Refreshing Your Toolkit: Engaging Your Students Through A Variety of Instructional Strategies

Posted on by Paul Drake

Academic rigor need not lead to rigor mortis! Are you stuck
in the lecture rut? Could you use a few fresh ideas? Children
– and adults – benefit from a variety of instructional strategies and learning methods. Students can think deeply and stay engaged when they have the opportunity to play with ideas, move to learn and articulate their understanding along the way. is practical workshop will equip you with creative, classical tools to take back to your classroom. Veteran teachers, please join us to share your ideas and refresh your toolkit. New to classical education or new to teaching? Here we go!

Allison Jackson

Allison is honored to be a part of the Regents community as the 7th-Grade Dean and as a logic science teacher. She loves middle school students, is passionate about the wonders of the natural world, and is ever so grateful for the discipleship-centered approach of classical Christian education. As a pre-med major, Allison earned a biology degree and a chemistry minor from the University of North Texas. Since then, she has taught public high school biology, summer science and nature study camps for little ones – and everything in between. Her career highlights include weekly classes for homeschoolers, establishing a school garden and founding a classical Christian private school with several other families. Allison loves the opportunity to integrate subjects as a classical educator. Her teaching at Regents includes time in the school's garden and singing silly science songs with students as o en as possible.

Must Academic Rigor Lead to Rigor Mortis? How to Engage Your Students Through Classical Methods and Active Participation

Posted on by Paul Drake

Classical education need not be stodgy or strictly lecture-based. Children (and adults!) benefit from a variety of instructional strategies and learning methods. Students can think deeply and stay engaged when they have the opportunity to play with ideas, to move to learn, and to articulate their understanding along the way. This practical workshop will equip you with creative, classical tools to take back to your classroom. Veteran teachers: come share your ideas and refresh your toolkit. Just getting started? Here we go!

Allison Jackson

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made from what was visible.” (Hebrews 11:3) I am honored to be a part of the Regents community as a School of Logic science teacher! I love middle school students, I’m passionate about the wonders of the natural world, and I am ever so grateful for the discipleship-centered approach of classical, Christian education. As a pre-med biology major, I earned a biology degree and a chemistry minor from the University of North Texas and worked in labs on and o campus. I felt called to teaching, and my career began in public high school, where I taught high school pre-AP Biology. Since then I have taught and developed curriculum in a variety of se ings, including summer science camps for grammar and middle school students where we raised butterflies and learned kitchen sink chemistry. I have tutored students and parents in a weekly class day for classical homeschoolers and helped to found a classical, Christian private school near San Antonio. When I’m not teaching or working in our new School of Logic garden, you might nd me cheering at my sons’ baseball games or outside catching lizards.

Framing Science Discussions

Posted on by Paul Drake

Christians may disagree about the details of ‘how’ and ‘when,’ but for our discussions we agree on this foundational doctrine: 1) Encourage a respectful discussion within the body of Christ and with those outside Christianity 2) Recognize that both strict naturalists who dismiss supernaturalism and strict adherents to certain secondary doctrines within Christianity can squelch dialogue through dogmatism and unkindness 3) Both ‘sides’ should take responsibility by refraining from demeaning other viewpoints 4) Acknowledge the tension that arises when our understanding of science and our understanding of faith seem to be in conflict 5) Suggest that our confusion may stem from either an incomplete view of Scripture or an incomplete view of science 6) Encourage students to pray for wisdom, seek the Scriptures, and dialogue with other believers, especially their parents.

Allison Jackson

Allison is honored to be able to serve on the Regent School of Austin faculty as a School of Logic science teacher. She loves students, she enjoys science, and she is passionate about the discipleship-centered approach of classical, Christian education. Allison earned a biology degree with a chemistry minor from the University fo North Texas and worked in labs on and o campus. Allison felt called to teaching, and her career began in public highschool, where she taught biology. Since then, she has taught in a variety fo se ings, including summer science camps for grammar and logic students, where they sketched wild owers, raised bu er y caterpillars and made messes while learning kitchen sink chemistry. She also tutored students and parents in a weekly class for classical homeschoolers. Recently, Allison had the privilege of helping to launch a classical school in Bulverde, Texas, where she also taught 6-8th grade students. When Allison is not teaching, you can probably nd her cheering for her sons on the football or baseball fields or riding bikes on the trails of Austin with her husband.