Meggie Macdonald

There is a difference between telling someone how to teach Classics and developing an ideal based on previous experience.  I chose at this time to focus on the latter, and this is what I have learned so far:

- quote, with references when you can, and always quote in Latin or Greek first – we must remember that the voice of the ancient world is not necessarily our own.  This auditory stimulus also draws attention to the interdisciplinary nature of classics education and why it is just as important to learn the ancient languages as it is to read their ideas in translation.

- tell the story – be as objective as possible, but make sure your students start asking themselve questions.  Get them thinking about what they’re learning so they don’t merely regurgitate details

- argue about conclusions – scholarship may be written by well-educated intelligent academics, but they’re never always right.  Let your students find the holes in their arguments or methodology and punch through them.  Your students may surprise you by pointing out something you missed or, worse, took for granted

- make sure your students are always reading – if you can’t get away from the subject, any wanderings your mind does will usually focus on what you’ve been working on

- create a dynamic atmosphere – don’t let your students be afraid to stop you and ask questions.  You need to be able to pause what you’re talking about, reply to their question as completely as possible, and relate it to the discussion at hand.  At the same time, you need to recognise when a question can be answered after a class, particularly if it’s not relevant to the focus of the group

- be able to gage your audience – if they’re bored, they’re not listening, so keep things lively and, importantly, coherent and comprehensive (not too obscure)

- know what you’re talking about – students sense uncertainty (likely because they’re so familiar with it).  If you don’t know, say so, but you should only have to say so to a question that comes right out of left field.  You should know as much about your given subject of tuition as possible since you are teaching it

- keep your expectations clear and high - don’t broadside students with something they aren’t expecting for no reason.  They will panic of you give them a pop quiz so use it to show them how much they do know

- always surprise students – twist endings in lectures or unusual approaches to tests and assignments will always wake students up and encourage creativity

- include a bibliography for your lectures and for a course in general – they may not look at it right away (or indeed ever) but it gives students somewhere to start looking when they’re doing assignments and papers.  First year students in particular need to know what resources are available and which of those are acceptable

- don’t be afraid to explain complex ideas - in Classics, particularly due to Latin and Greek words and the 2000 years separating these historical figures and events from your classroom, you might be tempted to dumb down or streamline details to expedite the process.  There are enough students, however, who want as much detail in the initial stages as they can get and will focus all the more for it