At St. Johns Academy, each new school year begins with two weeks of teacher training — a time to be refreshed, inspired and reminded of our mission. This year, we were honored to welcome Martin Cothran as our guest speaker. Martin is not only a dear friend of mine and of the academy, but also a pioneer in the classical Christian education movement.
He serves as provost of Memoria College, editor of “The Classical Teacher” magazine, and author of Memoria Press’ “Traditional Logic,” “Material Logic” and “Classical Rhetoric.” Martin has taught Latin, logic, and rhetoric at Highlands Latin School in Louisville, Kentucky, and is a widely recognized voice in the world of classical education. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and passion that deeply enriched our faculty.
Over the course of three days, Martin reminded us of the beauty and relevance of a classical education — one that centers on the great books and the liberal arts. He spoke on why literature matters and how, when taught well, it can transform not only our students’ lives, but ours, too.
One particularly meaningful discussion centered on why boys aren’t reading and what we can do about it. Many parents know this struggle all too well. The digital age has made it increasingly difficult for boys (and truly for all of us) to resist the lure of screens. The pull of the machine often feels stronger than the appeal of a good — or even a great — book. Martin challenged us to limit our time on devices and instead return to the rich world of reading.
C.S. Lewis once offered a wise reminder that feels even more relevant today:
“It’s a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between … To keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds, this can be done only by reading old books.”
We also reflected on the lost art of reading aloud. Sharing stories from great books is one of the simplest yet most powerful gifts we can give our children and students. Many of us remember the quiet joy of listening to “Winnie the Pooh” or “Charlotte’s Web” after recess, those magical moments when the room fell silent and every imagination came alive.
Martin encouraged us to revive this practice: read aloud to students every day, at every grade level. The shared experience of a great story is, indeed, priceless.
To help rekindle a love for reading — especially among boys — Martin offered a few “gateway” selections to lead them from good books to the great books:
Let us take these lessons to heart as we guide our students to discover truth, goodness and beauty through the enduring power of great books.
