Summer Courses
Our summer courses overlap, but the synchronous sessions do not. As such, it is possible to take more than one course at the same time. However, pick and register for the course or courses most relevant to you. Please consult with your headmaster or direct supervisor if you’re unsure about what would best fit your needs.
Personal Leadership II – Summer 2025
Building on Personal Leadership I, Personal Leadership II centers on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, particularly the character of Prospero, to cement your understanding of who a classical leader is and what his or her work means in the context of education. The readings and assignments promote a sustained intellectual engagement with Shakespeare’s vision, as well as self-reflection on your strengths and areas of growth.
Each module takes you through parts of the play, supplemented by readings that enhance the play’s meaning. Moreover, you will be asked to read and write on various lyric voices that complement Shakespeare’s insights.
Course Prerequisite: Personal Leadership I.
Required text: Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Download a free copy here.
Instructional Coaching – July-November, 2024
This two-part APEX course is focused on both outlining foundation principles of instructional coaching while also dedicating time to the practical work of conducting the observation and feedback process. During the first 8 weeks, we will ground the learning in several key texts and do a guided practice of the coaching cycle. The texts used in this course are Plutarch’s essay “How to Tell a Flatterer from a Friend,” excerpts from The Art of Coaching, Never Underestimate Your Teachers, The Coaching Habit, and excerpts from Leverage Leadership 2.0. The second part, lasting 8 weeks, will shift gears into a mentorship model, with the facilitators meeting individually with participants to be a thought partner as they do the work of coaching on their campus.
Note about texts: The only required purchases will be Never Underestimate Your Teachers and The Coaching Habit. We will provide the Plutarch essay, as well as the excerpts from The Art of Coaching and Leverage Leadership 2.0 within the course.
Synchronous meeting dates: July 11, July 18, July 25, August 8, August 22, August 29, and November 7, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Pacific Time.
Facilitators: Ms. Jennifer Ramirez and Ms. Mary Chin
Building a Strong Faculty Culture – Summer 2025
Building a Strong Faculty Culture uses the classical virtues as a paradigm for developing a healthy faculty. The objective of this course is to develop your understanding of the components of a healthy faculty culture so that you can bring that understanding to bear on the practical, day-to-day decision-making processes of a school teacher.
Required texts: Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Josef Pieper’s Leisure: The Basis of Culture, and Daniel Pink’s Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.
Building a Strong Student Culture – Summer 2025
Building a Strong Student Culture uses the classical virtues as a paradigm for cultivating a healthy student body in partnership with teachers. The objective of this course is to develop your ability to integrate a consideration of virtue and an orientation toward virtue into the practical, day-to-day decision-making processes of a school teacher.
Required text: Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics.
Academy for Classical Teachers – June 2025
The Academy for Classical Teachers (ACT) provides online enrichment for classical teachers who seek to teach in their classrooms according to the principles of a traditional Liberal Arts Education. ACT is a collaborative initiative of Great Hearts Academies and our partner institutions in both higher education and classical K-12. This year’s courses are designed to help teachers dive deeply into content, with an eye toward both theory and practice. Faculty are drawn from our friends in higher education, expert teachers, and scholars who have chosen to teach within the public K-12 arena because of the unique opportunities it affords.