Student & Parent Handbook

The Well-Trained Mind Academy is based on the expert advice, carefully selected curricula, and classical model described by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise in The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home. This bestselling guide to classical education and home schooling was first published in 1999 by W.W. Norton. It is now in its fourth (2016) edition, and has been used by over half a million parents worldwide, as well as by hundreds of co-ops, charter schools, and private schools.  The Well-Trained Mind offers a step-by-step, grade-by-grade, subject-by-subject guide to the classical pattern of education, along with curricula recommendations, book lists, and more.

The Well-Trained Mind Academy was founded by Susan Wise Bauer to give parents additional help in carrying out the goals of classical education. Susan holds a BA, MDiv, MA and PhD, the last two from The College of William and Mary in Virginia.  Susan has drawn on her academic training, extensive research, two decades of home schooling four children through high school, her own past as a home schooled student, and over fifteen years of college teaching experience to help shape the Academy classes into rigorous, flexible training for middle and high school students.

Classical education depends on a three-part process of training the mind. The early years of school are spent in absorbing facts, systematically laying the foundations for advanced study. In the middle grades, students learn to think through arguments. In the high school years, they learn to express themselves. This classical pattern is called the trivium.

The first years of schooling are called the Grammar Stage — not because you spend four years doing English, but because these are the years in which the building blocks for all other learning are laid, just as grammar is the foundation for language. In the elementary school years — what we commonly think of as grades one through four — the mind is ready to absorb information. Children at this age actually find memorization fun. So during this period, education involves not self-expression and self-discovery, but rather the learning of facts. Rules of phonics and spelling, rules of grammar, poems, the vocabulary of new languages, the stories of history and literature, descriptions of plants and animals and the human body, the facts of mathematics — the list goes on. This information makes up the “grammar,” or the basic building blocks, for the second stage of education.

By fifth grade, a child’s mind begins to think more analytically. Middle-school students are less interested in finding out facts than in asking “Why?” The second phase of the classical education, the Logic Stage, is a time when the child begins to pay attention to cause and effect, to the relationships between different fields of knowledge, to the way facts fit together into a logical framework.

A student is ready for the Logic Stage when the capacity for abstract thought begins to mature. During these years, the student begins algebra and the study of logic, and begins to apply logic to all academic subjects. The logic of writing, for example, includes paragraph construction and learning to support a thesis; the logic of reading involves the criticism and analysis of texts, not simple absorption of information; the logic of history demands that the student find out why the War of 1812 was fought, rather than simply reading its story; the logic of science requires that the child learn the scientific method.

The final phase of a classical education, the Rhetoric Stage, builds on the first two. At this point, the high school student learns to write and speak with force and originality. The student of rhetoric applies the rules of logic learned in middle school to the foundational information learned in the early grades and expresses their conclusions in clear, forceful, elegant language. Students also begin to specialize in whatever branch of knowledge attracts them; these are the years for art camps, college courses, travel, apprenticeships, and other forms of specialized training.

A classical education is more than simply a pattern of learning, though. In classical education learning is accomplished through words, written and spoken.  A classical education, then, has two important aspects. It is language-focused. And it follows a specific three-part pattern: the mind must be first supplied with facts and images, then given the logical tools for organization of facts, and finally equipped to express conclusions.

But that isn’t all. To the classical mind, all knowledge is interrelated. Astronomy (for example) isn’t studied in isolation; it’s learned along with the history of scientific discovery, which leads into the church’s relationship to science and from there to the intricacies of medieval church history. The reading of the Odyssey leads the student into the consideration of Greek history, the nature of heroism, the development of the epic, and man’s understanding of the divine.

This is easier said than done. The world is full of knowledge, and finding the links between fields of study can be a mind-twisting task. A classical education meets this challenge by taking history as its organizing outline — beginning with the ancients and progressing forward to the moderns in history, science, literature, art and music.

We suggest that the twelve years of education consist of three repetitions of the same four-year pattern: Ancients, Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation, and Modern Times. The child studies these four time periods at varying levels — simple for grades 1-4, more difficult in grades 5-8 (when the student begins to read original sources), and taking an even more complex approach in grades 9-12, when the student works through these time periods using original sources (from Homer to Hitler) and also has the opportunity to pursue a particular interest (music, dance, technology, medicine, biology, creative writing) in depth.

The other subject areas of the curriculum are linked to history studies. Students working on ancient history will read Greek and Roman mythology, the tales of the Iliad and Odyssey, early medieval writings, Chinese and Japanese fairy tales, and (for older students) the classical texts of Plato, Herodutus, Virgil, and Aristotle. They’ll read Beowulf, Dante, Chaucer, and Shakespeare the following year, when they're studying medieval and early Renaissance history. When the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries are studied, they start with Swift (Gulliver’s Travels) and end with Dickens; finally, they read modern literature as they study modern history.

The sciences are studied in a four-year pattern that roughly corresponds to the periods of scientific discovery: biology, classification and the human body (subjects known to the ancients); earth science and basic astronomy (which flowered during the early Renaissance); chemistry (which came into its own during the early modern period); and then basic physics and computer science (very modern subjects).

This pattern lends coherence to the study of history, science, and literature — subjects that are too often fragmented and confusing when studied in isolation. The pattern widens and deepens as the student progresses in maturity and learning. For example, a first grader listens to you read the story of the Iliad from one of the picture book versions available at any public library. Four years later, the fifth grader reads one of the popular middle-grade adaptations — Olivia Coolidge’s The Trojan War, or Roger Lancelyn Greene’s Tales of Troy. Four more years go by, and the ninth grader — faced with the Iliad itself — plunges right in, undaunted.

Classical education is, above all, systematic — in direct contrast to the scattered, unorganized nature of so much secondary education. This systematic, rigorous study has two purposes.

Rigorous study develops virtue in the student. Aristotle defined virtue as the ability to act in accordance to what one knows to be right. The virtuous man (or woman) can force himself to do what he knows to be right, even when it runs against his inclinations. Classical education continually asks a student to work against his baser inclinations (laziness, or the desire to watch another half hour of TV) in order to reach a goal — mastery of a subject.

Systematic study also allows the student to join what Mortimer Adler calls the “Great Conversation” — the ongoing conversation of great minds down through the ages. Much modern education is so eclectic that the student has little opportunity to make connections between past events and the flood of current information. “The beauty of the classical curriculum,” writes classical schoolmaster David Hicks, “is that it dwells on one problem, one author, or one epoch long enough to allow even the youngest student a chance to exercise his mind in a scholarly way: to make connections and to trace developments, lines of reasoning, patterns of action, recurring symbolisms, plots, and motifs.”

Classes at the Well-Trained Mind Academy hold to the classical pattern described in The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home. Our distinctives include:

• Adherence to the pattern of the trivium.  Classical education depends on a three-part classical pattern of training the mind, called the trivium (see “What Is Classical Education?” above for more). The early years of school are spent in absorbing facts, systematically laying the foundations for advanced study. In the middle grades, students learn to think through arguments. In the high school years, they learn to express themselves. Our middle school courses emphasize critical thinking, Socratic dialogue, and logical argumentation, while our high school classes focus on the formation of opinions and their written expression. Our upper level students actively engage the ideas of the past and present — not just reading about them, but evaluating them, tracing their development, and comparing them to other philosophies and opinions. Most upper level courses assign persuasive papers to teach students how to support a theory or trace historical developments that influence the field under study.
• Focus on written and spoken language.  A classical education is more than simply a pattern of learning. Classical education at the middle and higher levels is language-focused; learning is accomplished primarily through words, written and spoken, rather than through images (pictures, videos, and television). Our classes use extensive reading and writing assignments as well as live classroom interaction to support this key principle of classical education.
• Content. Our instructors use texts and resources already recommended in The Well-Trained Mind. Additional reading assignments of primary sources provide historical context for subject matter discussed in each course. Literature courses are organized by historical periods to complement our history courses. Science courses include study of foundational great books.

