"There is a kind of wonder and mysticism that pervades all things... an inspiration that lifts the soul upward"
- Plato

What is a Classical education?

Classical education has a long, rich history that started with Socrates and Plato over 2,500 years ago, matured in the Middle Ages and today classical pedagogy is present in some form in almost every institution of higher learning. The goal of a classical education is to spark wonder. Our most important job is to cultivate and nurture wonder in our students.

The Nativity scene had its own visual symbol which reminds us of this central purpose, the “Star of Wonder”. We include the star in our logo as a reminder of its importance. The Star sparked the curiosity of the Wise Men. If wonder is the beginning of a classical education, then wisdom is the end goal. The ancient, pre-Christian philosophers, through self-examination and reflection determined that “Wonder leads to wisdom” (Socrates).

The word ‘education’ comes originally from Latin (ex-ducere), where ducere is the verb “to lead” or “to draw” and ex meant “out”. Education is not pouring information into students, it is a process where together we “draw out” the truth. As Plato put it, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel”.

While the educational methods are “old", we use modern tools in our classical pursuits, the same way the scholars and artists in the renaissance made use of the most powerful technology of their time: the printing press. Each student is issued a monitored iPad, an incredible and important tool to understand. These tools can be used for good, but also for evil. Our job as educators to ensure our students understand the difference.

It is easy to talk generally and idealistically about sparking wonder in students but doing so in the classical context requires specific, differentiated decisions. We outline the four most important of those decisions below.

First, a classical education is sequential. Our four-year curriculum ensures that students study the history, theology, philosophy and literature of each time period in human history, sequentially.

As a first-year, students may study the following

in History, the dominant republics and empires of Ancient History;

in Theology, the Torah and the Old Testament;

in Art, foundational drawing and painting of ancient art and architecture,

in Literature, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Odyssey, Greek Myth, Confucius, and the Bhagavad Gita.

Students receive a whole picture of humanity’s search for truth in Ancient times. What students learn in one class directly relates to the time period and topics in other classes. This integrated image engenders a sense of mastery and generates a natural curiosity to learn more.

Over the next three years students read their way through the Renaissance, early American History and finally, in senior year, the 20th and 21st century. Each year is designed with similar intentionality, culminating in a senior capstone thesis.

After an intentional four-year journey, students have a picture of humanity’s search for truth, including the great joys and failures along the way. Our capstone senior thesis encourages students to elucidate their own academic conclusions about truth, beauty, and goodness and what they have come to understand about human nature, faith and God.

Second, a classical education emphasizes the works of literature which have profoundly influenced our world. Students leave Nativity with a 3,000 year baseline survey of the most influential thinkers and writers in human history. These thinkers and writers often have opposing views. We read authors who revere capitalism and those who invented communism, authors who are great Christian apologists and those who are ardent religious skeptics, writers who are convinced of truth, goodness and beauty in humanity, and those who see despair, suffering, and absurdity in human existence. Most importantly, students learn how to read these transformative texts so they can pursue their quest for truth, understanding, and faith many years after graduation. For a more detailed view, you can read a few of our course descriptions in our curriculum guide.

Third, a classical education frequently employs the Socratic seminar method. Seminars require a physical classroom difference when compared with traditional lectures. Rather than rows of desks with a teacher standing at the front, students sit at large tables. Teachers sit alongside them, guiding discussion and debate that is informed by the questions and interests of the students. One exception to mention: our math and science classes are taught in traditional lecture and laboratory formats - when it comes to the quadratic equation or the force of gravity, there is less debate (at least until you get to quantum physics).

Fourth, a classical education always includes the mastery of foreign language. At Nativity we require four years of foreign language and we offer both Latin and Spanish. Latin, the original romance language, is required for two years and offered for four years through the Advanced Placement level. Latin has a complete case structure and does not use definite or indefinite articles. As a result, each Latin sentence is a mini logic puzzle. It has been shown over decades that Latin can improve students' logic and reasoning broadly. Many years of data show that Latin students often earn higher standardized test scores than students who study other foreign languages. Latin proficiency also improves English vocabulary, opens up the great classical and theological works in their original tongue, and makes it easy to learn additional romance languages thereafter.

With the help of these four distinct educational choices, we aim to spark wonder in our students and serve as loving guides as they pursue truth and wisdom.