Course Description (What we will do)

The age is undergoing a world-historical transformation, one of the engines of which is the school. The center has failed to hold and as a result a vast range of experiments or returns are being attempted. 

 Andrew Kern is confident that The Lord prepared the renewal of classical education for this moment. We have the opportunity to take on the dragon of chaos with our pedagogical sword and the shield of faith. 

At the heart of Christian and classical thought is one little word with world-creating power: Logos. Logos is the Word of God, the Wisdom of God, the Principle of principles, the key of the cosmic symphony, and the glory of teaching. The Bible reveals that Christ is the Logos.  

Today, what has come to be called “the meaning crisis” has given rise to an opportunity for Christians to reveal the glory of Christ as the Logos in a way we haven’t had, perhaps in centuries. To witness that glory is the goal of this course. 

To that end, Kern will introduce you to the radiance of the Logos in ways you may never have seen Him before, showing how He governs creation even when it seems like chaos, that He is the form of truth, and that to teach in His form is to teach well.  

Journeying through the wilderness with Israel, you’ll see the presence of the Logos in the Old Testament temple, its New Testament fulfillment, and even every lesson that you build on the same heavenly pattern. You’ll see how the Apostle John bore witness to the glory of the Logos and how, when he did so, he set a pattern for us to follow when we teach.  

You’ll see how the majestic humility of God expresses itself in the presence of created and mimetic logoi (plural of logos) through the created and man-made world. You’ll see how every created thing is a created logos and every work of art is a mimetic logos.  

You’ll see how we can apply that truth to re-enchant every lesson and thought – and through them, to re-enchant the world.  

Journeying through the wilderness of TS Eliot’s England, you’ll pause with him to build a temple, to bask in the glow of its lights, and to see how building a lesson and constructing a temple follow a similar pattern because they both seek a logos.  

On the same pattern, you’ll learn how to build mimetic lessons and prepare for Socratic dialogues. 

Using Kern’s recently published book, Show Me The Glory, Volume One, as a map, we will explore what it means to build a house on a rock instead of the shifting sands of conventional educational practices.  For thirty years, believing that the foundations of education were long ago undermined, Kern has been seeking to find and rebuild them. This book and this course are the fruit of that long labor. 

Course Procedure (How we will do it)

 The Show Me The Glory course teaches classical pedagogy through 
– interactive mimetic discussions 
– interactive Socratic discussions 
– Modeling mimetic and Socratic teaching 
– Biblical and classical rhetoric 
– Coaching on how to prepare to teach classically in any setting 
– selected readings outside class time 
– Canvas forum Discussions 
– Videos 
 
In each class, Andrew will combine rhetoric and discussions. Class participants will learn how to teach classically as they read and discuss the Gospel of John, The Pentateuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy), Show Me The Glory, Volume 1, TS Eliot’s Choruses From “The Rock”, and selected materials and handouts, including a course companion to be developed during this course. Along the way, Andrew will model and teach classical pedagogy through Socratic discussion, mimetic teaching, and classical rhetoric. 

Who should take this course

From newbies to masters, this course is for everyone who loves teaching, who believes there is something more than chaos and matter, and that the something more is worth pursuing together. 

Throughout the year, Kern will model logos-centered teaching practices, providing a practical and accessible guide to the freedom we find in Christ the Logos. 

Whether you join us for home, school, or some sort of combined setting, this course will prepare you to learn, grow, and teach in ways that feed your soul, nourish your students, and bring glory to Christ the Logos. 

From this course, you will learn to approach teaching with a renewed wonder,   discover the power of restful teaching, enjoy watching your students come alive in unpredictably predictable ways, learn how to build lessons that follow Christian classical principles and elements, fall in love with teaching again, and fellowship with like-minded teachers and parents in our online and offline conversations.

What is required

– Show Me the Glory Volume 1 (recently published book by Andrew Kern) 
– course companion, created during course and available in Canvas 
– literature: TS Eliot: Choruses from “The Rock”  
– Bible: Gospel of John, Selected parables and Bible stories, & Pentateuch 
– select video recordings, articles, and handouts on classical pedagogy 
– optional advanced readings will also be recommended 
– notebook and writing utensil  
– internet access

 Suggested Participation: 
        Complete biweekly assigned readings 
        Attend class live or access class recordings 

The Instructor

 Andrew Kern is the founder and president of the CiRCE Institute (Center for Independent Research on Classical Education), the husband of Karen, the father of five grown adults, and the grandfather of (so far) ten grandchildren.

He has been researching, speaking, teaching, and training teachers in the Christian classical renewal since 1993, during which he has been instrumental in the founding of three schools, consulted with well over 100 schools and co-ops, and served as Director of Classical Instruction, Academic Dean, and Headmaster. Andrew speaks regularly at home school and classical conferences.

In addition, he is the co-author with Dr. Gene Edward Veith of Classical Education, The Movement Sweeping America and, with Andrea Lipinski, of The CiRCE Guide to Reading. He also led the development of CiRCE’s classical rhetoric program, The Lost Tools of Writing, and he loves Homer, Shakespeare, Anne of Green Gables, and Endeavour. Like Shakespeare, he knows a little Latin and less Greek. Except a lot less than Shakespeare.

Andrew and Karen have settled in Concord, North Carolina where they attend Christ The Good Shepherd Orthodox Mission and watch their five grown children raise their  children and pursue their callings.

Dates and Times

Alternate Tuesdays from 7–8:30pm ET 
Launch date: August 27, 2024 
Specific dates: 
9/17 
10/1 & 15  
11/5 & 19 
12/3 & 17  
1/7 & 21 
2/4 & 18 
3/4 & 18 
4/1 & 15 
5/6 & 20 
Final Date: May 20, 2025

COST 

$477