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Over a year ago, I added the title “Classical Education Consultant” to my email signature and social media profiles because I began giving talks on pedagogy and classroom culture to classical schools. I still offer consulting services and will likely do more when Thoroughness & Charm releases in May.
Although I have thought about leaving the classroom and becoming a full-time consultant, I just can’t do it.
I don’t ever want to be behind the podium taking Q&A and not be able to answer a teacher’s very real and very practical question. I don’t ever want to be in a position where my ideas are so theoretical and my experience so outdated, I cannot help real teachers solve real problems.
When I first started speaking at conferences, I was intimidated by the number of faces staring back at me. I was afraid I was telling all those faces things they already knew. I was sure I was wasting their time, but that’s not the feedback I got.
What I have learned since is that teachers want to hear from teachers. They want wisdom and practical advice. They want reassurance that what they are seeing is what others have seen and that the problems they are having are problems others have navigated. Consultants who are all theory and no experience cannot give teachers that kind of help.
You can’t talk about what you’re seeing in the classroom if you’re not in the classroom. You can’t offer a solution if you haven’t worked out a solution yourself.
Teachers are quick to realize that the “expert” behind the podium has no real help to give. If they choose to come to your session, they choose not to go to a dozen others that are offered at the same time. So, they want a return on that investment. They want to know they made the right choice when they passed on other opportunities. That means they set the bar pretty high. I can’t say I blame them.
When my manuscript for Thoroughness & Charm came back from my editor, her biggest suggestion was “provide more examples.” She basically told me what I am telling you. Teachers want to know what the principles and the theories look like with flesh on. You need their buy in, and the cost of that buy in is practical experience.
So, I’m not sure I’ll ever stop working in a school or away from students. I care too much about teachers to do that. Because as soon as I remove myself from real students and actual classrooms, I can no longer give teachers the help they really need.
Preorder Mrs. Gerth’s book:
Thoroughness and Charm: Cultivating the Habits of a Classical Classroom
Where Mrs. Gerth is speaking:
Ciceronian Society at Hotel Madison, Harrisonburg, VA, March 13-15, 2025
ACCS Dallas, TX, June 18-21
What Mrs. Gerth is teaching:
The Thales College Certificate in Classical Education Philosophy Program(CCEP) consists of eight courses taken in any order culminating in a certificate. Courses cost just $300 each and are held through Google Meet once every other week. I will teach Classical Pedagogy quarter four, which begins April 1.