By Dalton Lobo Dias
When I first learned about Veritas Preparatory Academy’s program I was admittedly apprehensive and doubtful. I asked myself: Is the study of liberal arts fit for younger audiences? Can we really be successful in teaching such a demanding intellectual—not to mention unusual—curriculum at the middle and high school level?
Soon, however, my doubts turned to admiration, as I observed just how committed and devoted our community truly is to this task. Our students have welcomed the challenge, and have been shaped by it. Our dedicated and enthusiastic group of faculty and administrators are relentless in the effort to bring the best education available to this institution. This, of course, would not be possible without the immense support from our students’ parents and families. This community of learners and teachers, born from humble beginnings, has not only succeeded, but has grown and expanded. The passion for, and the commitment to, liberal arts education is evident in everything that we do here at Veritas.
Teaching science and mathematics at Veritas is truly a privilege and a joy. Every day I get to teach students something new about the world. Our aim is to guide them in the joy of discovery, and in beholding the great wonders of nature and the universe. But we perform such guidance with a liberal arts approach and a humanistic purpose. As Mortimer Adler wrote,
The aim of liberal education, however, is not to produce scientists. It seeks to develop free human beings who know how to use their minds and are able to think for themselves. Its primary aim is not the development of professional competence, although a liberal education is indispensable for any intellectual profession… It is an education for all free men, whether they intend to be scientists or not.
The study of scientific theories and mathematical concepts, the attaining of facts and particulars, are part of our studies, but they are not our ultimate aim.
The study of science and mathematics has led to many great advances in technology and uncovered wonderful new paths of discoveries about our universe and, indeed, ourselves. It has also brought us face to face with difficult questions, and powers which we currently seem unable to fully control or comprehend. Our goal is not solely to increase our arsenal of knowledge, but to gain insight and understanding about how we have attained it, and what caution it demands. In an increasingly complex and technological world, it is imperative that our students understand the scientific process, and the careful, painstaking work that it takes to perform proper experiments. Moreover, it is important to learn how to interpret results, and how to distinguish the essential from the nonessential. This is why we strive to guide our students to become excellent liberal artists, as well as great-hearted young men and women. We strive to provide an education that our students can rely upon for the rest of their life. We hope to equip them with the ability and the courage to take on the most difficult questions that humanity faces.
Our students understand that we do not simply assess their progress based on how ‘much’ they know. Indeed, the course of inquiry into science and mathematics has to be scrutinized and marveled at. We want our students to appreciate and wonder at not just the fruits of science, but also the harvest itself. This is why we do not simply lecture to our students. The great vehicle of learning relies on Socratic discussion, in which we encourage our students to join us in questioning, refuting, superseding, and questioning again. This is not to say that we eliminate all drudgery and routine work, as the learning process requires them too. True learning is not gauged by improved numbers, grades or statistics, but by the changes that occur in the learner’s soul. Therefore, every step we take is directed toward setting the conditions for learning to take place.
As I reminisce about my first few weeks here at Veritas, I realize that I too have changed and have learned new things about myself and about education. My students have become my teachers, in proving that they are more than able and ready to take on the studies of the Liberal Arts, and that they are becoming freer, more courageous, and better educated in partaking in the pursuit of the good, the true, and the beautiful.
About Mr. Lobo Dias
Dalton Lobo Dias joined Veritas Preparatory Academy in 2013. His undergraduate studies at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, included a double major in Philosophy and History of Mathematics and Science, as well as a double minor in Classical Studies and Comparative Literature. Prior to becoming a Life Science and Algebra teacher at Veritas, Mr. Lobo Dias taught middle school math and science in Baltimore, Maryland, and worked as a researcher and instructor at the Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
