College to discuss the revival of Catholic liberal education, the distinctives of the Abbey’s Honors Coll...
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38:19
Liberty Common's Festival of Ideas | Meg Salazar and Robert Robinson
Art Department Chair Meg Salazar and High School Principal Robert Robinson of Liberty Common Charter School join us to tell the story of Festival of Ideas—a decade-long experiment in classical community-building that has become one of the most ...
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32:08
Do the Ivies teach Shakespeare? | Adam Kissel, Rachel Alexander Cambre, and Madison Merino Doan
Policy analysts and educators Adam Kissel, Rachel Alexander Cambre, and Madison Merino Doan join us to discuss their new book Slacking: A Guide to Ivy League Miseducation (Encounter Books)—an eye-opening look at the decline of liberal education...
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35:21
Classical film criticism | Timothy Lawrence and Timothy House
Writers and editors Timothy Lawrence and Timothy House join us from FilmFisher—a community of classically minded Christian film critics dedicated to bringing the Great Tradition into conversation with modern cinema. Together they discuss the si...
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56:18
Inside Liberty Common | Bob Schaffer and Randy Everett
Former congressman Bob Schaffer and physician Dr. Randy Everett—co-founders of Liberty Common School in Fort Collins, Colorado—join us to tell the remarkable story of how a small group of parents built one of the nation’s most successful classi...
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58:28
Philosophy as a way of life | Wes Siscoe
Philosopher and educator Dr. Wes Siscoe joins us to discuss the renewal of philosophy as a lived practice—one that can transform not only university classrooms but also the wider culture of learning. Drawing on his work with the Philosophy as a...
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36:18
Is renewal possible? | Brian Lapsa
Classicist, translator, and educator Brian Lapsa joins us from Europe to discuss faith, culture, and classical education across the Atlantic. A scholar of ancient education and an advocate for living Latin, Lapsa reflects on the decline of the ...
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52:23
A revolution in higher ed | Matthew J. Smith
Professor and founder Matthew J. Smith joins us to share the story of Hildegard College—a bold experiment in rethinking higher education by uniting the Great Books with entrepreneurship.In this episode, we discuss:📖 How a transforma...
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56:48
Christendom's cutting-edge leadership training | Jon Kirwan
Dr. Jon Kirwan, director of the new Center for Educational Philosophy & Leadership at Christendom College, joins us to discuss how classical wisdom can revitalize leadership, teacher training, and Catholic education in the modern age.
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46:41
Words that made America | Allison Ellis and Martin Cothran
Allison Ellis (Mount Titano Media) and Martin Cothran (Memoria Press) join us to discuss "Finding Our Words," a collection of great American speeches and why recovering the art of rhetoric is vital for education and civic life today.In ...
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45:53
Sustaining classical's growth | Dan Coupland and Ben Beier
Professors and scholars Dr. Dan Coupland (Dean of the Graduate School of Education) and Dr. Ben Beier (Chair of the Education Department) join us from Hillsdale College to discuss the growth of classical education, the vocation of teaching, and...
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46:26
The medieval mind | Junius Johnson
Theologian, medievalist, musician, and storyteller Junius Johnson joins us to explore how Lewis, fairy tales, and the medieval imagination shaped his vocation—and why recovering this vision matters for classical education today. In this episode...
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57:50
Building a legacy in classical ed | Krystyn Schmerbeck and Andrew Salzmann (Benedictine College)
Krystyn Schmerbeck and Andrew Salzmann join us from Benedictine College to share the story behind their brand-new Master’s program in Classical Education. Drawing on decades of teaching, consulting, and institution-building, they describe a bol...
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52:39
Classical ed's Achilles heel | Robert Pondiscio
Robert Pondiscio, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins us to discuss the rising demand for classical schools, the challenge of preparing teachers for this model, and why curriculum and cultural literacy remain central to st...
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44:15
Visual rhetoric | Patrick Halbrook
Rhetoric and humanities teacher Patrick Halbrook (Cary Christian School) and co-founder of Paidea Graphics joins us to share his journey into classical education, the evolving role of rhetoric in the classroom, and how beauty and design shape t...
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31:35
Reconnecting knowledge and virtue | Jeremy Wayne Tate
Founder and CEO of the Classic Learning Test (CLT), Jeremy Tate, shares the story behind launching a disruptive alternative to the SAT and ACT, and his vision for restoring virtue and knowledge to education. In this episode, we discuss:📖 Th...
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29:28
The Ancient Language Institute | Ryan Hammill and Jonathan Roberts
Ryan Hammill and Jonathan Roberts, co-founders of the Ancient Language Institute, share how their unique pedagogy is transforming the way students engage with Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and even Old English. In this episode, we discuss:📖 Why the...
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37:17
Making classical simple | Rebecca and Brinton Smith
Brinton and Rebecca Smith, founders of Classical School Solutions, share their journey from homeschooling and leading schools to developing literacy resources that meet the needs of today’s classical classrooms. In this episode, we discuss:...
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35:04
Ancient models, modern greatness | Alex Petkas
Classicist and Cost of Glory host Alex Petkas joins us to explore how the ancient heroes still speak to modern life, why the classics matter for moral formation, and how his journey from gamer to scholar to entrepreneur reveals the enduring rel...
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57:14
Are we asking enough of our children? | Allison Ellis
Allison Ellis, founder of Mount Titano Media, joins the Classical Commons Podcast to share how her journey from finance to homeschooling led her to advance liberal arts tradition for a new generation through publishing. In this rich conversatio...
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35:31
Participatory reading and poetic encounter | Christine Perrin
What do we gain reading together in the classroom? Poet and master teacher Christine Perrin joins us to reflect on poetry as a shared encounter. Drawing from decades of experience, she offers a powerful vision for how poetry can shape souls. In...
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57:30
The atelier tradition | Juliette Aristides
Is the traditional fine arts apprenticeship dead? Master painter and teacher Juliette Aristides joins us to explore the calling of the artist, the lost tradition of the Atelier, and how beauty and leisure shape the soul. In this episode, we dis...
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42:22
Private schools for the public good | Russ Gregg
Is classical ed for everyone? Can it thrive in communities that have endured the "soft bigotry of low expectations?" Hope Academy founder Russ Gregg joins us to share a powerful story of urban educational renewal through classical Christian edu...
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33:49