Classical Education (Teaching)

A unique education degree combining deep classical pedagogy with extensive real-world teaching experience, fully preparing future teachers for success in their field.

Distinctives

The B.A. in Classical Education:

• Prepares graduates to teach in a range of subjects and grade levels at a variety of classical and independent schools
• Provides a robust foundation of classical pedagogy gleaned from centuries of mastering the art of teaching well
• Offers extensive observation and student teaching opportunities in thriving local classical schools

Details

A first-rate program rooted in classical pedagogy and practical training

The classical education movement is growing with incredible momentum throughout the US. Increasingly, parents are drawn to classical schools over the public school system and standard private alternatives, and new schools are popping up each year. However, these schools are often challenged by a lack of high quality, classically trained teachers. Teachers at these schools typically fall into one of two categories: (1) classically minded individuals well-educated in the Liberal Arts, but with little to no classroom training; or (2), experienced and well-trained teachers who have been drawn to classical schools but have a very superficial grasp of classical philosophy and what makes the classical approach to pedagogy unique and powerful. On the whole, both of these groups struggle to implement a classical vision consistently in the classroom.

At Thales College, our Classical Education major thoroughly prepares future classical teachers of all grade levels. The program teaches the history, theory, and practice that are presently being recovered within the classical education renewal movement. The lower school track (Grades K-5) teaches how to approach elementary math, reading, history, and science from a classical perspective. The upper school track (Grades 6-12) prepares future teachers to specialize in the humanities, mathematics, and/or the natural sciences. Both tracks combine academic coursework with professional mentoring to prepare students to be skilled teachers, future leaders in school culture and governance, and lifelong learners who model the classical ideal of a life well-lived.

Extensive On-the-Job Training—in College

Thales College’s close alliance with Thales Academy, a rapidly growing network of classical K-12 schools throughout the Southeastern US, allows Thales College Classical Education majors to receive extensive observation and student teaching experience within a live classical education setting throughout their time at Thales College. With multiple Thales Academy schools located within 15 minutes of our campus, Thales College students will benefit from real-world classroom experience nearly every term during their time at Thales College.

We firmly believe in the value of on-the-job training and encourage our future educators to work within the classroom as much as possible. All internships at Thales Academy are paid positions. Working within a real classroom, managing classroom behavior, and developing strategies in a real-time environment under the mentorship of an experienced teaching professional give students a safe environment in which to test and improve their skills. Students learn about their own strengths, weaknesses, and intellectual inner-life in the model of Socrates, who noted at his trial that “the unexamined life is not worth living.”

Courses

• CED 100Theories of Classical Schooling
• CED 120The Moral and Intellectual Development of Young People
• CED 150Principles and Methods of Classical Pedagogy
• CED 180Principles of Classroom Culture and Direct Instruction
• CED 200History of Education
• CED 240Teaching the Historical Imagination
• CED 335Seeing Beauty in Nature, Science, and Mathematics
• CED 350Philosophy of Education
• CED 370Writing Across the Disciplines

Certificate in Elementary Education:

• CED 220Teaching Elementary Reading
• CED 240Teaching Elementary Mathematics
• CED 470Great Texts for Children

Humanities Concentration:

• CED 160Reading Fairy Tales and Mythology
• CED 320Teaching Economic Reasoning
• CED 360Teaching American Civics
• CED 420Studies in the Novel
• CED 470Great Texts for Children
• CED 480Independent Study

Mathematics Concentration:

• CED 115Euclidean and Non-Euclidean Geometry
• MAT 210Calculus II
• MAT 220Calculus III
• MAT 300Differential Equations
• CED 425Discrete Mathematics
• CED 475Teaching the Great Experiments & Formulas

Science Concentration:

• BIO 100Biology
• CHE 100Chemistry
• MAT 210Calculus II
• PHY 220Physics II
• CED 235Earth Science: Astronomy, Geology, Meteorology
• CED 475Teaching the Great Experiments & Formulas

Students who demonstrate superior performance during their internships are highly prioritized for employment at Thales Academy (if desired) following graduation.