Effective Grammar School Teaching and Leadership

This course is divided into 12 lessons, each featuring a presentation by Lori Jill Keeler. The end of the course also features three conversations between Lori Jill and Christopher Perrin, in which they discuss Lori Jill’s own journey into classical education, and ways of cultivating great teachers and a great school. Within the lessons below, you will find video lectures, session outlines, recommended readings, questions for discussion and reflection, and additional recommended resources.

• Lesson 1: Building on a Strong Foundation
• Lesson 2: Teaching with Excellence in the Grammar School
• Lesson 3: Classroom Management Conducive to Learning
• Lesson 4: Shepherding the Grammar School Student’s Heart
• Lesson 5: Partnering with Parents
• Lesson 6: Developing a Growth Mindset
• Lesson 7: More Effective Lesson Planning
• Lesson 8: Teaching Reading in the Grammar School (Part 1)
• Lesson 9: Teaching Reading in the Grammar School (Part 2)
• Lesson 10: Total Participation Techniques
• Lesson 11: Teaching with the Brain in Mind
• Lesson 12: Building a Culture of Learning in the Grammar School
• Discussion 1: Lori Jill’s Journey into Classical Education
• Discussion 2: What Makes a Great Grammar School Teacher?
• Discussion 3: How to Develop a Great Grammar School

Lori Jill Keeler has served as the Lower School Principal at The Westminster School at Oak Mountain in Birmingham, Alabama since 2003. She earned a B.A. in Secondary Education and English Literature, and a M.Ed. in Integrated Curriculum and Instruction from Covenant College. She served as the educational expert on the founding Board of Directors for Evangel Classical Christian School in Helena, Alabama, has written second through sixth grade Bible curriculum, and has been a guest speaker on creating a culture of grace at several classical schools in the Southeast. Lori Jill and her husband Scott have two sons.

Lori Jill Keeler mentions and recommends the following helpful books at various times throughout this course.

• Shepherding a Child’s Heart, by Tedd Tripp
• Teaching Redemptively, by Donovan L. Graham
• Give Them Grace, by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson
• Mindset, by Carol S. Dweck
• Total Participation Techniques, by Persida and William Himmele
• How the Brain Learns, by David Sousa
• Why Don’t Students Like School, by Daniel Willingham

Please Note: ClassicalU is currently developing a certification to accompany our course offerings. The certification credit component of this course is now active but also undergoing refinement and testing.

To obtain a certification credit for this course, simply complete the quiz that follows each presentation by Lori Jill Keeler, and then also take the certification test at the end of the course. The quizzes are designed to ensure that you have understood the essential content of each presentation, and they can be taken more than once if necessary. The cumulative certification test at the end of the course is given as a pass/fail test and requires that you upload two short essays (of 400-600 words) demonstrating your understanding of grammar school teaching and leadership. When you have completed the course, a certificate that you can print or email will magically appear under the “My Courses” section of this website.

For this course the two essay assignments are:

1. What makes for effective and excellent teaching in a classical grammar school? How does the teacher best prepare and how does the teacher best deliver excellent teaching?

2. How can a teacher or administrator effectively lead other teachers and create a rich culture of classical learning in a grammar school?

By taking the course for certification credit, you also will be on your way to obtaining a Level 2 certification. This course counts toward our Level 2 certification, but it can be taken by anyone—even those still working their Level 1 certification on ClassicalU.

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