Joshua Gibbs

Dear

In the last several years, it seems that the conventional greeting “Dear” has become stigmatized, and so emails now begin, “Hey Josh,” “Hi Josh,” “Hey there,” “Hey,” “Hi ya Josh,” and so forth. Really, though, we should all use “Dear.” Unless you’re in fourth grade, “Dear So-and-So” isn’t a sign you’re in love. It isContinue reading “Dear”

The Growing Use Of Classroom Catechisms

The use of classroom catechisms has become widespread enough, my name is no longer attached to the idea. I learned the other day that there are classical institutions out there offering tutorials on authoring and implementing catechisms. Apparently, there is sufficient demand for catechism-oriented consultation that others are offering it. For what it’s worth, IContinue reading “The Growing Use Of Classroom Catechisms”

Things I Would Like To Be Thankful For This Christmas

T.C. Boyle’s first Stories anthology A subscription to The New Yorker A pair of Jordan 4 2020 “Red Fire” (Size 13) sneakers The Nah Und Fern box set The Complete Works of Diego Valezquez Written And Directed By Sofia Coppola t-shirt (xxl)

The 2022 Gibbs Classical Online Conference

Save the date: July 8th and 9th, 2022. Tell your friends. Full details will be available soon.

A Tale Of Two Writing Teachers

My latest for CiRCE is about two teachers, one who spends hours grading bad essays and the other of whom spends just a few minutes. Which teacher offers more help to her students?

Karl Marx On “Fiscally Liberal, But Socially Conservative”

“The Communist revolution is the most radical rupture with traditional property relations; no wonder that its development involves the most radical rupture with traditional ideas.” -Karl Marx, The Communist Revolution (Penguin, p 243) In other words, Marx didn’t believe a man could be “fiscally liberal, but socially conservative.” If you’re game for a new wayContinue reading “Karl Marx On “Fiscally Liberal, But Socially Conservative””

The Progressive Ethos

A more apt example of progressive politics is hard to find. Ten people die at a concert? Something must change. Doesn’t even really matter what it is. Any change pacifies a bored populace.

A Proposition For Fellow Teachers

One of the reasons there is so much acrimony about grades is because a 0 to 100 scale is way too broad. If you hate grades as they are, and I know you do, imagine how much less you would hate them if every grade was issued on a 1 to 3 scale. Suppose alsoContinue reading “A Proposition For Fellow Teachers”

Muppets Are Fashionable Again

I took the picture on the left at the Gap this afternoon.

The Love Of Learning Is Not A Virtue

“Thoughtful Christians rightly lampoon the vagueness and insipidity of secularist slogans like “Love is love” and “Be yourself.” And yet, to “love learning” is just as vague. Love learning what? When a certain student does not do his math homework and spends Latin class flirting with the girl beside him, the problem isn’t that heContinue reading “The Love Of Learning Is Not A Virtue”