An elevator speech is a brief, pithy talk which cuts to the heart of the matter. It is what you would say to someone in that 1 minute you have with them were you both in an elevator moving from one floor to another. A parent recently asked me for my classical education elevator speech. Here it is:
Classical education gives students the tools that they need to thrive as adults and to enjoy life and learning maximally! God gives students special skills as they grow up, classical education uses those tools to teach students to:
- To memorize basic facts in enjoyable ways.
- To think critically and clearly.
- To communicate effectively and persuasively.
For young children classical education focuses learning poetry, presidents, and all sorts of interesting things by memory. Children are really good at memorizing when they are little, so classical education focuses on fun ways to fill the mind with truth. We typically study topics chronologically so by the time students reach the end of grammar school, they have a great grasp of all of human history!
Middle schoolers love to argue. Classical education adjusts to meet them where they are. It encourages them to think critical and to see through the propaganda and falsehoods in our culture.
High schoolers want to show others that they are grown-ups. Classical education focuses on communication skills during these later years. Students focus on writing, making presentations and speeches giving them the tools they need to lead others.
A fully formed classically educated young man or woman knows the facts, knows how to put those facts together to make effective arguments, and how to present those arguments in convincing ways.
(about 1 minute)
