A great error in modern education is made where parents and teachers view students as passive learners and speak of education as something to be received by the student. In such an environment, the students become the judges of their teachers, schools and study materials. Disapproval from an ignorant student sends parents shopping for alternatives. Everything about this situation is backwards. We don’t do things this way in the CLAA.
Students must work first in education.
This is clear from the name “student”. The word is derived from the Latin participle studens, which means one who is studying. It is a present, active participle that describes someone who is working. In fact, the participle is derived from the Latin verb studere, which means “to seek”. To be a student, one must be an active seeker. If one is not actively seeking, he is not a bad student; he is no student at all. Modern schools and homeschools are filled with children who are not students.
In the Classical Liberal Arts Academy, we work with students. We require that the children we work with work before they receive help. The more they work, the more help they get. This is the only way true education is possible. For example, we provide students with study materials and assignments that allow them to develop and demonstrate their understanding. We do not read the study materials for them. We don’t explain the study materials to them. We tell the students to read and study the lesson materials. Then, we tell the students to complete assignments and submit them for review.
This is where our work with the students begins.
We review the student’s answers and judge whether they give evidence of a careful and complete study of the lesson. If not, we send them back to their lesson. If they do well, they receive a passing score, and we challenge them to continue working until a perfect score is achieved. We allow students to re-submit work as many times as they need to earn a perfect score. This is not necessary, but possible.
We do not explain lessons to students because the lessons are explanations of the subjects. We send the students to the lessons, teach them “How to Study for Mastery“, and expect them to follow those instructions. Asking for help is part of that process. When they ask for it, we provide it.
This “work first” policy doesn’t leave students to themselves. Far from it. We’ve already done the work of preparing the curriculum and study materials and assessments for those who will study. We are ready to work with them. Their parents must furnish an environment that is conducive to rigorous study, and must support them with motivating rewards and punishments. There is plenty of help on all sides of the children–but they are required to work first.
This challenge usually causes children to move slowly early on. Students accustomed to the modern culture will imagine themselves to be judges of their teachers (or history’s greatest education works), and this, unfortunately, is often encouraged by parents with similar attitudes. However, if and when the students begin taking responsibility for their work and see that sufficient help is available when they need it, they gain confidence and begin to make progress more readily. If a student is disposed to virtue and embraces this challenge, there is no limit to what he can achieve. He will grow up and always think to “work first” whenever something needs to be done. This is a goal of our program.
Modern schools, on the other hand, raise children to wait to be served by others, who complain about their teachers and parents and imagine themselves to be entitled to more and more. A look at our society reveals the consequences of this approach to education.
In the Classical Liberal Arts Academy, students work first.
God bless your studies,
Mr. William C. Michael, O.P.
Headmaster
Classical Liberal Arts Academy
