Salvete, discipuli! Welcome to my webpages which I have been designing and redesigning for years now. They are set up for you. Hopefully, they give you the things you need to be successful at learning the Latin language!
You will find the syllabus for your class embedded in your Latin level class page, so if you are a Latin 1 student, go to that page by clicking on it in the menu above.
Here are the basics for ALL my classes. This is not new for returning students, but it is very important that everyone know these things about how my classes work.
1. Respect. That's the only rule in my room. Everyone gets what they need if we respect each other. The rule applies to me as much as it does to each student. If I ever act disrespectfully toward you, I expect you to call me on it (gently, please!), and I will do the same for you. My room has to be and feel safe for everyone, and over 23 years of working with young adults, I have found that respect is the key.
2. Homework. As a general rule, I don't give homework unless you are in Latin 4/AP Latin. The general rule works like this. I have found that if we make good use of our class time every day, then there is no need for homework. I will see you almost 5 hours per week. That is plenty of time for you to begin to acquire ability and make good progress in Latin without extra homework. If you are absent, or if you do not participate in a particular class, then you will have personal homework that night to make up for what you were not able to do in class. For most students,, most of the time, this means no homework! This year I will be posting little 60 second videos (1 or 2 a week at the most) highlighting something that came up in class. You will be asked to watch these and take a short online quiz. This will prepare you in advance for some items on major tests and make them really easy!
3. Grading, tests and doing your best. Over the years, I have learned that students, parents and I agree on something very important. No one likes to fail. No one likes C's or D's. Most everyone is happy with an A or B. That's because an A or B in Latin means that you are learning and making good progress. My expectation is that everyone in all of my classes will make an A or a B in Latin. Anything less than a B is, in my mind, a sign of not making good progress. So, here's my deal. On any given assessment (except for final exams), if you are not satisfied with the quality of your work, you can review the material with me or a Latin Honor Student, bring me concrete evidence of your added preparation, and take the assessment over. You have 48 hours to do this--which I can extend for good reasons. When you take the assessment over, we throw away the old one and I record the new one. I do this because grades are supposed to reflect only one thing: your progress in Latin--and nothing else. When you show progress, I change the grade to reflect that. One more thing: these are your grades, not mine. You always have access to them. You can always ask me about your grade and your progress. This is your education. It should matter to no one any more than to you.
4. My attitude. I want you to be successful. I will do the things that I know best to help you be successful. Some days, I may get it wrong. If I am not being helpful to you as you learn Latin, come talk to me and let me know that you need more help. That's my job! I love teaching Latin. More, I love working with young people as they learn Latin.
5. Contact. If you or your parents need to be in touch with me outside of school, use the contact form below. It will send your message to my email and I'll be in touch ASAP.
You will find the syllabus for your class embedded in your Latin level class page, so if you are a Latin 1 student, go to that page by clicking on it in the menu above.
Here are the basics for ALL my classes. This is not new for returning students, but it is very important that everyone know these things about how my classes work.
1. Respect. That's the only rule in my room. Everyone gets what they need if we respect each other. The rule applies to me as much as it does to each student. If I ever act disrespectfully toward you, I expect you to call me on it (gently, please!), and I will do the same for you. My room has to be and feel safe for everyone, and over 23 years of working with young adults, I have found that respect is the key.
2. Homework. As a general rule, I don't give homework unless you are in Latin 4/AP Latin. The general rule works like this. I have found that if we make good use of our class time every day, then there is no need for homework. I will see you almost 5 hours per week. That is plenty of time for you to begin to acquire ability and make good progress in Latin without extra homework. If you are absent, or if you do not participate in a particular class, then you will have personal homework that night to make up for what you were not able to do in class. For most students,, most of the time, this means no homework! This year I will be posting little 60 second videos (1 or 2 a week at the most) highlighting something that came up in class. You will be asked to watch these and take a short online quiz. This will prepare you in advance for some items on major tests and make them really easy!
3. Grading, tests and doing your best. Over the years, I have learned that students, parents and I agree on something very important. No one likes to fail. No one likes C's or D's. Most everyone is happy with an A or B. That's because an A or B in Latin means that you are learning and making good progress. My expectation is that everyone in all of my classes will make an A or a B in Latin. Anything less than a B is, in my mind, a sign of not making good progress. So, here's my deal. On any given assessment (except for final exams), if you are not satisfied with the quality of your work, you can review the material with me or a Latin Honor Student, bring me concrete evidence of your added preparation, and take the assessment over. You have 48 hours to do this--which I can extend for good reasons. When you take the assessment over, we throw away the old one and I record the new one. I do this because grades are supposed to reflect only one thing: your progress in Latin--and nothing else. When you show progress, I change the grade to reflect that. One more thing: these are your grades, not mine. You always have access to them. You can always ask me about your grade and your progress. This is your education. It should matter to no one any more than to you.
4. My attitude. I want you to be successful. I will do the things that I know best to help you be successful. Some days, I may get it wrong. If I am not being helpful to you as you learn Latin, come talk to me and let me know that you need more help. That's my job! I love teaching Latin. More, I love working with young people as they learn Latin.
5. Contact. If you or your parents need to be in touch with me outside of school, use the contact form below. It will send your message to my email and I'll be in touch ASAP.
