Presentation: Rooted in the Permanent Things

Scott Postma is currently the president and CEO of Kepler Education. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his bride of more than 30 years. Inspired by the classical and Christian imagination, his passion is to help high school and college students obtain a Christian liberal arts education. Scott served as a minister for 20 years and as an educator for nearly 30 years. During this time, he helped plant two churches and found two private Christian schools. He holds a doctorate in the humanities with an emphasis in literature (Ph.D., Faulkner University).

Presentation: Education and Home: A Call to Family Discipleship

What if classical education’s timeless principles were the key to our family’s peace and the core of our family culture? Heatherly Sylvia addresses the connections between the modern educational philosophy of the last several generations and its impact on the home and family. She lays out the richness of reintegrating the Truth, Beauty, and Goodness of classical education in our call to family discipleship.

Heatherly Sylvia is passionate about the Word and words; her love of literature, language, and classical pedagogy is contagious. A passionate speaker, mentor, and life coach, she has a reputation for making difficult concepts approachable and practical. Heatherly is co-founder of the New England Consortium of Classical Educators and restfully lives a classical lifestyle with her three favorite people in Plymouth county, Massachusetts.

Presentation: Work Saints and Work Martyrs: How Do We Understand The Work We Do?

The ideal that motivates many Americans to work to the point of exhaustion is the promise that we will live a good life: not just a life of material comfort, but a life of social dignity, moral character, and spiritual purpose. But does this idea hold true in the world of Christian education? How do we balance how we teach and how much we do with the reality and culture of the work system? Having a biblical understanding of vocation, relationship, and wisdom can strengthen our perspective and rescue us from the fires of burnout. This talk considers ideas from Jonathan Malesic, Mortimer Adler, Dorothy Sayers,Amy Wrzesniewski, Os Guinness, and Solomon.

Christine Norvell has taught in classical, home school, and public education for over twenty-five years. With a Master’s in Humanities from Faulkner University’s Great Books program and a BA in English Education, she has served at Regent Preparatory, Kepler Education, and Sager Classical Academy. Christine is a former senior contributor at The Imaginative Conservative and has written for Front Porch Republic, Public Discourse, Mere Orthodoxy, and others. She is the author of Till We Have Faces: A Reading Companion (2020) and The Sycomore Fig Tree: Biblical Botany and Scriptural Truth (Stone Tower Press, 2026).

Presentation: Reclaiming The Moral Imagination Through Embodied Learning. 

With the rise of AI tools and technology, students are increasingly losing a sense of wonder and imagination. At the same time, contemporary education has renewed its push to abandon classical literature in favor of modern trends, further eroding the joy of beautiful learning. This shift reflects a culture focused on what T. S. Eliot called the “diabolic imagination,” rather than one rooted in what is good, true, and beautiful.

As society grows more antagonistic to the moral imagination, an urgent question emerges: how do we shape the hearts and minds of our children moving forward, and what role does embodied learning play in that process? Edmund Burke warned that education becomes hollow when it is divorced from the moral imagination, and he was clear about what sustains it. This talk focuses on the roots of the moral imagination and the need to return to it through embodied learning.

Tim Krumal has passionately served many homeschooling families throughout the last 20 years both within the church and by founding several classical Christian communities. Currently serving as a teacher and leader in the community, his focus is encouraging the vision and mission of Legacy to continue far into the next generation.

Presentation: Acedia: Looking Back to Move Forward against Distraction

Distraction is a common, but not new, problem infiltrating contemporary society.  Many people bemoan the fact that distraction is keeping them from the better things of life such as spiritual formation. Some suggest the remedy is to merely develop new habits, turn off the screen, limit social media, and curtail binge watching.  What if distraction is a symptom and not a cause of a deeply rooted issue lingering  at the soul of being human? Is the off-button really the solution? CS. Lewis notes in Mere Christianity that “We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive. Following Lewis’ cadence, Dr. Memmott explores this issue of distraction by approaching it through the lost term acedia and through the mindset and practices of early church fathers and desert fathers.

Dr. Karla Memmott has a heart to serve the classically educating community in Northern California through an ecumenic mindset. As co-founder of Acacia Classical Academy she and her husband, Kyle, minister the classical education needs in the greater Sacramento area by hosting the WCCE conference, workshops, online book clubs, and consultations. She teaches dual credit classes through Kepler which include rhetoric and speech/debate. She is also active in STOA speech and debate by coaching a local club. She holds a doctorate in the humanities from Faulkner University.

