Education

This course covers the elements of English grammar. Students will study the eight parts of speech, sentence construction, and punctuation. Students will also learn about the role of grammar in a liberal arts education and develop some basic pedagogical strategies – including sentence diagramming – for teaching grammar. Students earning a Minor in Classical Education may be exempt from completing this course by demonstrating the necessary level of proficiency on an exam given by the Education Department. 
Note: Students do not earn credit hours for passing this exam and must complete a minimum of 19 credit hours of coursework toward the Classical Education minor.

Through close study of key thinkers in the history of philosophy of education such as Plato, Augustine, and Dewey, students will examine various conceptions of human nature, society, and the good life and consider the ways in which these philosophical positions inform the content, organization, methods, and goals of educational practice. 

This course pairs a once-weekly seminar investigating the practicalities of teaching with 25 hours of observation of experienced K-12 classroom teachers. The seminar will include topics such as classroom management, parent relations, lesson planning, and assessment, drawing on the wisdom of both traditional and contemporary practices. Observation hours can be completed in a variety of classical school settings across a wide range of ages and disciplines that can be tailored to the interests of each student.

To receive credit for EDU 401, students must complete EDU 360 prior to or during the EDU 401 semester, but students
may audit EDU 401 without taking EDU 360.

This course purposes to investigate the practical dimensions of the classical classroom, drawing upon ancient and modern sources for teaching techniques that animate instruction and encourage learning. Course topics may include: the structure and content of classroom conversations, the methods teachers use to engage students in learning, the relationships that are developed in the classroom, and the kinds of questions that are asked and answered.

This course studies content and methods for teaching core humanities/English material at the secondary level: literature (prose and poetry), composition, grammar, and language. The 3-credit option will include application and practice of methods discussed.

This course reflects on what it is to be a master teacher and provides an upper-division study of a particular figure or figures from the Western tradition who in their lives, writings, and/or pedagogical practices are considered exemplary teachers. Possible offerings may include a course on Biblical Masters, Homer, Euclid, Plato, Aristotle, Roman Orators, Augustine, Patristic Masters, Aquinas, Shakespeare, Renaissance and Reformation Masters, or The Inklings.

This course examines theoretical elements in classical, medieval, modern, and/or contemporary thought that shape educational thought and practice. The course may focus on one or more key themes, tropes, periods, or theorists.

This course, rooted in sound educational theory, aims to elucidate the practical wisdom that excellent teaching requires by examining one or more aspects of flourishing educational practice. Possible topics include certain habits, strategies, and/or tools of practice such as lesson-planning, instructional methods, and assessment.

This course pairs remote participation in the once-weekly seminar of EDU 401 with a WHIP internship or apprenticeship at a classical school in the DC area. The seminar investigates the practicalities of teaching and will include topics such as classroom management, parent relations, lesson planning, and assessment, drawing on the wisdom of both traditional and contemporary practices.

To receive credit for EDU 493, students must complete EDU 360 prior to the EDU 493 semester and receive permission from the Education Department chair. Students who are pursuing the Classical Education minor and who successfully complete EDU 493 may count 1 of their 6 course credits toward the fulfillment of the EDU 401 requirement. The other 5 credits of EDU 493 may count as elective credits toward the Classical Education minor.

Requires planning and delivering instruction for children in the early childhood grades. Students teach in an early childhood classroom during the morning or afternoon for the entire semester. The student must plan his or her program so that each morning or afternoon is free from courses that meet during the period reserved for EDU 506. Prerequisite: EDU 406.