Mr. Koch| 6th Grade | Ascent Classical Academy of Douglas County

Mr. Koch has a bachelor’s degree in the liberal arts from St. John’s College, Annapolis. If the degree was broken down into majors and minors, it would be equivalent to a double major in Philosophy and the History of Math and Science and a double minor in Comparative Literature and Classical Studies. He is passionate about all the subjects that he teaches—Grammar, Composition, and Science—but his most abiding love is philosophy, particularly Plato. Although Mr. Koch has held a variety of positions in education before, this will be his first year as a permanent lead teacher and his first year at Ascent. He is very excited for the year to begin, and he is looking forward to getting to know parents and students alike.

EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY

Mr. Koch believes that education begins in wonder. When we wonder at something, we acknowledge our own ignorance as well as our dissatisfaction with that ignorance. Wonder is not content but is instead the beginning of an attempt to understand—wonder is the source of serious curiosity. Mr. Koch loves nothing so much as he loves serious curiosity, and he plans his lessons accordingly. The point of each class—beyond achieving competence in the required areas—is to cultivate and pursue this sort of curiosity. Mr. Koch feels that he has done his job well when the student leaves his classroom knowing more while also feeling braver in the face of what they do not know yet. 

WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO

Mr. Koch is looking forward to meeting the students and discovering what questions they already have, what passions they are already driven to pursue. He is also looking forward to introducing them to questions, topics, and subjects that they haven’t yet explored—he will begin each subject each week with “essential questions” to be revisited throughout the week, and he is excited to see how the students react to them.

Mr. Koch is planning to make Wednesdays a special day in his classroom. He is planning to make every Wednesday “philosophy day” where class examples, topics, and activities acquire a more philosophical bent while still focusing on traditional course concepts and content. Plato, Aristotle, and other Classical Authors will find a natural home on these days and will be the source for class examples. Mr. Koch hopes that the additional exposure to primary materials will allow the students to meet the Ancients more personally than they would through secondary sources.

Lastly, Mr. Koch is looking forward to refining and sharpening students’ use and understanding of language. Mr. Koch is currently trying to win back his ability to read Greek and trying to win the ability to read German—he is excited to practice the English language with the students as he practices at the others in his own time. He cannot wait to see his students grow in their capacity to read, write, and think intelligently about the nature and value of language.