

Benjamin Franklin Charter School Orientation
This two-part course with Dr. Christopher Perrin offers a compelling introduction to classical education exploring the liberal arts, great books, and timeless teaching methods, while emphasizing the moral aims of classical education. At its heart, the course celebrates wonder as the root of true learning.

Benjamin Franklin Charter School Orientation
Classical Education and The Franklin Way
This two-part course with Dr. Christopher Perrin offers a compelling introduction to classical education exploring the liberal arts, great books, and timeless teaching methods, while emphasizing the moral aims of classical education. At its heart, the course celebrates wonder as the root of true learning.
Foundations in Classical Teaching
Essentials of Effective Teaching
In this course, Robyn Burlew shares her accumulated wisdom and practical insights into what it means to be an effective classical educator. Those teachers yearning for practical, hands-on guidance in teaching methods, classroom cultivation, testing and assessment, and effective planning will find this course truly essential.
Introduction to Classical Education
The renewal of classical education has grown significantly over the last two decades. In this foundational course, Dr. Christopher Perrin provides a clear definition of classical education and then explores key questions. Even seasoned classical educators agree that it can still be difficult to answer the fundamental question: “What is classical education?”
The Good Teacher
This course, presented by Dr. Christopher Perrin and Carrie Eben, offers a rich and accessible introduction to the foundational principles of classical education for teachers. Together, Perrin and Eben unpack ten classical pedagogical principles and show how they apply across subjects, student ages, and school models. Each principle is explored not only through philosophical reflection but through vivid classroom stories, concrete strategies, and thoughtful encouragement.
Principles of Classical Pedagogy II
This course features master classical educator Andrew Kern presenting what he considers to be two critical modes of classical pedagogy: mimetic and Socratic teaching in which educators present models for imitation and when students become aware of their ignorance and begin to truly seek answers. Combined, the mimetic and Socratic modes of teaching help students to engage, study, and seek after the true, good, and the beautiful, which leads to the cultivation of virtue and wisdom.
Socratic Teaching Symposium
In this symposium course, we address why classical educators must learn the skill of Socratic teaching, and describe several approaches to leading a Socratic seminar or discussion, noting various advantages and disadvantages associated with each approach. We do this by interviewing presenters who use each approach and by showing them leading live, recorded seminars and discussions.
Who We Are
