Instructors

William Perales has worked in Catholic education for over twenty years as a teacher and principal at both the elementary and high school levels. A graduate of the St. Ignatius Institute’s Catholic Great Books Program at the University of San Francisco where he majored in English and Philosophy, William also holds degrees in Theology (MA), Philosophy (MA), and Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (M.Ed.). 

He has led and assisted schools transitioning to a classical liberal arts vision, designed curriculum for grades K-12, led professional development workshops, and designed and led instruction for a diocesan catechist formation program. In the Diocese of Fort Worth, he served on their Curriculum Committee and assisted with developing and communicating the Catholic classical vision for diocesan Catholic schools. He helped establish and led instruction in Fort Worth’s New Teacher Formation Institute, introducing new teachers to the vision of Catholic education while forming them in the liberal arts tradition of cultivating the imagination, faith, virtue, and wisdom.

Robin Ann Johnston earned a Presidential Scholarship and obtained her bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Psychology (with a minor in piano performance) at Loyola University of New Orleans in 1985, cum laude. She spent several years volunteering in her children’s Montessori preschool, and then volunteer-teaching theater, speech, and formal debate classes for their middle school. Robin has taught World and American History, English, Literature, Composition, Math, and Theology for grades 4-12. As the lead middle-school teacher for Mount St. Michael Catholic School (MSMCS) in south Dallas, she was instrumental in transitioning the school’s culture and curriculum instruction to a classical model, in accordance with the Catholic intellectual tradition of education. Robin retired from teaching in 2015 and joined Responsive Ed, writing classical ELAR curriculum aligned to the Texas state standards. Currently, she writes Catholic humanities curriculum for the University of Dallas while serving as the classical curriculum consultant and lead teacher trainer for MSMCS. Robin’s passion is for igniting students’ hearts with a love for learning and providing teacher formation in the Catholic tradition through classical liberal arts pedagogical instruction. Robin was given the “Work of Heart” award for excellence in teaching— twice—by the Catholic Diocese of Dallas.

A lifetime of reading great literature gave Alexis a deep interest in words and language and a desire to share this interest with others. With a B.A. in Russian Studies from Washington and Lee University and a M.A. in German from Florida State University, she has experience teaching in various formats – from kindergarten to college students, from a private Catholic school to homeschool, online and in person, and from community college to the University of Dallas. She has taught a variety of subjects, including German, literature, Catholic catechesis, debate and public speaking, and European history, and also served as a 2nd grade homeroom teacher at The Highlands School as well as homeschooling her own children for 7 years. From 2016-2019 she worked as a writer and editor with the Theology of the Body Evangelization Team, helping develop a theology curriculum for children Pre-K through 8th grade. Her current position with the University of Dallas allows her to explore classical pedagogy and contribute original lesson plans to the UD humanities curriculum while supporting classroom teachers with professional development and training in the art of teaching the Trivium.