Well-Trained Mind Academy instructors use several methods to provide feedback to both students and parents:

• Lecture: Well-Trained Mind Academy courses are centered on interactive and engaging discussion.  Students receive real-time feedback on comments and ideas in class.  
• Course, Assignment, and Test Design: Instructors at the Well-Trained Mind Academy use their course, assignment, and test design to guide students through their classes at a reasonable pace and fairly assess their progress.  
• Assignment and Test Feedback:  Assignments and tests vary from multiple choice quizzes to multiple-page research essays.  Multiple choice and short answer tests have a faster assessment turnover rate than longer written assignments; no matter the course, all test material will be returned to the student with numerical and/or narrative feedback in a timely manner.
• Quarterly Progress Reports: Instructors provide a brief written report in the grade center describing student progress each quarter. The report includes a snapshot of the course grade as well as notes on student performance in the course.
• Email: Instructors will do their best to respond to emails within 24 hours during weekdays (but this is not guaranteed for emails submitted over the weekend). Email responses may be slightly delayed during midterms and finals, since our instructors are busy grading. 
• Individual Appointments as Necessary: When needed, instructors will make individual appointments to work with students on assignment-based problems, on-going difficulties in the course, or for general help/discussion.

The Well-Trained Mind Academy believes test preparation courses are valuable tools for modern students to use in their quest for educational success. The Academy currently offers SAT Prep, an intensive summer course designed to familiarize and to prepare students for the two-part SAT Test (language/reading and math) as well as select Advanced Placement courses.

The Delayed Lecture program offers students flexible lecture times while retaining the structure provided by assignment due dates and instructor/student interaction.  All live lectures in a course will be recorded, and Delayed Lecture students may view the recorded lectures at their convenience. However, students are still required to turn in assignments according to the due dates listed on the class syllabus.  Students will interact with their instructor via email, and will interact with their classmates via discussion boards. The Delayed Lecture program is particularly suited to meet the needs of international students, after school students, and students whose schedules conflict with times listed for live lectures.  

• Delayed Student Orientation Video
• Delayed Student Written Guide

When you’re planning your curriculum, it’s often difficult to know whether or not you’ve covered all of the important bases—particularly if you’re new to home schooling. What should you be focusing on? How do you know if you’re missing something important?

Subject Categories

Generally speaking, secondary school subjects are organized into nine subject areas. The core areas (every student must take them in order to graduate) are Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, World Languages, and Physical Education. The elective areas (they can count as credits, but aren't required) are Fine Arts, Practical Arts, and Business.

Most individual subjects fall into one of these core areas (and those that don’t can be classified as “Other” and considered electives). The following chart shows the most common groupings of subjects, although there is some flexibility in how subjects can be classified:

Core

Language Arts

• Reading
  • Phonics
  • Literature
• Writing
  • Handwriting
  • Composition
  • Rhetoric
• Grammar
• Spelling
• Vocabulary

Mathematics

• Geometry
• Algebra
• Pre-calculus and Calculus
• Trigonometry

Social Sciences

• History
• Government
• “Social Studies”

Natural Sciences

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Geology
• Environmental Science
• Labs (hands-on)

World Language

• Study of another language

Physical Education

• Instruction in sports
• General fitness

Elective

Fine Arts

• Music
• Art

Practical Arts

• Shop
• Driver’s Ed

Business

• Accounting

Other

• Computer programming
• Health
• Logic/thinking skills
• Debate
• Test preparation

In order to plan out your secondary schedule, you should begin with high school requirements and work backwards. Before ninth grade, there is no single curriculum or set of requirements for secondary students. Unless your student is transferring into a public or private high school, no one will ever ask to see those grades—and in most cases, schools prefer to see standardized test scores rather than home reports. So your goal in middle grades (5-8) is not to fill out a rigid set of requirements, but rather to 1) meet your state standards for home educators and 2) give students the skills they will need to complete high school requirements.

