PODCAST · education
Developing Classical Thinkers
by Developing Classical Thinkers
Developing Classical Thinkers is a classical podcast for classical thinkers, created and supported by the teachers at Thales Academy, a classical school in Raleigh, North Carolina. A Thales Press podcast.
Episodes
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Super Habits with Andrew Abela
A conversation with Andrew Abela and Robert Luddy on the nature of virtue ethics, human flourishing, and the small, incremental but invaluable steps we should take each day for personal improvement and growth. Andrew Abela is the founding dean of the Busch School of Business and Ordinary…
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The Joys of Teaching with Tiffany Whitaker
In this episode, Winston Brady speaks with Tiffany Whitaker about her experience teaching elementary school at the Thales Academy Wake Forest campus. Tiffany Whitaker is a Franklinton, North Carolina resident, East Carolina University alumnus, and seventh-year teacher at Thales Academy. She holds…
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The Virtue of Justice by Kellie Scripter
In this lecture, Kellie Scripter addresses the virtue of justice in the context of a content-rich classical education. A classical education provides students with opportunities to understand virtues like justice by encouraging them to develop intellectual discipline, exercise their moral...
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The Virtue of Temperance by Winston Brady
Winston Brady, director of Thales Press, addresses the virtue of temperance and why students should cultivate this important virtue. Temperance is the virtue of self-control and moderation, a habit people can achieve by bringing their appetites into harmony with their reason. Winston Brady...
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The Virtue of Prudence with Anthony Esolen
Anthony Esolen, distinguished professor of the humanities at Thales College, addresses the virtue of prudence. Dr. Anthony Esolen received his A.B. in English Literature from Princeton University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Renaissance English Literature from the University of North Carolina at...
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The Virtue of Courage from Robert Luddy
Robert Luddy, founder of Thales Academy, addresses the virtue of courage and how important it is for students to face their fears, overcome adversity, and take small, practical steps to cultivate this cardinal virtue. Robert "Bob" Luddy is the Founder and Chairman of Thales Academy, Thales…
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What do Parents Want in a Classical School?
Eric Wearne is a Visiting Associate Professor with the Education Economics Center at Kennesaw State University. In line with his work on the intersection of statistics, school choice, and classical education, Professor Wearne conducted a survey of parents with children in a wide variety of...
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Happy 4th of July!
A special episode on the history behind the celebrations of the Fourth of July, plus some of the most significant people in American history who have been born on, or departed from this Earth on, the 4th of July.
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Limits & the Human Condition by Winston Brady | Ciceronian Society 2025
On March 13-15, several Thales faculty members participated in the 2025 annual meeting of the Ciceronian Society in Harrisonburg, Virginia. This lecture comes from Winston Brady, director of Thales Press. In this address, Winston examined the relationship between limits and liberty, for the…
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Work and the Meaning of Life with David Bahnsen
Author David Bahnsen joins Developing Classical Thinkers to talk about the importance of work for our health and happiness, with insights drawn from his book, "Full Time: Work and the Meaning of Life." In "Full Time," Bahnsen argues that the time has come to stop tip-toeing around the issues that...
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Memorial Day: Celebration and Gratitude
This week, we have a special episode in honor of Memorial Day, a holiday that honors those who have given their lives in service to our country and in preserving our freedom. In this episode, we look at the beginnings of Memorial Day, why we celebrate the holiday and how long we have done so.…
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The Truth about Tariffs with Roberto Salinas León, Robert Luddy, and Winston Brady
In American history, tariffs have been one of the most controversial and divisive economic issues. Today, tariffs are back in the news as President Trump has levied massive import fees on various goods coming into the United States from around the world--but what is a tariff? How are these fees...
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Habits of Seminar Teaching with Chelsea Wagenaar and Chris and Kellie Scripter, & Winston Brady
A Socratic seminar is not a lecture where the teacher imparts information to students, nor is it some sort of a debate. Instead, it is a meaningful dialogue with teachers and students and the authors of the great ideas they are examining together. Join veteran educators Chelsea Wagenaar, Chris…
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Middle Schoolers and Space Travel with Marc Fusco
In this episode, Winston Brady and Marc Fusco discuss the joys of teaching middle school and studying astronomy. Mr. Fusco currently teaches Junior High History and Trivium at Thales Academy Raleigh, where he shares his love of classical education, literature, and history with his students, and…
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"Teachers and The Moral Imagination" from Zach Palmer
At the root of classical education is a noble challenge championed by master teachers throughout the Western heritage: teaching is the process of soul-craft—by which educators cultivate virtue within other human beings so that they might live good lives. This challenge inherently elevates the…
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"Schooling as a Moral Endeavor in a Pluralistic Society" from Patrick Halbrook
What is the telos of education? In a free society, is it desirable or practical to attempt to design a single system of schooling that is ideal for everyone? Can schools hold a neutral position regarding morality and values, or is education a fundamentally ethical enterprise that inevitably…
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"Life after the Department of Education" from Ray Nothstine
The current education system in the United States is increasingly misaligned with the needs of many Americans. This paper explores the shortcomings of our “federalist” approach to education, emphasizing how federal overreach and bureaucratic stagnation have hindered progress and outcomes. While...
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"Virtue and School Leadership" from Robert Luddy | Liberty & Literacy Forum
In this presentation, Robert Luddy walked through Thales Academy’s mission—to offer the highest quality education at the lowest possible price—and the real, practical steps that educational entrepreneurs can take to establish similar schools and educational institutions. Robert "Bob" Luddy is the...
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"School Choice: A Vehicle for Constructive and Meaningful Citizenship" from Professor Amy Wax | Liberty & Literacy Forum
If values like respecting proper parental authority and discretion, promoting awareness and admiration for American and Western culture, preparing students for constructive and knowledgeable citizenship, and conveying an accurate sense of American history in world context, once again became...
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Opening Remarks on 'Liberty & Literacy' from Winston Brady | Liberty & Literacy Forum
Winston Brady offers opening remarks at the 2025 Liberty & Literacy Forum in Wake Forest North Carolina. The word "liberal" comes from the Latin "libertas," and within the word "libertas" is the word "liber," meaning “book." The Romans never separated "liberty" from a sound, content-rich…
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The Luddy Industrial Arts Program with Kim Tully
Kim Tully serves as the lead for the Luddy Industrial and Vocational Arts program and the Luddy Institute of Technology at Thales Academy. These programs guide students through the fundamental skills and topics and through rigorous hands-on activities and experiments, all of which are explained…
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"The Anxious Generation" with Ashley Bahor & Olivia Holliday
Social media and smartphones present unprecedented challenges for educators and parents. Parents and teachers often recognize that smartphones and social media do not help students, but they have not had data to confirm this belief. In this episode of Developing Classical Thinkers, Ashley Bahor…
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Best Practices for Teaching Mathematics with Joe Wolak
In this episode, Winston Brady speaks with Joseph Wolak, assistant head of school at the Thales Academy Apex JH / HS campus. Joe is a veteran teacher with over twenty years of experience teaching mathematics, and he shares his best tips and strategies in the classroom concerning pedagogy…
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Measuring Pi with Joe Wolak and Winston Brady
In this video, teachers Joe Wolak and Winston Brady walk through a fun lesson plan to do with students to calculate pi using some plates, mugs, some string, and a ruler. Free download available at https://bit.ly/4gV7Cyd
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Masters of Men, Masters of Nature...FORMA Symposium Speech
January 31-February 1, the CiRCE Institute held its annual FORMA Symposium, hosted on the beautiful campus at Belmont Abbey College. The In this speech from the FORMA Symposium, Winston Brady addresses the plight of science education in the twenty-first century. Today, much of science education…
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Cutting Costs for Schools
The problems in American secondary education cannot be solved by simply throwing money at the problem. They require innovative but practical insights to help drive down costs while creating more value for students, teachers, and parents. In this episode of Developing Classical Thinkers, Robert...
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Classical Approaches to Math
In this episode, Joseph Wolak will present strategies for teaching junior high mathematics for teachers. He will present tips on classroom management, strategies for grading, and some ideas for building inquiry-driven lessons with the Saxon math curriculum. Mr. Wolak is joined by Ashley DiPenta…
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Classical Education & Classical Liberalism with Bob Luddy, Jenna Robinson, & Jake Noland
The success of the classical education movement continues to generate headlines in major publications and the support among parents hoping to see better educational options for their students continues to grow. As the number of classical schools continues to increase, whether they are charter...
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Direct Instruction: What It Is & Why It Works
In this webinar, Kristin Gyure and Katie Jones present an overview of Direct Instruction and their best teaching practices for meaningful and effective engagement and learning. Mrs. Gyure received a B.A. in Child Development and Family Studies from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.…
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Character Education, Virtue, and Super Habits | Robert Luddy & Winston Brady
Virtue refers to the habits of moral excellence, something that cannot necessarily be taught but classical educators must try and incorporate into their lessons each and everyday. To this end, Robert Luddy and Winston Brady provide this webinar for our character education program, the need to…
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Lessons from the Great Naturalists | Matt Ogle
There is great power in our ability to observe the world around us. We must make time to stop and see, for we never know when a small observation leads to a great encounter with truth. Students need to be trained in the way to discover truth by developing the naturalists ability to take an…
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The Heights Forum Recap
Conferences for teachers tend to be "mountaintop" experiences. These events are fruitful times of learning and reflection on the art of teaching and why the task of education is so vitally important today. On this episode of Developing Classical Thinkers, Winston Brady interviews three Thales…
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Is Christmas Classical?
Is Christmas "classical"? And by "classical," we mean an idea, a book, a value, an institution, or an ideal originating in the ancient world vivified by the Judeo-Christian tradition during the medieval period. In this episode, Winston Brady, Josh Herring, and Will Begley discuss the joys and...
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Merry Christmas, Everyone!
Classical education strives to preserve the past to give hope for the future. We recognize that the more we know about the past, the more confident our hope is that the future will be better, brighter, and more full of the joy and opportunities we hope to see in the world. The Christmas season is…
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The Nature of Epic
An epic poem is by definition, a long poem on themes of universal importance. Every culture seemingly has one of its own, but a few have risen to the top as being one of a handful of epics that are must-reads on every Great Books program. In this episode, host Winston Brady speaks with Anthony...
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Success in Circuit Lies | Chelsea Wagenaar, Fall Classical Summit 2024
In this lecture, Dr. Chelsea Wagenaar offers her insights into leading robust discussions and explore common pitfalls to leading a good discussion in a literature (or other humanities) course, as well as numerous strategies to get students comfortable, talking, and invested in the material. Dr....
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The CCEP Program at Thales College
In this episode, Winston Brady and Josh Herring discuss about the Certificate in Classical Education Program at Thales College. CCEP for short, this is a certificate program that teaches the unique purposes and goals behind classical education, allowing classical educators to excel in their field...
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Happy Thanksgiving!
According to tradition, the first Thanksgiving was celebrated at Plymouth Plantation in 1621. 102 settlers had crossed the Atlantic on board the Mayflower and landed off the coast of Cape Cod. They did not call themselves pilgrims, but the word pilgrim–meaning someone who undertakes a long,...
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Teaching as Apprenticeship | Noah Kelley, Fall Classical Summit, 2024
Teaching is more than information transfer; it involves personal formation and imparting a "way of being" toward your subject matter (and, ideally, toward life in general). This formative approach is in line with both certain approaches to teaching that can be found in certain examples of both...
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"Principles of Science Education" with Tom Hardy
In this episode, science and educational consultant Tom Hardy looks at a brief overview of science and science education in the United States since World War II. Tom Hardy is a friend of Thales Academy and Thales Press, working as a consultant for mathematics and science curricula. He holds a...
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The Austrians on Inflation, Price Controls, and Tariffs | Brian Balfour | Fall Classical Summit 2024
In this session, Brian Balfour will look at issues making headlines in the news such as inflation, price controls, and tariffs. He will explain how and why inflation sets in, why price controls create shortages of vital goods and services, and why tariffs help create cartels and higher prices...
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The Great American Novel
For American writers, there is something of a quest in American literature to write the great American novel. Such a work would typify the American experience in the same way Homer's epics or Virgil's "Aeneid" did for ancient Greece and Rome, respectively. And while there are many great American...
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The Lost Culture of Learning & Three Roads Forward | Ryan Olson | Fall Classical Summit, 2024
The keynote address from the Fall Classical Summit, 2024. In this talk, Dr. Ryan Olson examines the value of classical education and the role the study of great books and great ideas contributes to the formation of great character. to resist the sweep of impoverished influences by nurturing your...
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A History of Election Day
In 1845, Congress passed a law designating the first Tuesday in November as election day. Henceforth, the nation would vote every four years for a Presidential candidate, members of the House of Representatives, and, depending on the year, a suite of Senate candidates, with elections for other...
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Is Halloween Classical?
Why do we dedicate one night of the year to wearing costumes and asking for candy? How did such an odd holiday become an established part of the American calendar? Should students at a classical school be celebrating such a holiday? Is Halloween classical? In this episode, Winston Brady and Josh...
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Model Seminar: Quintilian's "Education of an Orator"
In this webinar, Winston Brady, Kellie Scripter, Chris Scripter, and Matt Ogle conducted a model seminar for teachers over the opening chapters of Quintilian's "On the Education of an Orator." They presented and modeled best practices for seminar teaching and the kinds of habits, disposition, and...
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The Thales Canon
History, as the name implies, is a story, and history, at its best, is the most engaging and exhilarating story. As a story told about the past, the study of history contains meaningful insights about the present; insights that, if properly presented, should inspire students to make better…
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Conversation and Dialogue in the Classroom | Training Tips for Teachers
Today's episode is from a short training video produced by Thales Press for classical educators. Classical educators use conversation in the classroom as a teaching method. By asking questions, we can determine if a student is off task and not listening, and we can help students understand a...
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Classroom Management for Classical Educators | Training Tips for Teachers
Today's episode is from a short training video produced by Thales Press for classical educators. In this recording, Winston Brady covers three helpful, simple rules (although they are more like “hypothetical scenarios") gleaned from years he taught middle school. Classroom management for…
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Completion vs Accuracy: The Grading of Grades
In a sense, grades shouldn't matter. Learning should be a joyful activity undertaken for its own sake. Grading and assessing can do much to stifle a student's appreciation, curiosity, and wonder. Yet, at the same time, a contemporary school with large classes has few other means to encourage...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Developing Classical Thinkers is a classical podcast for classical thinkers, created and supported by the teachers at Thales Academy, a classical school in Raleigh, North Carolina. A Thales Press podcast.
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Developing Classical Thinkers
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How many episodes does Developing Classical Thinkers have?
Developing Classical Thinkers currently has 288 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Developing Classical Thinkers about?
Developing Classical Thinkers is a classical podcast for classical thinkers, created and supported by the teachers at Thales Academy, a classical school in Raleigh, North Carolina. A Thales Press podcast.
How often does Developing Classical Thinkers release new episodes?
Developing Classical Thinkers publishes regularly with 288 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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Developing Classical Thinkers is created and hosted by Developing Classical Thinkers.
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