The Family Business: Teacher Gretchen Birzer Follows Parents’ Example

Written by Lauren Smyth

From the time she was little, Gretchen Birzer, ’23, knew that one day, she’d become a student at Hillsdale College.

“Growing up [in Hillsdale] and seeing the kind of students that went here, hearing about the kinds of classes they offered, and even having college students babysit me when I was young—I just knew those were the people I wanted to be like,” Birzer says. “Hillsdale was the obvious choice for me.”

One attribute in particular that Hillsdale students shared captivated her attention, long before she was old enough to apply to college: “They were great at telling us stories … and just really good, wholesome people,” she says. “I could recognize at a young age that they were just fantastic.”

While attending Hillsdale, Birzer had the opportunity to take classes from both her parents. Dr. Dedra Birzer, while not a full-time professor, taught several classes for the Collegiate Scholars Program. Dr. Bradley Birzer, a professor of 25 years at the College, taught her Western Heritage class during her first semester at Hillsdale. He occasionally enjoyed the opportunity for some family jokes—especially when his own daughter once turned up late.

“I walked in, and obviously looked ashamed, and he just said: ‘Hello-o-o, daughter.’ Everybody laughed,” Gretchen Birzer recalls. “The one class I was actually late to was my dad’s!”

Taking classes from her parents at Hillsdale is among Birzer’s fondest memories of her time at college, and she hopes she won’t be the last sibling to experience it. Her older brother has already graduated, two siblings are enrolled, and two more are considering the College among their top choices.

“It might be the case that all of us graduate from Hillsdale,” Birzer says. “That would be so cool—both parents having taught there, and then all the siblings attending the college.”

One of the greatest lessons she learned from Hillsdale, Birzer says—something she’s carried with her into the classroom where she currently teaches—is that beautiful things deserve to be studied for their own sakes, not purely for utilitarian purposes.

“We were English majors because we love to be English majors, not because we were necessarily going to [have that be our career],” Birzer says. “And there’s something really good and beautiful about that…It’s still good for you, and it still shapes your soul.”

As her time at Hillsdale drew to a close, Birzer attended the Classical Schools Job Fair, an annual event that’s been a college staple for more than a decade. One of the guests represented a classical school in Columbus, Ohio, and their conversation became the first step in Birzer’s post-graduation plan.

“I just had this overwhelming sense of peace, talking to them about the school and about the idea of working there,” Birzer says. “And I thought…if you’re supposed to follow the peace, then I need to go work at this school. So I felt called to go there.”

After graduation, the first few weeks of Birzer’s new job at the Columbus Classical Academy were spent in training. But having a whole third-grade classroom to herself, Birzer says, was an exciting and overwhelming experience that nothing could have fully prepared her for.

“I remember I planned so much for the first day,” she recalls, with rueful laughter. “And then we got through the first day, [and] I thought…I have so much to plan for tomorrow!”

Just three students enrolled for third-grade classes during her first year. The small number of students kept the classroom cozy and companionable, but often required innovative, creative approaches to teaching.

“While there were some games and activities I was unable to do with my class because of its small size, the class was still able to do all the important things particular to a classical education—wrestling with big questions and ideas, having discussions about what it means to be virtuous, and reading good literature, to name a few!” Birzer said.

After attending Hillsdale’s Summer Conference in Classical Education, Birzer says she’s looking forward to trying out new techniques and resources she learned from the event in her classroom.

“Something I’ve found myself thinking about … is Dr. Coupland’s saying that we, as teachers, must be careful not to ‘break the spell’ when we read literature with the students, especially when we are reading fairy tales,” Birzer said. “Looking back on the way I taught last year, I realized there were times I would over-explain or maybe choose the wrong moments as we read to ask comprehension questions, when I should have kept going to allow the students to take in the magic of the story.”

Birzer spent the summer prepping for the next school year. She’s expecting to add more students to her classroom as the classical school expands, and she’s excited to see what the future holds. 

“Though I know I still have much to learn about teaching, I am so much more confident in my job now than I was a year ago,” Birzer said.

Lauren Smyth, ’25, is an economics major and journalism minor. Outside of starting arguments in philosophy class, she enjoys curling up on a bench outdoors (sun, rain, or snow) to write novels or articles for her blog, www.laurensmythbooks.com.

Published in September 2024