“I Must Be Emerald and Keep My Color”: Ancient Roman Stoicism in the Middle School Classroom

In this essay, Leah Guenther, a middle school teacher on Chicago's South Side, discusses her practice of the ancient philosophy of Stoicism in her classroom, arguing that this misunderstood philosophy with roots in Ancient Greece and Rome has application in today's complicated educational terrain. She explains how she used Stoicism first to improve her own sense of tranquility and then how she used it to add a behavioral awareness component to a rigorous, standards-based English language arts curriculum.