Monica VanderWeide, Author at Hillsdale College

BCSI Teacher Spotlight: Elizabeth Offord

Elizabeth Offord teaches the second grade and directs theater for the middle school and high school students at Northwest Arkansas Classical Academy in Bentonville, Arkansas. She works there with her […]

Perseverance and Kindness in Black Beauty

By Katarzyna Ignatik, ’20 Carin Harner, instructional coach with Hillsdale’s Barney Charter School Initiative, calls Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty “beautifully written with rich content, a view into the old world […]

The Topsy-Turvy World of Alice in Wonderland: Finding Logic Amidst Chaos

By David Gaebler, Hillsdale College Associate Professor of Mathematics What lessons does Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland teach children about growing up? Alice’s experience of growing (and shrinking) is deeply […]

King Arthur: What These Ancient Legends Can Teach Us Today

The Barney Charter Schools include a paraphrased version of legends about King Arthur and his Round Table in third grade. Hillsdale College Associate Professor of English Patricia Bart, who teaches […]

Wit and Wisdom in Cyrano de Bergerac

By Tomek Grzesiak When one thinks of classic drama, familiar titles include works such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Oedipus Rex. But one lesser-known play worthy of our attention […]

Dr. Coupland’s Six Fundamentals of Good Instruction

Dr. Daniel Coupland is chairman and professor of education at Hillsdale College. At the Barney Charter School Initiative summer teacher training, he gave a lecture summarizing years of research on […]

Fanciful Flights and Starry Nights: Reality and Neverland in Peter Pan

What child hasn’t wanted to fly off to a world of fantasy like Neverland, where pirates and fairies abound? J.M. Barrie’s novel Peter Pan immerses us in this imaginative world, but there’s a time and place for such flights of fancy.

Fahrenheit 451: Books with “Texture”

Can you imagine a world without books? Ray Bradbury tackled the prospect of such a world in his 1953 dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451. In studying this text, we come to understand the continued value of books in our society, one that’s not so far removed from Bradbury’s futuristic vision.

Engaging Students with Important Questions: Studying the Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Class discussions about historical events can help students engage with important, timeless questions. Hillsdale College Associate Professor of Politics Kevin Portteus gives us an example based on the Lincoln-Douglas debates.

How to Run an Elementary Science Lab

One of the most exciting aspects of studying science is conducting hands-on experiments in the lab. Dr. Colleen Lutz of Founders Classical Academy of Leander offers six tips to set up a classroom lab that will excite and inspire students.

BCSI Teacher Spotlight—Nicole Roberts

Mrs. Nicole Roberts is the Director of Literacy Curriculum and Instruction for the Pineapple Cove Classical Academies in Florida. Learn all about Mrs. Roberts in this teacher spotlight.

Call Us Ishmael: Teaching Moby Dick at Golden View Classical Academy

Mr. Ian Atherton, the Upper School Humanities teacher at Golden View Classical Academy, shares how he brings Herman Melville’s classic novel, Moby Dick, to life through Whale Days, complete with harpoons, anchovies, and chalk sketches of the great white whale.