Abstract: The works of the Inklings, and similar authors, have long captured the imaginations of students in classical classrooms. Whether they are traveling to Narnia or Middle-earth, classical educators know the power that imaginative literature has on young minds. It’s through these God-given imaginations that many students first encounter the good, the true, and the beautiful. Despite this truth, it is sometimes difficult to engage a student’s imagination outside the works of fantasy. How do we teach math or science imaginatively? How do we encourage imagination while still pointing students to objective truth? How can we retain imagination in students as they grow older? In this workshop, we will look to one of the greatest imaginative writers, C.S. Lewis, to help us answer these questions.
Daniel Payne is an experienced educator with a passion for leadership and imagination in classical schools. He is currently a Lower School faculty member at Veritas School in Virginia. Daniel previously served as an administrator and middle school teacher, where he helped create a classical Humanities curriculum. He recenlty received a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Richmond. Outside of the classroom, Daniel hosts and produces “The Lamp-post Listener,” a podcast discussing the imaginative works of C.S. Lewis. Over the last few years, he has been able to interview and learn alongside many wonderful Lewis scholars including Dr. Louis Markos, Dr. Crystal Hurd, and Douglas Gresham, Lewis’s own stepson. Daniel lives in Richmond with his wife and son, all of whom are eager to welcome a baby girl this summer.
