Monica’s Musings: Making Haste Slowly
When I first discovered Classical education—over twenty-five years ago as both a parent and a teacher—I was never the same. Every other approach to learning suddenly felt thin by comparison. Christian education had already reshaped how I viewed the purpose of schooling, but encountering the Classical model gave that vision structure and depth. From that moment on, my children would tell you that I moved heaven and earth to bring this kind of education to them and to my classroom.
We tried classical camps, joined classical co-ops, and helped start classical programs. I wove Classical methods into my traditional Christian school classroom and eventually sent two of my children to classical-style colleges. For the next several months—perhaps even the next year—I would love to share, bit by bit, why this approach has meant so much to me.
One of my favorite authors and speakers, Christopher Perrin, summarizes Classical education in eight principles. The first is a beautiful Latin phrase: Festina Lente—“make haste slowly.” It always reminds me of Aesop’s The Tortoise and the Hare. The tortoise kept moving in the same direction, slowly and steadily, and in the end he won the race.
This is one of the great gifts of Classical education: we master concepts step by step, giving ideas time to take root. Even the most gifted scholar needs to live with knowledge for a while before it becomes permanent. As a mother of four, I know the familiar pattern of cramming for an AP test—only to realize six months later that very little remains. True learning requires the patience of the carpenter’s rule: measure twice, cut once.
At Innovate Academy we love to weave themes from Bible, history, and literature together with the arts and sciences so that knowledge is connected and memorable. Rushing ahead without mastery almost always leads to forgetting. Many of us can laugh about our own hurried, scattered schooling, but we want something better for our scholars.
This year I have the joy of teaching fifth-grade writing. If I sometimes grow weary of “key word outlines” and “dress-up words,” I know the scholars feel it even more! Yet I also know that, over time, it will become second nature for them to reach for a thesaurus, to choose stronger verbs, and to shape their thoughts with care for the rest of their lives. Contemporary research suggests that excellence requires thousands of hours of practice. We have our scholars for eight or nine years, and we trust that mastery comes slowly. As mentors, we remain patient and confident that the Classical method of Festina Lente will stand the test of time.
So the next time you are tempted to hurry your child through home studies, pause and remember this principle. Sit beside them, review the same concept again, and trust the slow work of learning—even when it feels repetitive. After all, isn’t that how our Heavenly Father leads us each day as we make haste slowly toward His Kingdom?