To locate your particular state’s standards for home educators, search for your state’s Department of Education home page, and then search that page for “home schooling” or “home education.” Each state has posted its standards online.

Official high school requirements differ slightly from state to state (for example, some states require three years of lab science, while others may only require two). Consult your state’s Department of Education home page and search for “graduation requirements.”

Transcript Basics

Parents who home school are responsible for filling out the high school transcript themselves. By placing the subject, grade level and year, credit awarded, and grade on the transcript form, you are certifying that the work has been completed. The Academy will provide you with grades and completion certificates, but in most cases universities will not ask to see these. Instead, admissions officers will compare your transcript with the student’s standardized test scores to see whether the levels of achievement are comparable.

Sample transcripts and transcript forms can be viewed on the following pages: 

• http://nbhsasc.tripod.com/OfficialTranscriptpart1.jpg
• http://www.donnayoung.org/forms/planners/hs-transcript.htm
• http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/trans1.html
• http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/046833

High School Requirements for College Admissions

The requirements listed below are those that a college admissions officer would generally look for on a reasonably competitive high school transcript. Each credit represents one year of work in a subject. Generally speaking, one year of work is equivalent to 160 class periods, or at least 120 full hours of study. Half credits may be awarded.

Time spent reading, writing, and doing grammar can all count towards the Language Arts credit. 

Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and upper level mathematics can count towards the Mathematics credits. Pre-algebra cannot be counted for high school credit, even if taken in ninth grade.

World Language credits can be any modern or ancient language.

World History can be Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, or Modern.

Science can be Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or any topics that are subsets of those. Generally speaking, Earth Science is not considered high school level, even when taken in ninth grade or later.

Physical Education credits can be awarded for 120 hours of purposeful physical activity, as long as the student logs those hours in a journal or diary.

Electives are made up of additional high school credits beyond those listed in the core areas. For example, if a high school student takes Expository Writing III and American Literature, the student would earn two Language Arts credits on the high school transcript. One credit would fulfill the Language Arts requirement for that year; the other would go towards the Elective credit.

High school requirements may be met through a combination of Academy courses and other studies, if desired. Two sample schedules are found below.

Sample Ninth Grade Schedule

(for a language-oriented student)

Note: This student will have more than 4 Language Arts credits by the end of high school. Those credits will go to fill the 4-8 Electives requirement. 

Sample Tenth Grade Schedule

(for a sciences-oriented student)

Note: The 1 “Other” credit will fill electives. This student will need to take an additional half year/credit of Language Arts in 11th or 12th grade in order to meet the minimum of 4 Language Arts credits.

The middle school curriculum should prepare students for the core high school level courses in language arts, mathematics, history, and science.

Language Arts

Each year, middle school students should study all four areas of the language arts: reading (literature), writing, grammar, and spelling/vocabulary. Although some curricula attempt to combine all four of these elements into a single course, different skills and teaching techniques are appropriate for each one, so it is often more effective to separate them out.

Reading (literature)

Reading and literature can be pursued using a reading list, as described in Chapter 18 of The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home, 4th ed. or with a formal literature curriculum. The Academy offers three levels of reading courses for middle school students. Reading for the Logic Stage courses are meant to inspire a love of reading, introduce students to a range of texts, and touch on the foundations of literary analysis. 

Writing

Writing in the middle grades should focus on the development of expository (nonfiction) writing skills. The Academy offers the following middle grade writing courses:

• Core writing classes:
  • Preparation for Expository Writing - Begin any time from fifth grade or later (if the student needs remedial instruction in writing)
  • Expository Writing I - Begin any time from sixth grade on
  • Expository Writing II - Follows I; seventh grade on
  • Expository Writing III - Follows II; eighth grade on
• Optional elective for enthusiastic writers:
  • Creative Writing for the Logic Stage - Begin any time from fifth grade on

Students new to the Academy should complete the writing assessment found here.  Students are encouraged to start at the level of Expository Writing that best matches their skill level. Even starting with Expository Writing I in eighth grade will give the student a chance to complete two years of rhetoric study before graduation.  

