Hillsdale College K-12 Classical Education Podcast
A 20-minute podcast featuring professors, K-12 teachers, and friends of Hillsdale College, all speaking about classical education—what it is, why it’s still relevant today, and what makes it unique. Hosted by Scot Bertram.
Episodes
Kathleen O’Toole, associate vice president for K-12 Education at Hillsdale College, is joined by Patrick Whalen to discuss the virtues of physical education. Patrick Whalen is founder and CEO of Iliad Athletics.
Learn more: https://k12.hillsdale.edu/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Justin A. Jackson, Edrie Seward Kennedy chair in English and chairman and professor of English at Hillsdale College, delivers a lecture on the discipline of literary analysis and his new book The Elements of Analysis: An Introduction to Careful Reading.
This lecture was given at the Hoogland Center for Teacher Excellence seminar, “The Art of Teaching: Literature” in October 2025. The Hoogland Center for Teache...
Noah Bush and Gina Capaldi join host Scot Bertram to discuss art as a discipline, how the arts change students for the better, and building collaboration between art and music teachers. Noah is upper school music and fine arts director, and Gina is an art, art history, and studio art teacher at Orange County Classical Academy in Orange, California.
Learn more: https://k12.hillsdale.edu/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...
Michele DiCristoforo, lead third grade teacher at Cincinnati Classical Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio, joins host Scot Bertram to discuss instilling a sense of wonder in students, extending the sense of wonder to wider classical education community, and discovering resources for teachers looking to improve their pedagogy.
Learn more: https://k12.hillsdale.edu/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kathleen O’Toole, associate vice president for K-12 Education at Hillsdale College, is joined by Matthew Mehan to discuss his new book The American Book of Fables. Matthew Mehan is associate dean and associate professor at the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College in Washington, D.C..
Learn more: https://k12.hillsdale.edu/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jonathan Gregg, assistant professor of education at Hillsdale College, delivers a lecture on instilling wonder in your students when teaching mathematics.
This lecture was given at the Hoogland Center for Teacher Excellence seminar, “The Art of Teaching: Mathematics” in September 2025. The Hoogland Center for Teacher Excellence, an outreach of the Hillsdale College K-12 Education Office, offers educators the opport...
Eric Hutchinson, associate professor of classics and chairman of Collegiate Scholars Program at Hillsdale College, joins host Scot Bertram to discuss the foundations of Roman mythology, best practices for teaching Virgil's The Aeneid, and the differences between Aeneas and other heroes of antiquity.
Learn more: https://k12.hillsdale.edu/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Diana Kinser, French teacher at Seven Oaks Classical School in Ellettsville, Indiana, joins host Scot Bertram to discuss teaching a modern language at a classical school, how modern languages helps teach students virtue, and the rewards from seeing students succeed.
Learn more: https://k12.hillsdale.edu/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kathleen O’Toole, associate vice president for K-12 Education at Hillsdale College, is joined by Charles R. Kesler to discuss the Declaration of Independence and the legacy of the American Founding. Charles R. Kesler is editor of the Claremont Review of Books and professor of government at Claremont McKenna College.
Learn more: https://k12.hillsdale.edu/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Join Michael Berndt, director of curriculum at the Hillsdale College K-12 Education Office, Allison Postell, assistant professor of Philosophy at Hillsdale College, Paul Rahe professor of history and Charles O. Lee and Louise K. Lee chair in the western heritage at Hillsdale College, and Joshua Gibbs, director of the classical teaching institute, for a panel on the classical virtue of ambition.
The four discuss whether the vi...
Kayla Cruthers is the Head of School at Ivywood Classical Academy in Plymouth, Michigan. Join Scot Bertram as he and Kayla discuss why classical education is important to a community and how Hillsdale’s K-12 Education Office helped shape her understanding of and vision for an American Classical Education.
Learn more: https://k12.hillsdale.edu/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...
Paul Mittermeier, Upper School Humanities teacher at Cincinnati Classical Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio, joins host Scot Bertram to discuss the importance of formal logic, why formal logic plays such an important role in classical education, and how formal logic helps student improve their reading comprehension.
Learn more: https://k12.hillsdale.edu/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kathleen O’Toole, associate vice president for K-12 Education at Hillsdale College, is joined by Matthew Spalding to discuss his new book, The Making of the American Mind: The Story of our Declaration of Independence, and the importance of teaching American history properly. Matthew Spalding is vice president of Washington Operations and dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College...
Join John Peterson, lecturer in education and politics at Hillsdale College, Jonathan Gregg, assistant professor of education at Hillsdale College, Kevin Gary associate professor of education at Hillsdale College, and Ryan Hammill, executive director of the Ancient Language Institute, for a panel on David Hick's Norms and Nobility: A Treatise on Education.
The four discuss the degree with which classical education is consiste...
Tina Bolin, literacy coordinator at Treasure Valley Classical Academy in Fruitland, Idaho, and a literacy trainer with Hillsdale College K-12 Education, joins host Scot Bertram to discuss her journey from home school teacher to classical school teacher, the unique challenge of teaching teachers, and the joy that comes from seeing students learn to read.
Learn more: https://k12.hillsdale.edu/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...
Sonja Bindus, teacher support lead for Hillsdale College K-12 Education, joins host Scot Bertram to discuss teaching students how to appreciate art, learning from the artistic masters, and how to help students develop artistic skills.
Learn more: https://k12.hillsdale.edu/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Joshua Villarreal, teacher support lead at Hillsdale College's K-12 Education Office, joins host Scot Bertram to discuss the classical themes in the film Die Hard, the importance of education in forming character, and the differences between classical and progressive methods of education.
Learn more: https://k12.hillsdale.edu/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kathleen O’Toole, associate vice president for K-12 Education at Hillsdale College, is joined by James Hankins to discuss the first volume of his co-authored series of textbooks, The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition, and the importance of classical education. James Hankins is a visiting professor of humanities at the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education at the Universit...
Julie Apel, assistant headmaster at Hillsdale Academy in Hillsdale, Michigan, joins host Scot Bertram to discuss Hillsdale’s Master Teacher Program, what makes a teacher a master teacher, and how the program aligns with classical education principles and best practices.
Learn more: https://k12.hillsdale.edu/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
John Peterson, assistant director of curriculum at Hillsdale College's K-12 Education Office, joins host Scot Bertram to discuss the concept of history as rhetoric, the importance of speeches and arguments in history, and how the American education system typically teaches history.
Learn more: https://k12.hillsdale.edu/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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