Classical schooling can be likened to a liberal arts education. Within the framework of a Christian classical education, The Geneva School endeavors to teach its students to discern and appreciate what is good, true, and beautiful. In doing so, the teacher imparts more than isolated facts, and the student is responsible for gathering information for more than the “mere possession of it.”
A liberal arts education derives its essence from the Latin word libertas, meaning freedom—freedom from ignorance and unbelief. Therefore, a true liberal arts education is not merely the sprinkling of many subjects; rather, it involves shaping character, fostering social responsibility, and cultivating the mind of the student to become a life-long learner. These are intrinsic components of the education offered at The Geneva School.
In keeping with the classical approach, all subjects are taught in integration. Because knowledge is interrelated across disciplines, as opposed to standing alone, we weave our curricular elements throughout the spectrum of grade levels, rather than teach each subject independently or in a thematic cluster format. History is the hinge upon which all this is hung.
At The Geneva School, the students study four time periods in history: ancient civilization, the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation, and the modern era. As students progress through their years at The Geneva School, they will encounter these historical eras twice with a progressively deeper level of examination each time. |
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A classical education offers both substantial content and a unique approach to the teaching itself. From Kindergarten through sixth grade, which Geneva has called the Grammar School, the student’s mind is ready to absorb facts, and this is where the rudimentary truths of each discipline begin to develop. Children find it fun and relatively easy to memorize, so we capitalize on this by teaching through singing, chanting, rhyming, story telling, re-enactments, and other creative modes of learning. During the grammar school years, students dissect in science, perform in literature, and memorize math facts, history dates, grammar rules, and Latin vocabulary. As students progress, these mechanics will become the building blocks which will enable them to think analytically. Geneva teachers gently move the students through these years toward being able to draw conclusions. Around fifth or sixth grade, students begin looking more critically at all they have learned and begin to ask the question “Why?” The student becomes interested not only in the facts, but also in how these facts relate to one another.
If you were to take a look into a fourth grade classroom, you might find students studying the Middle Ages and the development of the feudal system. In Bible, the dominant story line is that of the prophet's warning to Israel that they were living in profound disobedience to the one true King, and that their kingdom was about to end through war with their enemies. In Literature, students are reading about Robin Hood and King Arthur, who were legends of fairness and love and who evolved as an inspiration to the people of the period. In science, students build castles and catapults and discuss Newton’s laws of motion. In art, students design and make a coat of arms, and in their homeroom class, they cook medieval dishes and learn medieval dances. Students take on the responsibilities of a page and squire by assisting older students in various ways. Once all their obligations have been fulfilled, the code of chivalry is recited and the students are knighted in the presence of family and friends, and this great accomplishment is celebrated with a magnificent feast.
In history class, as fifth grade students study exploration and settlements, they are also learning about meteorology, navigation, and oceanography in science. In second grade, as the students study the Egyptian culture, they are learning about simple machines, the Nile Delta, and the process of mummification in their science class. Integration of subjects is a key element of classical education, with each lesson building upon the previous and undergirding the next.
The middle years, seventh and eighth grades, are what we have called the Dialectic or Logic phase of classical education—a time when the students’ asking of questions comes into full bloom. A student studies such seemingly unrelated topics as geometric proofs and English grammar, but through the help of his logic class, he understands that there is a profound connection. For in both geometric proofs and English grammar, the student is dealing with the concepts of implication and necessity; the student begins to understand that the structure of both the proof and the paragraph makes them intricately related. Our curriculum allows students to see, then, that the different subjects they study are actually different ways of knowing, rather than different bodies of knowledge.
Our goal is to develop students who can think not only biblically but also logically. The art of thinking is taught through philosophy, as well as formal and informal logic. Students are challenged to look at the facts that they have memorized and contemplate what is true about them, why they are true, and how they relate. Information is absorbed, reflected upon, and analyzed. Although logic is interwoven throughout all grades, here in the middle years when the student is ready to think more abstractly, there is an emphasis on this particular mode of learning.
The upper school, ninth through twelfth grades, is where facts and their analysis are creatively expressed. Because of the amount of writing and speaking that takes place during these years, these grades are often referred to as the Rhetoric phase of Classical education. The term Rhetoric denotes expression, and it is during these years that the students learn the tools of communicating with wisdom—clearly, eloquently, effectively, and persuasively.
Geneva students are unique in that they read the ancient classics by writers such as Plato, Aristotle, and Homer. They also read the more modern classics of literature penned by writers such as C.S. Lewis, T.S. Eliot, and Emily Dickinson, along with a tremendous breadth of poetry. However, these great works alone do not comprise a classical education. The key that will allow a student to explore and pursue the natural curiosity that is within him is the freedom of knowing how to think. Education driven by letter grades will not accomplish this.
A classical education is rigorous work. It is different. It stretches what we know and how we think. But the knowledge and wisdom gained by it are of far greater value than the simple goal of getting good grades. At The Geneva School we are educating young men and women to be life-long learners, to pursue knowing God’s truth, to be committed to the society in which they live, and to be able to express themselves beautifully within that society.
If you have further questions regarding the curriculum at Geneva, please contact our Director of Curriculum Bill Wood |
