Developing Classical Thinkers

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 fo...

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/us...

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 graduate...

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–ski...

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 th...

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 t...

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...

How does science fit in with a classical education? Does a Classical education really downplay the sciences in favor of reading old, outdated, and unnecessary books? In reality, a classical education teaches students how to think creatively, ask thoughtful, engaging questions, and formulate inquiries, all of which lie at the heart of the scientific method. Listen to this episode and learn how scie...

In this conference presentation, Bob Luddy explains the role of the transcendentals, the ideas of truth, goodness, and beauty, and how these ideas influence life in the family, the business world, and the classroom environment. Bob Luddy is the founder of Thales Academy and the President of CaptiveAire Systems, a leading manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation equipment. Bob Luddy delivered...

In this presentation at the Conference of Miletus, Winston Brady examines the idea of truth, as far as what a world in which there is no truth would look like, how do we know what's true, and how do classical teachers teach what is true. Winston Brady serves as the Director of Curriculum & Thales Press, an in-house publishing firm that produces textbooks, readings, and videos for Thales Academy an...

In this presentation at the Conference of Miletus, Josh Herring examines the transcendental idea of the good, drawing from the writings of Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas and integrating the idea of the good with the goal of the teacher to bring about the very best in their students. Josh Herring is the Dean of Classical Education at Thales Academy and a humanities teacher. He is also the Director o...

In this presentation at the Conference of Miletus, Matt Ogle explains what the transcendental idea of beauty. Beauty is, in short, the apprehension of truth by the senses and the recognition that the world is orderly and life is meaningful, realities to which classical teachers should direct their students' attention. Matt Ogle is the Head of Classical Education at Thales Academy. He has taught bo...

How do more practical subject areas such as architecture and engineering fit within a Classical education? Does an education founded on what is true, good, and beautiful really help students develop the academic rigor and problem-solving skills needed for fields outside of the humanities? Actually, Classical education is ideally suited to prepare students for careers in engineering, architecture,...

The lecture is a unique pedagogical tool for the classical teacher. A lecture is a well-developed, logical exposition of a subject of great importance that, when delivered with excitement and interspersed with the right kinds of questions, can be a powerful means of disseminating information to a wide audience. But what makes a good lecture? When is the lecture the most appropriate tool to use in...

On our occasional series "Classically Educated," we are looking at the life and work of the Roman educator Quintilian (AD 35 - 100). Born in Spain with the full name Marcus Fabius Quintilianus, Quintilian is one of the few educators from the Roman world who wrote down anything concerning tips for running a classical classroom. Quintilian's great work, the "Institutio Oratoria" or, in English, "On...

In this episode, Winston Brady interviews Matt Denhart, President of the Coolidge Foundation, to talk about the legacy of Calvin Coolidge, the importance of America's founding principles, and some of the unique programs that the Coolidge Foundation puts on for students across the country. Learn more about the Coolidge Foundation and its programs on its website here: https://coolidgefoundation.org/...

Many people think that an education founded on books, ancient languages, and meaningful ideas cannot prepare students to make the latest and greatest technological developments. But in reality, classical education is uniquely suited to help students develop the rigor and curiosity needed to dream up new inventions and technology. Listen to this episode to find out more! Check out our Thales Press...

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his army into Ukraine. Since then, the Ukrainian people have been engaged in a struggle to defend their territorial integrity and very status as a nation in the midst of this Russian attack. How should we understand such geopolitical events? What are we to make of the events in Ukraine? How do these events fit in with the longstanding foreig...

What is the purpose of higher education? What should students expect out of their college experience, and what should students do to get the most out of the four years they may spend on a college campus? Is college for everyone? And what other alternatives are out there for students who don't want to go the route of the traditional, four-year undergraduate program? In this webinar, Dr. Jenna Robin...

Thales Academy Pittsboro recently moved into its new building in Chatham Park, North Carolina. In this episode, Winston Brady speaks with administrator Johanna Murphy about the founding of this new campus and what makes Thales Pittsboro so unique. Go Pumas!

Classical education is uniquely suited to teach social studies, political theory, and economics. classical education emphasizes reading primary source documents so that students see important founding documents like the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution as the culmination of a longstanding intellectual and philosophical tradition spanning thousands of years. Check out our Thales Pres...

On today’s episode, host Winston Brady speaks with Richard Vedder about the study of economics, the value of hard work and entrepreneurship, and why the study of free market markets is more valuable now than ever. Richard Vedder is the Distinguished Professor of Economics Emeritus at Ohio University. He has written for both scholarly journals and popular publications such as The Wall Street Journa...

Classical education aims to cultivate students of excellence through the contemplation of what is true, good, and beautiful. This is a lofty goal, so how does this come about in practice during a school day? How can teachers create the conditions needed for their students to understand a difficult concept, recognize the beauty in a biology lesson, or unravel the intricacies of a sonnet? In this ep...

On today’s episode, host Winston Brady interviews George Leef, the author of "The Awakening of Jennifer Van Arsdale." On the show, they discuss the idea of classical liberalism, the works of Adam Smith and Alexis de Tocqueville, and how these authors and the tradition of classical liberalism shaped Mr. Leef’s "The Awakening of Jennifer Van Arsdale," a work of satire and a “political fable for our...

In today’s episode, Will Begley and Chelsea Wagenaar discuss the value of memorizing poetry and prose and strategies for students to build up their ability to memorize. Will Begley teaches high school Latin and Senior Seminar at Thales Academy Rolesville. He holds a Ph. D. in Medieval and Classical Latin from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Chelsea Wagenaar joined the Thales facul...