“What should lead a child into learning is an open-minded curiosity about the world. The child should ask questions before coming up with answers, explore before discovering truths, and experiment before reaching firm conclusions”
– Dr. Gordon Neufeld (a foremost authority on child development.)
Join me on a Free Flow Exploration of the Classical World
I aim to offer my students an opportunity to explore the classical world and receive an education which is not available anywhere else. The free-flow style of these classes creates a fun and interactive environment in which a trust can be nurtured between tutor and student. The learning that takes place is for the love of learning. There is no curriculum and there are no exams. We wander wherever our curiosity takes us. My aim is not to get my students to learn any particular information. Instead, I want them to explore their interests and curiosities. In this way, I use the classics as a mirror to help my students discover who they are, allowing them to mature into strong young adults who are truly independent creative, and expressive.
“The Romans, while they were alive, were concerned with a wide range of experiences, which went from the art of enjoyment to the art of dying. Between these two there are courage, gravity, infamy, and sorrow. It is why their history is a microcosm of all history: If one knows Roman History well, it is not necessary to know the history of the world, since everything which is a Roman achievement is a human experience”
– Henri de Montherlant (French Essayist)
Why the Classical World?
The civilisations of the Greeks and Romans represent the foundation of our own Western culture and tradition. The speed of the modern world has separated us from our past so quickly that we barely realise it has happened. In the process we have destroyed continuity and wider meaning in our lives. As individuals and as a society, we no longer know in what direction we are going. I am a strong believer that the classics have an answer. For us to understand where we are going, both as individuals and as a society, it is important that we understand from where we have come. At the same time, the culture of these civilisations is incredibly rich and provides us with a framework in which to explore many possible avenues and find what really interests us.
“These studies are a spur to the young, a delight to the old: an ornament in prosperity, a consoling refuge in adversity; they are pleasure for us at home, and no burden abroad; they stay up with us at night, they accompany us when we travel, they are with us in our country visits.”
– Marcus Tullius Cicero
Who are these lessons for?
I believe these lessons to be most beneficial for young adolescents between the ages of 11 and 18. This age is the ideal time to get creative and explore. The child is old enough to comprehend and appreciate complex ideas and is young enough not to be bogged down by the necessities and stresses of adult life that make it difficult to take time out and explore. That being said, if one has the time and is willing to put in the effort, these classes will be beneficial and enriching for people of all ages who are curious about the world and their own human experience.
Learn Latin
- Take command of Language
- Train your mind
- Increase Self-Awareness
- Reveal the origins of Western thought
Via Ciceronis 