“The Classical Liberating Arts are a vehicle that ushers humans toward deep healing and transformation. It is the birthright of every living soul to encounter this transformation and flourish. Sure, students who learn this way will have an impressive transcript, be college-ready, and shine in the workforce, but they will, more importantly, become more themselves, notice the humanity of others, seek understanding instead of remaining in ignorance, and rule themselves like the best of kings and queens. At the end of the day, this restructuring of priorities and a focus on the true, good, and beautiful leads to a life of wholeness and fulfillment, a life of “more than we could ask or imagine.”
Jennifer Ruth Souza
Jennifer Ruth Souza (formerly Jennifer Patterson-Dow) is a classical teacher, curriculum developer, and learning & development specialist. Jennifer completed her BA in Interdisciplinary Studies & English from Belmont Abbey College, is a CiRCE certified Classical Teacher, and is currently pursuing her Masters in Theological Studies, with a concentration in Patristics & Pedagogy, at Hellenic College Holy Cross. She has taught humanities, logic, writing, rhetoric, and the fine arts since 2009. She is the founder of Paideia Academics, an online resource and training center for Christian classical educators and Eastern Orthodox Charlotte Mason Homeschoolers, a popular Facebook group to discuss implementing a Charlotte Mason education in the Eastern Orthodox homeschool.
Jennifer was a contributing author for The Lost Tools of Writing Level 1, published by The CiRCE Institute, and former co-host of The Classical Homeschool Podcast. Jennifer has spoken at dozens of events across the nation on classical education and teaching.
Her research interests include:
– Classical Rhetoric
– Classical Pedagogy
– The Liberal Arts
– Literature, Letters, and Fine Art Studies
– The Intersection of Education and Healing
– Education and Pedagogy through the lives and writings of the Saints, Patristic Fathers, and Iconography
Jennifer lives with her husband, Fr. John, in Southern California. Together they have five grown children and one son who joined the bunch in 2025! She enjoys music, art, poetry, trying her hand at a challenging recipe, collecting more books than she’ll ever read, and sauntering about in nature.
Jennifer’s published works and podcast appearances can be seen across the web. View Jennifer’s Curriculum Vitae Here.
Services
Teacher Training, Workshops, & Speaking – Learn More; Download Jennifer’s Speaking & Workshops Informational Sheet; View Jennifer’s Curriculum Vitae Here.
Lectures, Workshops, & Colloquia
Access example lectures, podcast interviews, and workshops here.
- Mirror, Mystery, & Manifestation: Greek, Hebraic, and Modern Conceptions of Glory and What it Means for Classical Teaching), July 2021, CiRCE National Conference
- A Pattern for Restful Teaching: From the Poetry of Wendell Berry, September 2020, Get to Know Scholé Series
- Guest Lecturer, Classical Education at Home: Foundations; Classical Education at Home: Curriculum and Pedagogy; The Practice of Scholé; Scholé Communities Leadership, ClassicalU, June 2020
- What is Classical Education? Dispelling Common Classical Education Myths, January 2020, Thriving Students Series
- Reclaiming Rhetoric as the Pursuit & Practice of Love, August 2019, CiRCE Lecture Series
- Friendship: A Flexible Form for Teaching & Learning; Conference Q&A Panel; 2019 CiRCE National Conference
- A Sacred Journey: Friendship as the Form of Learning; 2019 CiRCE Regional Conference
- Silencing the Sirens: Odysseus & the Sirens; 2019 Scholé Groups Retreat, Classical Academic Press
- Reading Relationally; Creating Thriving Classical Communities; 2018 St. Emmelia Conference
- How to Teach the Humanities in Fifth-Twelfth Grades; A Paradigm for Teaching Anything; 2018 & 2017 Paideia Fellowship Conference
- Stages of Learning; A Fairy Tale Journey: Finding the Nightingale; 2017 Classical Education Simplified Conference
- How to Teach Classically; 2016 NCHE Thrive Conference
- How to Teach Nature Study; The History of Classical Education; A Fairy Tale Journey: Finding the Nightingale; 2016 Homeschooling from Rest Retreat
- The Five Elements of Classical Education; 2015 HINTS Book Fair
The Five Postures of Classical Teaching
When it comes to classical teaching, there is a lot of information out there, and it’s not always conveyed in a practical way. Sometimes, this leads us to think classical teaching is not accessible. However, becoming a highly skilled and confident classical teacher is more accessible than you may think. There are only five roles, or postures, that give shape to everything one can do when teaching classically. This guide introduces you to those five postures, helps you identify your natural posture, and teaches you how to lean into the others. Download The Five Postures of Classical Teaching for Free! Download the Free Guide