What Does It Mean To Teach Latin, Greek and Spanish Classically?

Posted on by Society for Classical Learning

In classical schools, Latin is a given. However, this assumption of Latin has been a double-edged sword. While it has ensured the revival of Latin teaching, we have not had to ght for or justify teaching Latin like we have had to do with Euclid, the Great Books or the progymnasmata. With these, we had to show that the modern tools are inadequate and that classical tools are better suited to our purpose. e ght for Latin has been di erent, and it has le us ill-suited to address the question of what it means to teach a language classically. is seminar will o er a defense of modern foreign languages in our school curriculum.

Aaron Fudge

Aaron serves as the Dean of the Logic School, the Chair of the Language Department and as a member of the upper school faculty at Trinity Classical Academy in Valencia, California. He has been a part of the Trinity faculty since 2013 and has taught 7th-grade Latin, 8th-grade Bible, 8th-grade history and honors Greek. Before coming to Trinity, he taught ESL for four years and served as both a youth and college pastor. He and his wife, Elisabeth, have three children, and all ve can be found on Trinity’s campus daily. He holds a bachelor's degee in biblical studies from Biola University, a master of divinity degree with focus on exegetical studies from Multnomah Seminary, and a graduate certi cate in classical Christian studies from New Saint Andrews College.

Stewarding Lateral Entries into Languages: Successes and Failures in Growth and Assimilation

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This seminar will relate the success (and failures) of expanding the language program at Covenant Classical School (Fort Worth) over the past years. From adding Greek, to doubling class sizes and sections, to widening the capabilities of student support, this department
has seen more lateral entries nearly every year. Challenges abound, such as dealing with dyslexia and dysgraphia, adopting accommodations for student support plans, managing mid-term entries, re-thinking scope and sequence to make more entries possible, providing opportunities for remediation, not to mention how to assimilate students with little or no language exposure into the middle and latter years of a 10-year scope and sequence in a classical language. While much of the source material will stem from a program that offers Latin and Greek, the content will be applicable to other languages. The seminar will conclude with Q & A especially aimed at exploring other schools’ attempts at similar endeavors.

Marcus Foster

Marcus graduated from Baylor University with a BA in Classics in 2000. He worked with youth in Berlin for ve years, part of which was also spent studying theology at Humboldt Universität. He completed an MHum in Classics/Theology from the University in Dallas in 2011. Heavily invested in languages, Marcus aims to stir a love for language and literature in his students at Covenant Classical School (Fort Worth), teaching Latin and chairing the Languages department. He and his wife, Julie, have been married for 15 years, blessed with three beautiful daughters and one strapping son.

Growing into Greek: Benefits of Expanding Upper School Greek Offerings

Posted on by Society for Classical Learning

The team-taught seminar will focus on the various ways that teaching Greek can bolster the rigor, moral and collaboration within a foreign language department-especially when offered as an alternative (or even an addition) to advanced Latin. Marcus Foster and Jeremy Sturdivant will discuss both the theoretical and practical issues of finding personnel, scheduling logistics, collaborating as team, motivating students of disparate abilites, capitalizing on a Latin foundation, and preparing families for electing competing language offerings in such a way that benefits both. The seminar will conclude with !&A as well as collaboration between participants.

Marcus Foster

Marcus graduated from Baylor University with a B.A. in Classics in 2000. He worked with youth in Berlin, Germany for five years, part of which was also spent studying theology at Humboldt Universität. He received a Masters of Humanities from the University in Dallas in 2012. Heavily invested in languages, Marcus hopes to stir a love for language and literature in his students. He and his wife, Julie, have been married for 10 years, and have three beautiful daughters.

Jeremy Sturdivant

Jeremy holds a B.B.A from Angelo State University and a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Jeremy taught public school for five years, a er which he move to Fort Worth to a end seminary. Since then he has both taught and coached at Covenant, as well as served as an associate pastor for Carroll Baptist Church. A passionate follower of Christ and a life-long learner, Jeremy hopes to instill in all of his students both a love for the Lord and a love for learning that brings glory to God the Father, teaching 7th Old Testament & Logic, 8th New Testament & Logic, and 10-12 Classical & Koine Greek.