Patricia Smith

Pati Smith, a native of South Carolina, has been teaching 4th grade at Providence Classical Christian School in Bothell, Washington since 2018. Before becoming a classroom teacher, she classically homeschooled her four kids—graduating the oldest two. The younger two now attend Providence. Pati worked as a Systems Engineer for several years before staying home with her children. She has a BS in mechanical engineering and a MS in Information Science. Pati and her husband Jeremy have been married for 27 years and live in Redmond, Washington.

2024 Speaker Topic

Against Pragmatism: Mathematics in the Grammar School

Arithmetic is often seen by parents, educators, and stu dents alike as a very utilitarian and pragmatic subject. In the classical school, however, mathematics should not be seen as a pragmatic exercise, even in the grammar school. According to David Hicks in Norms and Nobility, “The study of mathematics, the ancients believed, reinforces the mind’s power of concentration, memory, and logical process.” What habits of diligence, attention, and delight are we establishing early that will shape students for the study of higher mathematics?