Institute for Classical Education

Educators often come to Flagler College to learn more about K-12 classical education.

Professional Development Programs for K-12 Teachers

We offer some of the best learning resources from Florida's most recognizable private college. K-12 classical educators can grow their knowledge and skills by learning from various seminars and courses that comprehensively explore topics. You'll also learn theory and then put it into practice.

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We invite you to learn, socialize, and connect with fellow classical educators at Flagler College's Institute for Classical Education. The institute supports schools and teachers throughout Florida. We provide programs and professional development opportunities to advance traditional liberal arts education.

Experts in classical education and Flagler College faculty lead our programs. We often ask you to engage with classic Western texts to develop your understanding of the liberal arts and strengthen your skills and methods in classical teaching.

Programming

Monthly seminars provide opportunities for classical teachers and school leaders to learn about classical content and pedagogy. Seminars are held from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on our beautiful campus in St. Augustine. Breakfast will be provided.

Start your weekend right and join us for these vibrant sessions!

2024-25

October 5th - How to Teach Students How to Write: A Lecture and Demonstration by Joshua Gibbs

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November 9th - The Lost Tools of Learning: Lesson Planning with the Trivium, Dr. Alyssan Barnes

December 7th - Topic: TBA, Flagler College professor, Dr. John Young

Flagler College's Classical Institute offers professional development opportunities on classical pedagogy, curriculum, educational philosophy, assessment, classical texts, and other topics. We teach online, at our historic campus, and at locations across the state.

Contact us if your school or academy would like a professional development session.

In June 2024, the Institute led classical educators and school leaders on a journey through Spain to explore the culture and its contributions to classical learning that continue to impact us today.

Flagler professors Aggie and Tim Johnson led participants on a journey into Spain's rich history, vibrant culture, and captivating architecture and landscapes. This unforgettable classical learning experience included visits to grand cathedrals, historical centers, local culinary experiences, and world-renowned museums.

Institute for Classical Education Summer Workshop and Retreat

The Institute for Classical Education hosted an annual workshop and retreat at the end of the academic year. This year's workshop was held June 12-14 on Flagler College's campus in historic downtown St. Augustine.

The workshop focused on integrating classical literature into classroom teaching for Florida's K-12 educators and school leaders. Workshop sessions are for early (grammar), middle (logic), and upper (rhetoric) grades.

2024 Summer Workshop Programming

Wednesday, June 12th

3 - 5:15 p.m. – Arrival and check-in, Voco Hotel.
5:45 p.m. – Shuttle to dinner (If not staying at Voco, plan to arrive at dinner prior to 6pm).
6 - 8 p.m. – Dinner, St. Augustine Historical Society
8 p.m. – Shuttle back to Voco Hotel

Thursday, June 13th

7:45 - 8 a.m. – Shuttle from Voco to Flagler College
8:15 - 9 a.m. – Breakfast and Opening Remarks (Pollard Hall Common Area)
9 - 11:15 a.m. – Workshop Sessions
- Grades 6-12: Teaching Classical Antiquity, Professors John Young and Doug Keaton (Pollard 228)
- Grades K-5: Integrating Literature into the Classical Grammar School, Hope Carrasquilla (Pollard 151)
11:45 a.m. -12:45 p.m. – Keynote Address, On the Necessity of Old Books for a New Conversation,
Dr. Angel Adams Parham (Virginia Room, Ringhaver Center)
12:45 -1:45 p.m. – Lunch (Markland House)
1:45 - 2:15 p.m. – Walk through Historic Ponce Hall and back to Pollard Hall
2:30 - 4:45 p.m. – Workshop Sessions
- Grades 6-12: Socratic Seminar: Crash Course 1.0, Alex Julian (Pollard 228)
- Grades K-5: Socratic Teaching in K-5, Katie Julian (Pollard 151)
5 p.m. – Shuttle to Voco (dinner on own)

Friday, June 14

8 - 8:15 a.m. – Shuttle from Voco to Flagler College
8:30 - 9:15 a.m. – Breakfast (Pollard Common Area)
9:15 - 11:45 a.m. – Workshop Sessions
- Grades 6-12: Truth, Goodness, and Beauty - Pillars of Classical Education, Professors Annie Schultz
  and Katherine Sweet (Pollard 228)
- Grades K-5: A Classical Approach to Elementary Mathematics, Katie Julian (Pollard 151)
Noon -1 p.m. – Lunch (Pollard Common Area)
1 -3:30 p.m. – Workshop Sessions
- Grades 6-12: Socratic Seminar - Crash Course 2.0, Alex Julian (Pollard 228)
- Grades K-5: Integrating Art into the General Classical Curriculum, Hope Carrasquilla (Pollard 151)
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. – Panel Session (Pollard Common Area)
Grades K-12 – Perspectives from the Classical Classroom: A Dialogue with Teachers
- Isabelle Sala, Cornerstone Classical Academy
- Tiffanie White, Jacksonville Classical Academy
- Laura Bland, Veritas Classical School
- Bo Evans, Veritas Preparatory School
4:45 p.m. – Shuttle back to Voco Hotel

Download a PDF version here:

Classical Ed Workshop - Agenda_V3.pdf
(87.78 KB)

Flagler College's Classical Institute is proud to welcome renowned speakers and innovators within the Classical Education space to lead our discussions and workshops. To view a full the full list and information, see the PDF below.

Classical Ed Speakers Workshops - Speakers_V3.pdf
(664.83 KB)

Presenting “On the Necessity of Old Books for a New Conversation,” Dr. Parham is an Associate Professor of Sociology and senior fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia.

Parham is also the Associate Director for UVA’s major in Political and Social Thought, where she equips students to examine transformations in political and social thought from antiquity through the present.

Her research is in historical sociology, where she engages in inquiry that examines the past to better understand how to live well in the present and envision wisely for the future. Her most recent book, co-authored with Anika Prather, is entitled "The Black Intellectual Tradition: Reading Freedom in Classical Literature" (2022). Parham has published articles on the intersection of Black writers and the classics in popular outlets, including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Public Discourse, and Common Good Magazine.

Dr. Parham is the co-founder and executive director of Nyansa Classical Community, which provides curricula and programming designed to connect with students from diverse backgrounds, inviting them to participate in the Great Conversation, cultivate their moral imagination, and pursue truth, goodness, and beauty. Parham has been a member of the School of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and the recipient of a Fulbright grant. She received her bachelor’s degree from Yale University and completed her doctoral work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Sessions include topics like:

Socratic Seminar Across the Classical Curriculum
Teaching Classically in the Lower School: Texts and Strategies
Writing Across the Classical Curriculum
Truth, Goodness, and Beauty: The Pillars of Classical Education
Perspectives from the Classroom: A Dialogue with Classical Teachers

2023 Workshop

The 2023 workshop was "Integrating Challenging Classical Literature Throughout Curriculum." A generous grant from the State of Florida made it happen. View a full recap of our 2023 workshop here.

What Classical Educators Have to Say

Here's what some participants had to share:

"I thoroughly enjoyed all the sessions. Each presentation offered unique insights into how to effectively lecture, deliver engaging presentations, and interact with the audience to create an optimal learning environment.”

“It was a wonderful time of bonding with my own school’s team members and meeting new colleagues from different schools.”