Classical Classroom Distinctives with Mandi Gerth

December 10, 2025 Classical Christian, Discourses

What truly sets a classical Christian classroom apart?

Curriculum matters, but as Mandi Gerth explains, it is not the only or even the primary driver of formation. A child is shaped day after day by the culture of the classroom, the small liturgies, the tone of the teacher, and the habits that govern transitions, conversations, and even how class begins and ends.

Host Davies Owens talks with Mandi about her book Thoroughness and Charm: Cultivating the Habits of a Classical Classroom and about what it means for a teacher to be a “monarch” in the best sense, an authority who orders the room so that students can rest, attend, and delight in learning. They discuss the difference between entertainment and genuine engagement, how joy differs from “fun,” and why liturgy is such a powerful antidote to chaos in both school and home.

Mandi also addresses the “3:01 p.m. problem,” naming how easy it is for phones, entertainment, and scattered schedules to undo the formation that happens during the school day. She shares simple habits any family can start, even in just a few minutes a day, to reinforce attention, conversation, and a shared story centered on Christ.

🎧 Tune in to hear:

  • How classical classrooms focus on ideas and values, not just skills and information
  • Why “sit and get” and sugary entertainment both fail to form students well
  • What healthy, rightful authority looks like for teachers and why students need it
  • How liturgies, songs, and repeated practices shape a classroom’s culture
  • Practical ways parents can build small, realistic habits at home that support what is happening in class

This episode is a hopeful invitation for teachers and parents who want more than busy classrooms and busy homes. It points toward an ordered, joyful life of learning where children know who they are, why they are there, and Whom they are made for.

Resources Mentioned:

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Mandi Gerth is a former K-12 teacher in a collaborative model classical Christian school who lives in Dallas, Texas. She currently serves as the Administrative Director of the Cowan Center at the University of Dallas and teachers in the Thales College Classical Christian Education Philosophy Program. She holds a master of humanities degree from the University of Dallas with a concentration in classical education. For over twenty years, she and her husband have labored to build a family culture for their five children that values books, baseball, museums, home-cooked meals, and conversation about ideas. Her first book, Thoroughness & Charm, was published in May and is available exclusively from CiRCE Press.


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