Providing Intentional Space for Personal Growth

At any of the Great Hearts Preparatory Academies, all students in our middle and high school programs have a period during the academic school day when they have various opportunities to make up missed work, get a start on their homework, receive tutoring, attend clubs, or spend time in the forum.  Great Hearts has coined this time, Lyceum and it is loosely based on the historic Lyceum of ancient Greece.

The Lyceum was a temple dedicated to Apollo Lyceus.  It was best known for the Peripatetic school of philosophy founded by Aristotle in 334 BC.  The Lyceum was located outside of the city wall of Athens and was initially a sanctuary.  The Lyceum is famous for being a center of education Athenian assembly gatherings.  It was described as a place that people gathered to improve their skills, whether that be physical, social, or mental.

Chandler Prep Headmaster John Paul Poppleton remembers when Lyceum was first incorporated into the school day at Great Hearts.  “I loved the idea, but I also believed we would experience resistance from families and teachers because in essence we were adding a half an hour to what was an already full school day.  However, what I saw was a universal acceptance and appreciation for this time and immediately it was put to good use,” recalls Poppleton.

Students are encouraged to benefit from the excellent opportunities during the school day through the offering of Lyceum. It is a golden opportunity for scholars to seek tutoring from teachers surrounding the lunch periods.

“Lyceum allows for students and parents to make decisions about how time can be used.  Many students benefit from spending twenty-five minutes in active play in the gym or on the field.  Some students use this time to catch up with peers and build friendships,” added Poppleton.  “Also, teachers provide tutoring during this time, which can be vital to understanding a particular homework problem or for preparing for an upcoming test.  Many students use this time to get ahead on their homework.”

With the academic rigor and high expectations on our scholars, this intentional time provides some relief for students who may need a little extra help or have a deficiency in a certain subject.  It can also be a great exercise in time management as Poppleton explains, “Sometimes students need encouragement or direction on how to spend this time, and this can strengthen the relationships between students and their teachers.”

Lyceum gives our scholars space to take full ownership of their learning and studying outside of class hours, a skill that will go with them into post-secondary education and beyond.  But it is not purely academic.  Some students use the time to connect with peers or to engage in physical activities.  Some may even use this time to defragment their mind in the middle of a challenging day.  All these activities are equally important for the moral and intellectual formation of the students.

“Lyceum meets real a need.  It might be better to say it meets a number of real needs,” concluded Poppleton.

Do you have a story or know of a story that you would like to see featured at Great Hearts?  Please contact jmoore@greatheartsamerica.org.