The Tutorial

The Tutorial is the personal segment of the Program, during which the tutor and student meet one-on-one for an hour each week. During this time, a conversation takes place concerning the student’s current essay or book, with an eye towards both the mechanical (grammar, spelling, structure, syntax, etc…) and the metaphysical (ideas, questions, soul-work). This often morphs into meaningful discussion about life in general. The work and conversation unfold at the student’s pace. For example, a struggling reader might read one book a semester, while a voracious reader might get through a dozen.

Hillwood

Hillwood is the name of sixty acres at the southernmost tip of the Cumberland Plateau in northwest Georgia. It is mostly forest with ample pasture-land and a creek running through it. Twice a week, the boys head to Hillwood for several hours to learn about soil health, to fall in love with nature, to explore, to make fires, to sit still in the woods, to play games, to recite poetry, to garden, to study ancient Greek, to discuss Plato, and generally to learn as much as time will allow for out in the wild. This is the communal aspect of the Program, during which the space for friendships to grow is provided.

A key element of Hillwood days is the Seminar, during which all the boys meet together for 60-90 minutes to have a rousing, free-wheeling discussion about the book that they are reading together. The twin goals are to speak truthfully and listen attentively within the context of a robust conversation about the story at hand. The tutor is present not as a dispenser of information but as a facilitator and fellow learner.