Grammar

Middle grade students should study systematic grammar, starting with Grammar I.  Click here for an explanation of our grammar curriculum, and sample course sequences.

Spelling/Vocabulary

Spelling should be studied with a workbook series such as Spelling Workout, from Modern Curriculum Press, or Spelling Power from Castlemoyle Press. Around eighth grade, vocabulary study (using a resource such as Wordly Wise or Vocabulary from Classical Roots) can replace spelling.

Mathematics

Students can begin pre-algebra at any point during the middle school years, depending on readiness. Since at least three years of high school math must be completed, ninth grade is the absolute latest that students should begin pre-algebra. The Academy offers a complete sequence of Math for the Logic Stage, Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Pre-Calculus with Saxon and Art of Problem Solving options. Students new to the Academy should complete the readiness test for a prospective class before enrolling.  Readiness tests for all math courses can be found in each course description in the course catalog. 

History

The best preparation for high school history is the study of world history, beginning in ancient times and moving forward. The Academy offers middle-grade courses in Ancient, Medieval & Renaissance, Early Modern, and Modern history, making use of the best-selling Story of the World series, primary sources, timelines, and other logic-stage appropriate assignments. Middle school United States history is included within the global history approach used in the Story of the World Series; we do not offer a separate United States History course for middle school students.

The Academy also offers a one-semester geography elective; this course improves students’ understanding of the geographical features and political borders of the world, and is an excellent precursor to high school history studies.

Science

Students should prepare for high school biology and chemistry with elementary biology and chemistry courses (as well as earth science courses) as outlined in Chapter 16 of The Well-Trained Mind, 4th ed. The Academy offers four logic-stage science courses: Biology for the Logic Stage, Chemistry for the Logic Stage, Physics for the Logic Stage, and Astronomy for the Logic Stage.

World Languages

Students can begin studying a language, ancient or modern, during the middle school years for high school credit. The Academy offers first-year languages worth one high school credit (for example Japanese 1, German 1, French 1) to students starting in the 7th grade, and middle school languages worth .5 high school credits (such as French 1a, Spanish 1a, German 1a) starting in the 6th grade.

Some Academy classes, particularly skill-based classes such as mathematics and writing, have listed prerequisites (Pre-Algebra before Algebra I, Expository Writing I before Expository Writing II, etc.). These are required in order to improve the student’s chance of success.

Our writing classes fall into three groups: basic writing skills, intermediate composition skills, and rhetoric.  We offer course sequences for all levels of writers, including developing writers, well-prepared students, and advanced students.  Students who have completed levels of Writing With Skill or equivalent programs may enter the expository writing sequence at II or III. For help in placement, see our writing assessment, which will be evaluated by Academy writing instructors. We recommend that all students enter the rhetoric sequence at Rhetoric I.  Click here for an explanation of our writing and grammar curriculum, and sample course sequences.

For other subjects, instructors will accept parent certification that a prerequisite has been met in the appropriate manner. Optional placement tests are offered to help parents come to a decision about the correct level for their students. 

Prerequisites and/or placement tests are listed in the description of each course on the Well-Trained Mind Academy website. If additional assistance is needed in placement, contact the school administration.

If a student is enrolled in a course for which they are not prepared, the instructor will reach out to both the parents and the administration to suggest alternative course options. Young students wishing to take classes designed for high school students should have their parents contact the administration before enrolling.

As a member of the Well-Trained Mind Academy, I pledge on my honor not to cheat, steal, lie or plagiarize.  I understand that such acts violate the Honor Code and will result in punitive action at the discretion of my instructor, the dean, or the headmaster.

Academic integrity is a core value of the Well-Trained Mind Academy.  Cheating, stealing, lying and/or plagiarism, which inhibit student learning and disrupt the trust between student and instructor, do not have a place in our school community. Instructors will not tolerate any violation of the Honor Code. If a student is found in violation of the Honor Code, they may receive a zero for the assignment in question, receive a failing grade in the course, or be asked to leave the Academy.  Parents will be notified by the instructor, dean, or headmaster if there is any violation of the Honor Code.  

Students are expected to uphold the highest standards of conduct in order to ensure a respectful and safe learning environment for all members of the Well-Trained Mind community.  These standards include:

• Academic honesty: students submit their own work without unauthorized assistance; students do not provide unauthorized assistance to others; students give credit to the ideas and writing of others through citation; students verify the sources of their research.
• Responsibility: students make their best effort to prepare and turn in their completed academic tasks on time; students work with their instructor via email or by making an individual appointment when faced with learning challenges; students acknowledge that late work may be penalized as outlined in course syllabi; students communicate clearly to their instructor when they are in need of additional help to overcome obstacles in their coursework.  
• Respect: students use language that is appropriate for the middle and/or high school classroom; students listen to their instructor and classmates; students stay on topic in class discussion and allow other members of the class to share their ideas; students remember they are part of a welcoming and inclusive learning community. 

Instructors will not tolerate any violation of the Student Code of Conduct.  If a student is found in violation of the Code of Conduct, they may receive a zero if there is an assignment in question, receive a failing grade in the course, or be asked to leave the Academy.  Parents will be notified by the instructor, dean, or headmaster if there is any violation of the Student Code of Conduct.

Attend Your Scheduled Class Only

Blackboard provides the flexibility to both attend lectures and to view recordings from any other section of the same course taught by your instructor. We ask that you only attend your scheduled class. Exceptions: Please email your instructor at least 24 hours in advance of either an unexcused absence or a schedule conflict which requires absence from the class or attendance of another scheduled class. Please limit this to no more than 1-2 sessions per semester.

Classroom Etiquette

The WTMA encourages full and active participation in all of our classroom environments, including the live chat in class and the discussion boards available in most classes. Here are some helpful rules to keep in mind as you participate in online discussions.

Classroom Chat

• Keep your comments relevant to the topic at hand.
• If you are addressing someone directly, use their name.
• Keep your comment to between 3-5 lines of text.
• Wait at least a minute between comments, unless you are responding to someone.
• Be patient for your teacher to respond to any question you ask. If they do not respond within 2 minutes, repeat your comment if you still need an answer.
• Use emojis sparingly. They are meant to punctuate a comment, not take the place of your words.
• Be polite and respectful. Remember, you are not the only student in class.
• Remember to observe these rules before, during, and after class.
• If you are addressing another person in class, make sure you only write in a way that you would want someone to write to you.
• Avoid sending links unless they are on topic.
• Avoid using ALL CAPS. Remember, ALL CAPS is the internet equivalent of shouting.
• Do not ask about a person’s age, gender, or location. 
• Remember, if you have any doubt about a comment, type only things you would be ok with your parents (or other people’s parents) reading.
• Apologize if you have made a mistake!
• Praise the good comments or observations of others.

Discussion Board

• Participate actively! Frequently! Diligently! Enthusiastically!
• Keep your comments relevant to the topic at hand.
• If you are addressing someone directly, use their name.
• Use emojis sparingly. They are meant to punctuate a comment, not take the place of your words.
• Be polite and respectful. Remember, there are fellow students that are reading your posts!
• When replying to a post, make sure you only write in a way that you would want someone to write to you.
• Avoid sending links unless they are on topic.
• Avoid using ALL CAPS. Remember, ALL CAPS is the internet equivalent of shouting
• Do not ask about a person’s age, gender, or location. 
• Remember, if you have any doubt about a comment, type only things you would be ok with your parents (or other people’s parents) reading.
• Apologize if you have made a mistake!
• Praise the good comments or observations of others.

Enrolled students are expected to attend class on a regular basis.  A student who misses more than 25% of any course will not receive a grade or certificate of completion.  Within each course, instructors will make students aware of their own attendance requirements. Each instructor will have their own attendance and lateness policy listed on their course website and will explain clearly how absences or tardies will affect the overall course grade.  Instructor policies will include how many times a student can substitute a delayed lecture with a live lecture per semester per course. Approved substitutions will not count towards the student's overall number of missed classes. Students are responsible for making up all missed work.  

Students who plan to attend a mix of live and delayed sessions within a particular course must receive written permission from the administration and then must notify the course instructor prior to the beginning of the semester.  Students attending both the live and delayed sections who miss more than 25% of the live sessions they are expected to attend will not receive a grade or certificate of completion.

Well-Trained Mind Academy instructors enforce individual late work policies that best support the content of their courses; as such, expect late work policies to vary from instructor to instructor. However, no credit will be earned for work turned in more than one week late in any Academy course. Individual instructors may modify this policy in select circumstances.

The Well-Trained Mind Academy supports an assignment submission policy in which delayed students are held to the same submission schedule as their live-class peers. Individual instructors may modify this policy at their discretion.

There are several ways you can communicate with your instructor:

• In Class: Well-Trained Mind Academy courses are centered on interactive and engaging discussion.  You will receive real-time feedback on your comments and ideas in class.
• Email: You can email your instructor at any time.  Instructors will do their best to respond within two business days.  Email responses may be slightly delayed during midterms and finals, since our instructors are busy grading. 
• Individual Appointments: When necessary, instructors will make individual appointments to accommodate students and/or parents.

Please note: If you have any concerns or questions, please contact your instructor before reaching out to the administration.

Students are responsible for keeping an archive of all work completed for each course, including work posted to Blackboard. Students should download instructor feedback regularly throughout the year for their own records.

In select cases, students may join a class that is already in session at the start of the spring semester. Instructors will meet with transfer students at the start of the semester to help orient them to the class. See our Midyear Transfer Student Guide for more details. Please note: transfer student success is dependent upon the student’s familiarization with previous course material. 

*Midyear transfer students who successfully complete the spring semester of a full-year high school course entered at midyear will earn half a credit.

The best way for parents to communicate with Academy instructors is via email. Instructors will do their best to respond within two business days.  Email responses may be slightly delayed during midterms and finals, since our instructors are busy grading. When necessary, instructors will make individual appointments to meet with concerned parents.

Please note: If you have any questions or concerns regarding a particular course or instructor, please contact the instructor before reaching out to the administration.  You may copy the administration ([email protected]) on any email sent to an instructor.

For an overview of Parent Responsibilities, watch our short Parent Orientation Video. Parents are responsible for ensuring their student attends class and turns in all required work on time. Instant access to upcoming course assignments and grades are provided through Genius, our student information system. Simply click on a student’s course name in Genius and the parent will be logged into the Blackboard course site. Parents should plan to log in at least weekly to check on student progress for upcoming assignments and to monitor the current grade in each course. 

While we encourage parents to monitor student work submission and course progress, we do believe it is important for students to work independently. Read our guide on how much help you should be giving your student for more information.

All Well-Trained Mind Academy instructors engage their students and expect active participation.  Individual classes may be held in the lecture, seminar, or workshop style, and an instructor may incorporate all three styles during the course.  

In a lecture-style class, the instructor presents course material to the students in a structured way meant to provide clarity and understanding on a particular topic. Discussion following lecture allows students to explore the material covered more deeply via critical inquiry.  In a seminar-style class, the instructor presents the course material to the students and student questions and comments are used to fuel the main teaching points for the lesson. In a workshop-style class, students present their own work for review by the instructor and the other students in the course.  Students receive real-time feedback on their work from both the instructor and their classmates. Workshops develop public speaking, presentation, and critical thinking skills in the students who are offering critiques, while the instructor provides final analysis for the student receiving the critiques.

Teaching styles apply to the live classroom environment and weekly homework/exercises.  All instructors, regardless of their preferred teaching style, provide written feedback on major assignments.  

Sample class videos are available on our website for most instructors.  A description of each instructor’s teaching style is also available on the Instructors page.

All students in need of accommodations are encouraged to contact their instructor in the first week of a course so appropriate arrangements can be made.   These accommodations may range in scope but will not alter the content of the class. The goal of accommodation is that a student with learning differences is able to show what they know without being impeded by their difference. Examples of possible accommodations include shorter assignments, untimed tests, extra time, use of a calculator or other assistive technology, etc. 

Academy tutors are available for help with assignment-based work or on a regular basis for help through an entire course of study. See our tutoring page for more information.

First Steps

The first year of home schooling can be an overwhelming time. Follow these steps to make sure you have your bases covered.

1. Check your local and state requirements for home educators. 
   • Home schooling is legal in all fifty states, but each state has different requirements for home educating parents. Some simply require that you file a notice of intent, while others require more supporting paperwork. You can usually find these requirements by going to your state’s Department of Education page and looking for the link that deals with home schooling. If you can’t find it, try searching the site for “home schooling” or “home education.”
   • Do not be swayed by alarmist language into paying fees to organizations that promise to fight for your right to home school. You already have this right.
   • The Academy encourages you to comply with all state regulations! 
2. Plan how to cover the required subjects.
   • For an overview of the subjects required in middle school and high school, go to “Curriculum: Choosing the Right Courses.” 
   • During your first year of home education, it’s best to focus on the core skills (language arts, mathematics, history, and science) before adding in multiple electives. Don’t panic and overschedule your student during the first semester! Home education is a huge adjustment. Make sure that you’re able to cover the basics before adding additional courses. Remember, you have the freedom and ability to add subjects at any point during the year.
3. Arrange for year-end standardized testing.
   • Even if your state does not require standardized testing, test results can reassure you that you’re on the right track, or point out where you need to do additional work.
   • You may order standardized tests from Seton Testing Service, administer them yourself at home, and send them back to Seton for scoring. The results will be sent to you and you alone. No one else will see them unless you choose to submit them yourself. Academic Excellence is another good option for standardized testing.
4. Find support.
   • Visit the Well-Trained Mind Community Forum to meet thousands of other home schooling parents. Ask questions about curricula, share problems, and find answers.
   • If you need specialized curriculum advice, please consider scheduling a session with Well-Trained Mind Learning Services.

Blackboard is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS X operating systems.  Most multimedia computers or laptops made within the last five years are capable of running our software, and a reliable internet connection is required. Students are required to have working sound and audio in order to participate in class.

Earbuds are highly recommended (iPod/iPhone earbuds are sufficient) to prevent audio feedback through the speakers when using a microphone. If you prefer, quality headsets with noise cancelling microphones are available online for under $30. 

Technical Requirements:

• Operating System – Windows & Mac OS X. Students can access class on a mobile device by going to wtma.blackboard.com and signing in. Blackboard recommends that students access Collaborate Ultra (class sessions) via web browser. NOT the Blackboard app.
• Browser –The best browser for accessing online classes is Chrome, followed by Firefox, IE, Safari, and MS Edge.
• Headset with Working Microphone – required to prevent feedback and echoes during audio transmission
  • Please note: A working microphone is required for live courses because participation is key to student success.
• CPU/memory – At least 1 GHz Intel processor with 1GB memory.

Please make sure to disable all pop-up and website blockers. These will interfere with Blackboard and restrict access to the Blackboard classroom.

Classes are accessed by logging into our school Blackboard site, wtma.blackboard.com, or by clicking on a course name in Genius. Students will find all class materials in Blackboard Learn.

Blackboard Collaborate Ultra is the live classroom environment provided by Blackboard. We recommend using Collaborate Ultra in the Chrome browser. Students attending class on a mobile device should access class through Chrome or Safari, NOT the Blackboard app.

Please read through the instructions and tutorials on our help page before starting classes.