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Practical Skills for Socratic Teaching

Rhonda Ratzlaff

Socratic teaching is one of the hallmarks of classical education. Amidst the uncertainty of Socratic teaching are questions. What is it? What is the difference between a Socratic dialogue, a Socratic circle, and a Socratic discussion?How are they led? What does Socratic teaching look like for one student? How does a teacher lead an entire class?

This workshop will introduce Socratic teaching as it was modeled by Plato through the character of Socrates. Although this workshop addresses  the theory and philosophy of Socratic teaching, the focus is practical guidelines  to teaching like Socrates. With some modifications, Socratic teaching is an influential teaching mode for students beginning as young as ten years old. This workshop is for home schooling parents, co-op teachers, or classroom teachers for students of all ages. It is also helpful for the classically curious.

Rhonda Ratzlaff has worked in education for over thirty years, first as a sign language interpreter for elementary schools, then in various roles in special education and mainstream classrooms. In 2004 she left the classroom to focus her attention on home educating her own children where she eventually discovered the beauty of classical Christian education. She is a CiRCE Certified Master Teacher and consultant, and she is the leader of Sparrow’s Song: A Schole Community where a quiet group of parents endeavor together to rediscover what it means to be human. She considers it a privilege to have grown up in smalltown America during the era before answering machines and microwaves when manners were still common and children played outside.

The Art of Narration

Amber Vanderpol

What is narration? How effective is narration? How have educators through the ages used narration? What does modern brain research teach  about the efficacy of narration?

The emphasis of this workshop is to explore, experience and implement the art of narration. It begins with a glimpse on the practice of narration through the ages, addresses the results of modern research which confirms long term efficacy. The highlight is to put narration into best  practices. Not only does narration enhance the teacher’s reading level, it effectively builds up students. This workshop is meant for the parent of a single child, coop leaders and classroom teachers, as well as anyone who would like to enhance their own reading experience.

Amber Vanderpol lives outside of Nevada City, on 10 acres of pines, oaks, and manzanita in a home that she and her husband largely built themselves. Two of her seven children have graduated from their homeschool, but with a toddler, she’s likely only at the halfway mark in her time as a home educator. She’s in her 18th year of homeschooling, largely using Mason’s practices. She has been studying Charlotte Mason’s Philosophy of Education and Classical Education for over 20 years. To further her growth as an educator, she joined the CiRCE Apprenticeship in 2021 and graduated in 2024. She is also the co-founder of CM NorCal (www.cmnorcal.com), an organization dedicated to creating regional events in Northern California for educators looking to grow their understanding of Charlotte Mason‘s principles and practices.

Creating a Classical Family Culture: Mentoring and Discipleship

Heatherly Sylvia

The truth, beauty, and goodness of a classical education extends beyond our academic pursuits. It transforms family culture. This workshop explores  how the classical tools of education bring goodness to your family’s discipleship and your role as mentor in your home. Parents will receive practical tips, resources, and encouragement for making a shift towards a more classical homelife. This workshop is meant for the parent of a single child, coop leaders and classroom teachers, as well as anyone who would like to practically live out classical education in daily life.

Teaching Grammar in Context

Christine Norvell

Grammar does not need to be a chore. Constance Weaver’s Teaching Grammar in Context (1996) advocated for  short bites, immediate application, and no books. At two to three times a week, this strategy is effective and flexible for any subject at almost any grade level that requires writing. Any subject teacher can adapt grammar review and new material by noting patterns with the first writing assignment of the year. The teacher’s evolving review list is not based on a textbook but what the students need at the moment. The workshop focuses on the art of the mini-lesson to help our students consistently apply grammar in their own writing whatever the subject.

The Art of Good Questions

Dr. Karla Memmott

Do good questions matter? Are all questions equal? Why ask questions at all? Good questions spur curiosity, generate conversation, enhance reading, guide research, and tee up writing prompts. Participants will engage in a variety of exercises designed to teach the art of asking good questions. This workshop is designed for parents and teachers of any age group, and anyone who would like to enhance their abilities in the art of asking good questions.