Episode Overview

Title: Practical Tips for Teaching Western Civilization in Elementary School
Podcast: Hillsdale College Podcast Network Superfeed
Host: Scott Bertram
Date: May 8, 2025

This episode features a rich, practical lecture delivered at a Hoagland Center for Teacher Excellence Seminar, focusing on concrete strategies and philosophical underpinnings for introducing Western Civilization to elementary students. The speaker, a Hillsdale College educator with wide-ranging experience from kindergarten to college, shares firsthand insights into making concepts from classical antiquity accessible, engaging, and meaningful for young learners—particularly third and fourth graders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Essentials of a Quality Education

Timestamps: 01:57–04:20

• The success of education is rooted in the curriculum and teachers, not facilities or funding.
• The speaker shares a personal anecdote about their father’s public-school education and success, emphasizing resilience and academic rigor over material resources.
• Quote:

  "It's the teachers and it's the curriculum. That's all." (02:54)

2. The Importance of Not Talking Down to Children

Timestamps: 04:21–08:46

• Children crave to be treated with respect and challenged intellectually, regardless of age or school type.
• It's key not to “talk down” or “over-inflate” concepts, but instead believe in students’ reasoning capacities.
• Quote:

  "They want to be treated as if they're important. They want to be challenged. That's been my experience." (05:13)

• Children are natural “lawyers”—consistently asking “why?”—showing their inherent search for reason and fairness.

3. Introducing Reason, Wisdom, and Emotions in the Classroom

Timestamps: 08:47–13:35

• The educator underscores the teaching of how to reason, not what to think.
• Children are not only rational but also highly visual and emotional; educators should help them find balance between reason and emotion.
• Emphasizes method of helping students reflect: "Is this reasonable? Is this wise? Is this good?" (11:17)

4. Teaching Tools: Art, Coins, Architecture, and More

Timestamps: 13:36–21:45

• Art and Architecture: Use visual aids—Greek columns, statues, and structures—to connect history to something tangible and familiar.
• Roman Coins: Brings in an ancient coin depicting a citizen voting, sparking lessons on public vs. private voting, social pressure, and citizenship.
  • Quote:

    "You can talk to your students about this kind of thing. I mean, this is a great lesson that I think a third and fourth grader, frankly, would pretty easily grasp." (17:05)

• Encourage students to identify classical elements in modern America (e.g., state capitols).

5. Engaging Through Biography and Storytelling

Timestamps: 21:46–29:25

• Biographies connect children personally to historical periods via stories of individuals (e.g., Alexander the Great with his horse Bucephalus).
  • The story of Bucephalus captures imagination and offers ethical discussion on pride, courage, and virtue.
  • Quote:

    "To meet one of these people and to enter into this world through a person I think is always very, very helpful..." (23:20)

6. Explaining Philosophy to Children: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle

Timestamps: 29:26–41:16

• Children can and should be introduced to deep philosophical questions early on.
• Socrates: Emphasize his roles as soldier, stonemason, and philosopher—demystify philosophy as accessible, practical wisdom.
  • Teaching the concept of “philosopher” = “lover of wisdom.”
  • Quote:

    "Would you like to be someone who loves wisdom? ...I'd like to do that, right?" (32:45)

  • Relate philosophy to classroom behavior (virtue, justice, cheating).
• Plato: Children benefit from understanding the world isn’t perfect; from Plato, teach them to love what is beautiful and pursue truth over popularity.
  • Quote:

    "The object of education is to teach us to love what is beautiful." (39:32)

• Aristotle: Biographical links to Alexander and Aristotle’s focus on virtues, truth-seeking, early science foundations, and the scientific method.

7. Civics and Citizenship

Timestamps: 41:17–43:45

• Using sources like Polybius, discuss voting, civic responsibility, and democratic participation in simple, relatable terms.
• Encourage children to see themselves as active participants in their communities and relate lessons to their experience as “citizens” of the classroom and school.

8. The Critical Role of Maps and Geography

Timestamps: 43:46–44:50

• Always incorporate maps to ground historical events in spatial reasoning; children must see where history happened.
• Use examples that correct misconceptions and help students appreciate the interconnectedness of world history.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On resources:

  "It doesn't care what your building looks like... You can have a beautiful, amazing building... and it'd be absolutely vapid, absolutely ignorant." (03:00)

• On approach to teaching:

  "If you have a great school, it could be in a tent." (03:18)

• On children’s reasoning:

  "They have the ability to reason, like you and I. And one of the main things that we're doing in classical education is teaching these young ones how to strengthen the ability to reason, to think through things, and then how to apply it, really." (06:09)

• On biography as a teaching tool:

  "The story of Bucephalus, this ox-headed horse, being afraid of his own shadow—you know, that catches their attention as well." (28:34)

• On challenges and growth:

  "In my history as headmaster and as a teacher, I've been far, far more proud of the students who have made it through and reached heights that they never thought they could reach..." (37:44)

• On ideals over popularity:

  "You should not honor men more than truth. If something is true, if something is right and good, follow that..." (39:42)

Practical Tips Recap

• Don’t underestimate children: Speak to children as capable learners; challenge them reasonably.
• Use tangible history tools: Employ art, coins, maps, and biographies.
• Introduce philosophical thinking early: Socratic questioning, stories of virtue and reason, and the pursuit of wisdom are accessible and impactful starting at a young age.
• Apply classical models to modern citizenship: Use Roman/Greek history to explore themes of civic participation, ethics, and democracy.
• Make connections personal: Show how history and philosophy relate to students’ own lives, families, and communities.

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Topic | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------------|------------| | The real foundation of good schooling | 01:57–04:20| | Addressing children as thinkers and challengers | 04:21–08:46| | Reason, emotion, and reflection in child behavior | 08:47–13:35| | Using art, architecture, and ancient coins | 13:36–21:45| | Bringing history alive through biography | 21:46–29:25| | Teaching Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle to children | 29:26–41:16| | Incorporating civics and citizenship | 41:17–43:45| | The importance of maps and global context | 43:46–44:50|

Closing Thoughts

This lecture is a practical, inspiring guide for educators invested in imparting the wisdom, virtue, and content-rich traditions of Western Civilization to elementary students. The speaker’s anecdotes, strategies, and emphasis on respect, rigor, and relevance provide a roadmap for making ancient lessons vital and alive in today’s classrooms.