Ms. Knechtges |  Humanities |  Ascent of Northern Colorado

ABOUT ME

Ms. Anne Knechtges was raised in near Cleveland, Ohio. She graduated from The Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts, where she majored in the Liberal Arts and enjoyed writing her senior thesis about Beowulf. After graduation she moved to Boston and worked as Director of Operations and Finance at the Abigail Adams Institute, an academic non-profit where she designed and led a great books discussion group for students and young professionals. After this experience, she decided to pursue a career in teaching literature. She spent three years teaching high school and middle school at Mason Classical Academy in Naples, Florida. She looks forward to leading students on the journey of encountering profound works of literature and learning the skills of reading and writing so that they enjoy the confidence and wisdom that come from gaining knowledge and learning to powerfully express their own ideas.

Outside of school, I enjoy reading literature and philosophy. Most of all I love sharing long, challenging conversations with friends. I’m also a bit of a film buff, so I not only like watching films, but learning about the vision, collaboration, and technical achievements behind movies. I’ve always liked expressing creativity through drawing and painting, as well as improving my knowledge of art by visiting museums. I love engaging with nature through hiking, kayaking, canoeing, and skiing. My favorite place to travel is the Boundary Waters region in the Superior National Forest, Minnesota. I have been on several, six-day canoe trips in that area, which consists of a vast tapestry of lakes, connected by channels and portages, scattered with beautiful islands. There is nothing better than slowing down and being immersed in nature, far from the noise and rush of modern life.

EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY

My aim is to equip students with the intellectual habits necessary for succeeding, which means thinking clearly, reading attentively, and speaking persuasively. A solid foundation in the liberal arts not only hones these skills but ensures that students share in the historic experiences and ideas which have led to greatness. The Socratic method is an ideal way to build this foundation within the classroom, and the skills of reading and writing are essential component to sharpen thinking and articulate understanding. While discussion, reading and writing are the tools of teaching analysis and expression, this should happen in a classroom culture that emphasizes good habits, excellence, and wonder. My purpose as a teacher is to set my students on the lifelong path to knowledge and equip them with the tools that they will need to traverse that path. Through the Socratic method and the disciplines of reading and writing, students learn to think, read, and write with excellence while never losing sight of the wonder at the root of wisdom. 

WHAT I'M READING

The Crossing, Cormac McCarthy 

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert M. Pirsig