Author: Wilson Hill

Some Things You (My Students) Need to Know About Asking Questions

2 Jan 2022

Many have said that wisdom does not consist in having the right answers but in asking the right questions. This means that the highest expression of wisdom is the perfectly formed question. We remember Socrates for this. Similarly, Confucius once said wisdom is not having knowledge but knowing that you do not know—the natural starting point, one would think, for being an “asker” rather than an “answerer.”    Perhaps for this reason, this essence of wisdom—that

By Dr. Tom Vierra | | In Word on the Hill | Read more

The Parable of the Amaryllis

29 Dec 2021

Hello. My name is Rachel, and I kill plants. I’m serious—plant-killing might be a certifiable hobby at this point. No plant has lasted in my house for more than about a month. This might sound strange coming from a science teacher, but I’m much more comfortable with chemicals in vials than in caring for living things. A few weeks ago, I decided to try my luck again and bought an amaryllis bulb on a shopping

By Rachel Verbois | | In Word on the Hill | Read more

New Birth

15 Dec 2021

Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity! That is a remarkable line. What I have also found remarkable over the years is how many people (saints and pagans alike) will sing that line without blinking an eye, without pause, without any realization whatsoever of the profundity of what just exited their mouths. Similarly, has it struck you how oddly normal a nativity scene is, as if the truth that “the Word becoming

By Dr. Tom Vierra | | In Word on the Hill | Read more

Looking Forward to the Second Advent

8 Dec 2021

In most of our lives, there’s the public story, and then there’s the other one. Here’s a recent chapter from my public book: Some of you may know my husband Rob nearly died of a brain aneurysm in May. Since we have many friends and family members in various places, not to mention our global homeschool community, I shared a lot of our journey on Facebook. After a truly miraculous summer of recuperation, Rob returned

By Leah Coll | | In Word on the Hill | Read more

Preparing Hearts for Advent

Advent30 Nov 2021

Now that the pie is eaten, it’s officially time to put up the Christmas tree! (No judgment if it’s already been up for a week...or three). Between parties, shopping and decorating, December can feel like a sprint to the 25th.  On the Christian calendar, we have officially entered the season of Advent. The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus meaning "arrival" or "coming." In Ancient Rome, it was used to describe the "glorious entry" of

By Wilson Hill | | In Word on the Hill | Read more

Wired for Goodness

25 Oct 2021

“Blessed is the man… delight is in the law of the Lord… He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.”  Psalm 1 Beauty, Goodness and Truth In our first of three articles on beauty, goodness and truth, we said that a child’s journey in education begins, not with an investigation into truth, but with the power of beauty that brings

By Dr. Tom Vierra | | In Word on the Hill | Read more

The Sound of Silence

24 Sep 2021

Have you ever created something beautiful, or performed an extraordinary feat...and no one noticed?  Whether it’s playing a beautiful song on the piano, or painting a beautiful landscape, or making an amazing and improbable shot on the basketball court, it is a natural reaction to want to be noticed.  And while that desire can become corrupt and turn into a toxic form of pride, the basic drive to create and to have others share our

By Bart Martin | | In Word on the Hill | Read more

Fun, Fun, Fundamentals of Research and Presentation!

21 Sep 2021

One of the most familiar elements of classical education is training in rhetoric, the art of persuasive speaking or writing. At Wilson Hill this training culminates in Senior Thesis—as the last step toward graduation, a senior writes and defends a thesis on a particular topic of interest. Though this project may sound intimidating, our curriculum is designed to begin preparing students before they even reach the School of Rhetoric to not only succeed in Senior

By Wilson Hill | | In Word on the Hill | Read more

Worrying about final grades? Advice from three teachers

Advice for worrying about grades13 May 2021

Love them or hate them, grades are an important part of the learning experience.  Although an imperfect measurement, grades provide valuable information about comprehension, mastery and areas that need improvement.  But so often, a healthy desire for diligent learning becomes an unhealthy fixation on getting good grades. This can drive students to unhealthy levels of worry and a shift in how they understand the real purpose of education. Grade-focused learning becomes less about seeking to

By Wilson Hill | | In Word on the Hill | Read more

Majoring on the majors: How we approach final exams at Wilson Hill

29 Apr 2021

Exam season is upon us, bringing with it much anticipation. Of course, the end of exams marks the beginning of summer, and it also represents a rewarding opportunity for students to see the fruit of their hard work.  Yet we know that exam season can also bring undue stress and dread. Students may feel overwhelmed by assignments and the never-ending need to study. Given our culture’s emphasis on test grades as a measure of one’s

By Wilson Hill | | In Word on the Hill | Read more