The Art of Memory: How to Teach Memory Beyond Chants and Jingles

Posted on by Society for Classical Learning

In classical education today, memory has been limited to playing a very narrow and specific role. When we think of memory, we think of the grammar or “poll parrot” stage of the Trivium. We think of the rote memory of Shurley grammar jingles, Latin chants , multiplication tables, Bible memory passages, cheesy history songs, and speech meets. However, to medieval educators and Christians a much different kind of memory was held to be not only the source of all learning and the mother of all creativity, but the foundation of all virtue as well. The practices of a well-trained and well-stocked memory were seen as essential for cultivating affections and translating the knowledge of education into the wisdom and beauty of a virtuous life. This seminar will expand our understanding of what memory is, how it plays a crucial role in education and virtue, and practical ways we as teachers can 1) train the memories of students of all ages, and 2) teach lessons with practices and methods crafted to stick in students’ memories.

Jenny Rallens

After homeschooling through highschool, Jenny Rallens earned her B.A. in 2008 from New St. Andrews College and then joined The Ambrose School faculty in Boise, Idaho to teach, direct nine (mostly Shakespeare) plays, and develop a pedagogy based on four pillars: incarnational student-teacher relationships, story, socratic discussion, and liturgy. In addition to teaching, Jenny is currently working on her master’s degree at Oxford in Literature and Arts, particularly investigating the roles literature, liturgy and material culture play in forming a community’s theological imagination.

Practical Examples of Embodied Education and Liturgical Learning

Posted on by Society for Classical Learning

Come to this seminar to participate in a discussion about the best practices of embodied education. This conversation will be a follow-up to Jenny Rallens’s talk on classroom liturgy and virtue formation at last year’s SCL and Alcuin conferences. Anna and Jenny will share a few applications of the “Lectio, Meditatio, Compositi” progression from their classrooms, in affections-shaping practices across the fields of history, literature, math, and architecture. Bring questions, ideas, and your own best practices to share!

Jenny Rallens

After homeschooling through highschool, Jenny Rallens earned her B.A. in 2008 from New St. Andrews College and then joined The Ambrose School faculty in Boise, Idaho to teach, direct nine (mostly Shakespeare) plays, and develop a pedagogy based on four pillars: incarnational student-teacher relationships, story, socratic discussion, and liturgy. In addition to teaching, Jenny is currently working on her master’s degree at Oxford in Literature and Arts, particularly investigating the roles literature, liturgy and material culture play in forming a community’s theological imagination.

Anne Gibson

Anna was classically educated herself at The Oaks Classical Christian Academy in Spokane, WA, which led her to pursue a teaching career in the same eld. She has been teaching upper school courses in literature, history, math, and architecture at The Ambrose School in Boise, ID for two years. She holds a BA in Math and a BA in History from Whitworth University, and a Masters in American History from Oxford University.

Incorporating Liturgies in the Classrooms

Posted on by Society for Classical Learning

We all love the subjects we teach, but what ultimately calls us into the classroom each morning is the hope that we are changing lives and impacting eternal souls. Though we don’t often write “soul impact” time into our lesson plans, we know that cultivating affections
(what a person loves and wants) can transform an informative lesson into a soul-shaping experience. But how do we reach our students’ affections in our daily lessons? The answer lies in academic liturgies that mold the imagination: environments, routines, and habitual ways of treating others that are the norm in our classrooms. These often invisible practices are the soil from which our students’ loves grow. Can intentional liturgies, such as daily confession of sin or reading Tolkien by candlelight, really inspire our students to be kinder or love Christ more? In this seminar, we will discuss specific ways of revamping our academic practices and our own perspectives to better cultivate the affections of our students.

Jenny Rallens

A er homeschooling through highschool, Jenny Rallens earned her B.A. in 2008 from New St. Andrews College and then joined The Ambrose School faculty in Boise, Idaho to teach, direct nine (mostly Shakespeare) plays, and develop a pedagogy based on four pillars: incarnational student-teacher relationships, story, socratic discussion, and liturgy. In addition to teaching, Jenny is currently working on her master’s degree at Oxford in Literature and Arts, particularly investigating the roles literature, liturgy and material culture play in forming a community’s theological imagination.

Training Students in Discussion

Posted on by Society for Classical Learning

To ancient and medieval educators, teaching was inspired conversation: communion of mind and heart through skillful discussions, with young children as well as highschoolers. Much like the art of painting or sculpture, these discussions required a host of skills which were taught and practiced routinely over the course of years. Today, most classical schools expect upper school students to participate in intense discussions about complicated ideas. But just as we only ask students to pen their senior theses after years of cultivating their writing skills and love of language arts, we need to foster a similar delight and skill in discussion starting with conversation-centered pedagogy in our grammar schools. This workshop will share the tools our school is developing to hone the skills of excellent discussions and build conversation- centered classrooms. Come with ideas, questions, observations, and best practices of your own to share as well.

Jenny Rallens

After homeschooling through highschool, Jenny Rallens earned her B.A. in 2008 from New St. Andrews College and then joined The Ambrose School faculty in Boise, Idaho to teach, direct nine (mostly Shakespeare) plays, and develop a pedagogy based on four pillars: incarnational student-teacher relationships, story, socratic discussion, and liturgy. In addition to teaching, Jenny is currently working on her master’s degree at Oxford in Literature and Arts, particularly investigating the roles literature, liturgy and material culture play in forming a community’s theological imagination.