We know the importance of being diligent, but how can you encourage your student to put forth effort in an area that doesn't come naturally? And how can a student learn what that effort looks and feels like? In this episode, Sara Breetzke answers these questions as she explains the meaning and intention behind the Assembly Saying: TCA, Show Up! Heads up! Eyes up! Effort Counts Twice!
RESOURCES:
Angela Duckworth’s book Grit: https://a.co/d/gcIISTb
In this episode Sara and Heather Alston discuss how TCA's art program is uniquely designed as a classical program, following the trivium and integrated with other subjects. Our hope is that through art class at TCA, students see how the visual arts can help them grow in virtue, contribute to the Great Conversation, and see more of God.
Heather is a TCA co-teacher and head of the TCA Art department.
RESOURCES:
Redeeming Vision by Elissa Weichbradt
In this episode, Sara explains the meaning and value of the Assembly Saying, “This Is Hard, This Is Fun.” She also gives practical applications for how you can live out this saying in the day-to-day of schooling at home or on campus at TCA.
Resources:
This website is where Sara learned the two types of fun: https://www.jamesstuber.com/boring-is-fun/
Carol Dweck's research on Mindset is key to understanding the mindset that helps students take on difficult academic problems with courage .. and even fun! Here is the link to her book, or here are a few notes on ideas from the book to help you apply her work to your homeschool or classroom.
As your children become young adults what is your default reaction? Are you prone to give them more freedom? Or do you try to clamp down on them with ungodly control and rigidity?
Psychologist Dr. Ken Wilgus visited us at TCA and sat down with Sara to bring some encouragement to moms and dads asking these very questions. He offers Christ-centered wisdom about how to turn from control and offer clear boundaries that propel young adults toward maturity and independence. Parents of adolescents (and children who will become adolescents) will find Dr. Wilgus' insight practical and hopeful!
Find out more about Dr. Wilgus's work at drwilgus.com; his book, the Feeding the Mouth That Bites You; and his podcast by the same name.
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For more information about Trinity Classical Academy, please visit https://tcaomaha.com
Juniors Juliana and Isaiah join Sara to give an inside look into TCA's growing Rhetoric School. They share their distinct academic experience, their favorite parts of being a rhetoric school student, and the things they're excited to see growing in the TCA upper school culture. These pioneers have a unique and encouraging perspective as they talk about the school they're helping to build!
TCA is a Classical, Christian, collaborative school in Omaha, NE. If you are interested in finding out more, visit tcaomaha.com.
Sara Breetzke along with special guests Kevin Estep and Steph Dexter discuss the importance of creating a reading culture in our homes. In addition to practical advice and tips, they offer grace and perspective for how God is working even in our imperfect efforts.
Resources from this episode:
Chris Hemmelman joins us to share his talk from the 2023 TCA Co-Teacher Training. He shares his heart and his knowledge regarding how the movements and thoughts of the Modern period set us on a trajectory of dehumanization. He brilliantly explains how we got here and how Christian Classical education – and the Lord’s grace – can begin to shift the telos of humanity one student at a time.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
”1984” by George Orwell
Have you thought about the purpose of reading in a classical school? What would your student say is the purpose of the reading they're assigned?
Classical educators have a unique end in mind for their students: an appreciation for the good, true, and beautiful. That means that classical educators teach reading differently than teachers in other educational models.
On this episode, Sara is joined by Abby Anderson, a TCA co-teacher and curriculum advisor for TCA’s Grammar School. They discuss how classical students read to see the world and themselves more clearly. Beyond reading for training or entertainment, classical readers are pursuing an enhanced life, a worthy goal both for us and for our students!
Resources Mentioned In This Episode
The Discarded Image by C.S. Lewis
Reading for the Love of God by Jessical Hooten Wilson
On Reading Well by Karen Swallow Prior
The Gospel Coalition Guides for specific classic works
How does Classical Education differ from an education that is focused merely on results and self-actualization? In this episode of TCA U, Sara answers this question by unpacking the goals of each stage of the Trivium: Grammar School, Logic School, and Rhetoric School.
Here are a few more resources to help you focus on the outcomes (not just the tasks) of a classical education.
Gospel Coalition Article: Pursuing Education, Not Just Credentials
Book: Norms and Nobility
