Practical Paideia

Making Pedagogy Palpable

All Things Classical

  • Upper School Chapel Theme Ideas

    by Lindsey Ralls (Summit Christian Academy) Picking a chapel theme for the year can feel like a pretty daunting task. It’s hard to find something that will a) last the entire year without feeling repetitive, b) resonate with middle school and high school students, yet isn’t too basic, and c) allow a variety of speakers Read more

  • But I did all that work!

    When I walked into Algebra 1B today, the 9th and 10th graders were learning how to multiply polynomials. Mrs. Wissmann (always fun and creative), had brought in ‘algebra tiles’ so that the students could create a table for their notebooks to help them visualize this mathematical concept. I’m sure this idea took significant time and preparation. There was the Read more

  • Can you measure culture?

     “The power of culture is measured by the degree in which it is taken for granted.” Wow. What a bold, but also very true, statement. Just this morning for example, my kids did not not tell me thank you when I woke them up on time, handed them their full lunchboxes, or made them breakfast. I wasn’t offended Read more

  • Practical Ideas for Incorporating Argument by Example into the classroom

    Lindsey Ralls (Summit Christian Academy) General Ideas that work across all subjects Read more

  • Gazing…and Aristotle’s Five Common Topics

    Lindsey Ralls (Summit Christian Academy) Incorporating Aristotle’s Five Common Topics into a lesson on gazing Painting: Flood Panel on the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo Step 1: Provide students with a brief bio of Michelangelo as well as a brief summary of the painting itself.  Bio: Michelangelo was an italian sculptor, painter, architect and poet. He Read more

  • Sample Lesson Plan – Speech

    Lindsey Ralls (Summit Christian Academy) Lesson Overview Homework Objectives/Standards Organizing a speech-the six parts of speech organization according to Cicero Read Chapter 8 in textbook for Monday SPCH 1.6 – Establish credibility and build rapport with the audience Enduring Understanding: Effective communicators must establish trust, rapport, and credibility with their audience. Unit Essential Questions: How does skill in Read more

What we’re all about

Pai·deia (noun) – The upbringing of a child

Prac·ti·cal (adjective) – Concerned with the actual doing or use of something rather than with simply theory and ideas 

Paideian – A paideian is an individual shaped by or committed to the principles of paideia,

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