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Each session opened with a brief explication of a significant historical era by one of the four professors, followed by a Socratic dialogue format, and incorporated discussions of how best to present the material in high school classrooms. All of the teachers reported that the quality of the discussions exceeded their expectations and that it improved their ability to explain the fundamental ideas, institutions, and practices which shaped the American constitutional system. Here is a summary from one participant:
“Excellent. Those running each session did a great job of allowing others to not only speak concerning the central questions but also did a good job of allowing time for individuals to share their own think ‘aloud's’ concerning how to work through their various struggles with possible presentations of the material through the curriculum and reaching students with the ideas and materials covered utilizing the tools available to them.”
By increasing the participants’ historical and civic knowledge, the conference prepared them to better communicate to their students the moral and social framework that supports America’s tradition of ordered liberty. The benefits of the conference will continue to be realized as teachers engage high school students in the classroom for years to come.
As 100% of the participants said they would recommend the Pillars conference to other teachers, the Kirk Center will hold a similar conference for a new group of teachers during the summer of 2022. In this way, the Kirk Center will continue to reach high school teachers and students seeking to understand the contributions of historical experience to America’s civil social order. In the meantime, one of our partner organizations, the McConnell Center, is running a year-long program on Roots for high school teachers, undergraduates, and members of the U.S. Army. You can find out more about the program here and the podcast series at “Vital Remnants” will be available for anyone to access.
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