A typical day at RMCA is both rigorous and inspiring, involving the work of the mind and the hand, requiring individual effort and group cooperation. This is all completed under the watchful eye of a caring teacher who is as concerned with the forming of the heart as the informing of the mind.
Our primary instructional method is narration, the exercise of retelling what has been heard, read, or experienced. Besides having centuries of experience to prove its worth, many studies have shown that this approach of “retelling” equips students of any age with a greater capacity for--and even enjoyment of-- the things that they are encountering everyday.
Inviting the student’s full attention, narration requires students to remember, summarize, and attend to detail. Students are carefully guided into deeper, more meaningful levels of response such as applying what they know, understanding it within the context of other things that they have encountered, and acting on how it applies to their learning and life. We view narration as one of the "master disciplines" as it provides vital growth for all other academic and relational skills including writing, reading, and public speaking.
At RMCA, each grammar school class has a teacher who guides the learning of most classes. Early education classes are led by a team of lead and assistant instructors. Reflecting our deepening levels of curriculum and instruction, our middle school students have different teachers who teach specific subjects across the grades. This intentional cultivation of relationships enriches and makes optimal learning possible.
Ambleside students are instructed across their classes and grades to master the following skills critical for faithful and successful lives:
