Finding Opportunities for Wonder

I had the recent honor of attending this year’s annual Classical Education Symposium hosted by the Great Hearts Institute. A common theme from the talks I attended was helping foster opportunities for students to engage in reflection and self-application for the content they learn in school. Whether learning from the nuances of language in Shakespeare’s plays, discussing Plato’s cave allegory, or enriching themselves through engagement in physical education, students (and all of us for that matter) need the time, place, and, importantly, the colleagues to yield the positive fruits of an expansive, time-tested education.

One of the greatest dangers facing the younger generations is the erosion of such opportunities brought about through our technologically-connected world. The paradox of their lives is we as a species are more connected than at any point in world history, and yet, we are more socially isolated and disconnected than ever before.

Ray Oldenburg, an American sociologist in the 1980s, observed Americans live their lives primarily in three locations: The first place (the home), the second place (work), and what he called the “third place.” The third place described the “great variety of public places that host the regular, voluntary, informal, and happily anticipated gatherings of individuals beyond the realms of home and work.” ¹

As old as human civilization itself, from the Painted Stoa to Paris’ salons and the shopping malls of yesteryears, the need for social interaction outside of our spheres of employment and residence has been a core element to the development of humanity and the maintenance of a healthy work-life balance. In the ancient world, such relationships and conversations would have taken place at the Hellenistic gymnasiums, complete with a healthy exercise regimen, or in the Roman baths. The walls of taverns were where the ideas of the Enlightenment and the revolution were discussed by the founding fathers and colonists. Many of us today can fondly remember the conversations and deep connections formed around the bar, in the mall, and at the tailgate. The physical location, physical presence, and shared activities created opportunities for the greatest cultural and intellectual developments of western civilization.

For those of my generation and younger, however, the physicality of such experiences and locations has increasingly moved into the virtual realm. This was already a trend during the first part of this century with the advent of social networking sites and online gaming, but this was accelerated with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, an event in some ways many of us are still adjusting from. Even among activities like videogames enjoyed by the younger generations, long gone are the days of LAN parties and couch co-op. The increasing convenience of technology has made it increasingly inconvenient to socialize. Why input the effort and time to meet and discuss life over a dinner with a friend when a call or even a text conversation will suffice?

Like how our muscles require regular usage to maintain their strength, we need opportunities to practice and advance our social development. I believe the physical presence for such opportunities is just as important as their frequency, especially as children are growing and developing these skills for the first time. For children and those that have already struggled socially, the isolation of the pandemic may have caused such skills to stagnate and even atrophy. As a student at Liberty, I had my own difficulties with social development and had to make a concerted effort to go out of my comfort zone and create opportunities for me to develop social skills. When I was in college during the pandemic, the ease with which those like me could disappear in a world behind masks, sunglasses, and headphones playing music undid those long years of effort.

So, as parents and educators, how are we to give students the knowledge and experiences to reflect and wonder in a world that increasingly deprives them of such opportunities? Plato’s model of education didn’t just focus on grammar, rhetoric, and logic, but on music and gymnastics as well. A lecture I attended from a representative of Wyoming Catholic College identified outdoor and physical experiences as just as valuable and important an element of their curriculum as what they learned in the classroom. They didn’t only push the students physically but created shared experiences through struggle and opportunities for them to connect. If the ancients discussed politics, philosophy, and religion over the shared in-person experience of food, bathing, or exercise, how are such experiences any less applicable to us today?

If the power of a Liberty education is to uplift and change our students based on the time-tested tales and experiences of the past, we cannot expect such powerful texts to change their minds and hearts in the long-term without the proper space for reflection and wonder in the presence of others. Where possible, those opportunities should extend beyond the classroom and into the realm of clubs, extracurriculars, and “hangouts” on the weekend. In a classroom setting, perhaps the occasional discussion in the beauty of sunshine and nature like the ancients may help create similar opportunities for internalization and wonder that we want to inspire our students. The breathing room away from the captivation of electronics, the physical and mental presence in the company of like-minded individuals, and the discussion on texts and matters of cultural significance is something that our children need now more than ever. In a world where the physical locations for such opportunities have been lost, it is important we take the responsibility to dedicate the time and effort to help foster such experiences they need for social and intellectual development.

¹Ray Oldenburg, The Great Good Place (Marlowe & Co., 1989), 16.

Watch sessions from the 2025 Classical Education Symposium: