Develop a flourishing classical teaching practice rooted in the Christian Classical Tradition.
“Teaching is one of the three great cooperative arts. The other two are farming and healing –the arts of agriculture and of medicine. All three are “cooperative” because they must work with nature to produce the goods they aim at.”
– Mortimer Adler, The Paideia Proposal: An Educational Manifesto
The teacher’s job is to support students on their learning journey. We cannot learn for the students or force them to learn. At the same time, if students are not learning, the work of education is not happening. The solution is to connect with what goes on inside a student when they learn and how we can come alongside them to support them in learning. They are the heroes. We are their guides.
All teacher training courses, workshops, and in-person training at Paideia Academics focus on training teachers to teach within the Christian classical tradition, which includes an approach that honors the nature of the student, the teacher, and the content and skills we study in the classical liberal arts tradition.
Current Online (At Your Own Pace) Teacher Training Courses
Teaching with the Rhythms of Nature: How Students Learn & How to Teach Them Accordingly
This course is our signature teacher training experience —online and at your own pace. Originally called the Fellowship. In this course, you will gain a solid understanding of the journey a student takes from unknowing to mastery, the five topics of classical teaching, a survey of the seven liberal arts, how to think about them, tips on how to teach them, and a plethora of examples and resources. Learn more about the modules and topics and Enroll.
How to Teach Any Good Book ~ Using Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings as an Example
Usher Students into the Practice of Attentive Reading Through the Transformative World of Middle Earth!
At Your Own Pace Mini-Course. “This class was excellent! I am so excited to use the materials this fall. And, while it was obviously geared towards the Lord of the Rings, I gained so much insight into becoming a better classical teacher and will use the ideas in this course with any novel in the future.” – Laura E. Learn more about the modules and topics and Enroll.
Teaching Mathematics as One of the Humanities
A master class offered to you by Paideia Academics and taught by William Carey. At the end of this course, you will have grown in confidence in your ability to explore and enjoy mathematical ideas with yourself and with your students. You will have access to a canon of great mathematical works that illuminate truths in mathematics elegantly and clearly. Learn more about the modules and topics and Enroll.
Consulting, In-Person Training, and Speaking
If you are interested in private consulting, in-person training, workshops, retreats, or speaking, you can bring our trainer, Jennifer, to your school or homeschool community. Learn more and schedule a discovery call on our Consulting and Custom Training page.
Meet Jennifer R. Patterson
Classical Teacher, Coach to Classical Teachers, Author, Artist, Poet, and Life-Long Student.
- 14+ years of experience teaching the classical liberal arts, fine arts, and nature studies and consistently developing as a classical teacher.
- Taught hundreds of students in PreK-12th grades.
- Coached over 200 teachers and educational leaders on cultivating classical communities and teaching the classical liberal arts.
- Founder of Paideia Academics and the Paideia Academics Online Academy
Testimonials
“The Fellowship has transformed not only my life and instruction style but also the lives of the children I teach. I have been able to effectively apply what I have learned in real life. A few of those lessons and experiences are: freedom in exploring new ideas, confidence in asking questions and providing feedback, honed my craft of teaching using the tools of atmosphere, liturgy, and forms, developed a deeper love of the content I teach, learning to trust myself and the process on the path to mastery, developed a daily practice of mindful observation to see how to create harmony in a given situation. I learned how to exchange micromanaging outcomes and results motivated toward perfection for a graced filled integrated learning experience for the children and the teacher.”
Deniese Brewer
Fellow, 2020-23
My time spent in the Fellowship is birthing in me a new paradigm for how I teach, and for how I consider my everyday moments. I’ve been drawn to the beauty and philosophy of educating my children within the great tradition, and Jen’s coaching is opening up for me an expanded understanding of the roles of hospitality and humility in the quest to embody a spirit of inquiry.
Carissa Jansson
Fellow, 2022-23
Since joining The Fellowship, my day-to-day homeschool probably looks very similar, but I am the one who has changed. Jennifer has graciously taught me that to become a better classical teacher, I must become a better student. And as a student, the goal of learning is to know, love, and live Truth. I am learning to honor the content I teach and the students under my care. For my relationship with both to flourish, I know I must approach them with humility, curiosity, and wonder. During one of our coaching sessions, Jennifer challenged me to notice and consider a difficult teacher moment I faced. My contemplation led to a very significant question: “What is the educational story I am telling myself and my children?” Ultimately, “Why must we do school?” I am so grateful to Jennifer and The Fellowship for shedding more light on this question, its answer, and my journey as a classical teacher and student.
Bethany Speier
Fellow, 2022-23