I began writing this post before schools closed for the school year due to COVID-19. Since more and more teachers are now considering and/or already using novellas with their students, I figured I would finish it. Maybe someone might find it useful. We are reading Rufus et arma atra in my first year Latin class. … Continue reading Using the Teacher’s Guide
Tag: lesson planning
Two Weeks in Lockdown
Monday, March 16th, my entire state's (Virginia) schools went on lockdown for two weeks. We were asked to begin virtual teaching on Tuesday. Locally, my school division asked us to provide educational opportunities for review, remediation, and spiraling, but not to begin teaching anything new. My best pieces of advice, so far, are: Ask your … Continue reading Two Weeks in Lockdown
Starting Class with Small Talk
This has been a work in progress. The original slide show was by Senora AnneMarie Chase for her Spanish classes. It can be found here. I have adapted it for a Latin class and then edited and/or added slides to fit my needs. I'm going to go slide by slide to explain how I use … Continue reading Starting Class with Small Talk
Those Middle Years in Language Class
I spend a lot of time on this blog talking about what my first year students and I are doing. Today's post is instead about my second and third year students. Those students are frequently the ones who end up forgotten as I plan activities and lessons. They are my "oh, darn" last-minute idea classes … Continue reading Those Middle Years in Language Class
Hodie in Historia
Have you ever been reminded of something, from a while ago, that at THAT time just passed you by - ZIP, right over your head - but now seems like a miracle... one you wish you'd known about earlier? Or rather, that you'd been in the right place, at the right moment, in the right … Continue reading Hodie in Historia
Stepping Back and Taking Stock
This week has been rough. Very rough. The students are far past comfortable with me and the class - now, they are pushing boundaries and limits to see where the line is drawn. If I'm honest with myself, they've gotten away with a bit of chaos. I haven't been 100% on script with the whole … Continue reading Stepping Back and Taking Stock
Card Talk is Better (for me)
I have tried PQAs (Personalized Question and Answers) a few times now and all I can say is that I need more structure. I am still new to using Latin to conduct the majority of my class and though I know the language, I still mess it up when trying to communicate with students. I … Continue reading Card Talk is Better (for me)
VINCO (a listening bingo-like word race) and more…
A review of three activities that worked very well in class. At least one of them, I believe, might be an activity of my own imagination. VINCO* Though I myself am not a fan of BINGO, my students have always seemed to love it. Though, in reality, the game offers little in the way of … Continue reading VINCO (a listening bingo-like word race) and more…
Tips & Tricks from the Trenches
We're at the end of the third week of school. My Latin I students have finished their first unit of study in Latin, the numbers, and what follows is an overview of what happened and what I need to do differently next time. Planning is getting easier. At first, I either had too much planned … Continue reading Tips & Tricks from the Trenches
Third Day of Class
First week of school, recap, part three. Here's an overview of what we did in class (Latin I - I do teach a total of 5 preps of Latin, from Latin I through AP Latin). We are on an A/B block schedule, so I only saw the students three times this week, for about an … Continue reading Third Day of Class
