Also note, I save my more opinionated comments for this blog, which I'm sure has a very limited readership. I started this blog because I was tired of biting my tongue and watching Latin programs around me shrink or disappear because everyone turns a blind eye to what colleagues are doing. I suppose that is the correct, professional thing to do. And I'm not trying to be mean and nasty when I say with frustration that some teachers are only teaching/testing knowledge level information (low on Blooms Taxonomy) and then are stuck with small level 3/4 classes. I don't think these people realize that they are setting their own program up for failure. If you aren't trying to teach your students not only morphology and don't teach explicitly the skills it takes to put it all together, you won't build a program, except, perhaps if your JCL is strong.
We're supposed to be teaching Latin. We can't keep arguing for saving Latin programs just on SAT scores. That's an SAT prep course, not Latin.
I don't mind you calling me on this. You're right; but you also don't know me in person, you don't know my relationship to my classics community locally, regionally and nationally. I can risk speaking out because for better or worse I'm well respected.
ANd if someone doesn't talk out about why programs fold and where teaching takes a wrong turn (even unintentionally), then more programs will fold. It's a chain reaction. A district could easily kill Latin if enrollments drop or too many schools lose their programs. SOMEONE needs to analyse why and try to put it right before it's too late.
And I guess I appointed myself the arrogant bitch to do that.
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rosecarmine
Re: question
Date: 2007-03-21 11:54 am (UTC)We're supposed to be teaching Latin. We can't keep arguing for saving Latin programs just on SAT scores. That's an SAT prep course, not Latin.
I don't mind you calling me on this. You're right; but you also don't know me in person, you don't know my relationship to my classics community locally, regionally and nationally. I can risk speaking out because for better or worse I'm well respected.
ANd if someone doesn't talk out about why programs fold and where teaching takes a wrong turn (even unintentionally), then more programs will fold. It's a chain reaction. A district could easily kill Latin if enrollments drop or too many schools lose their programs. SOMEONE needs to analyse why and try to put it right before it's too late.
And I guess I appointed myself the arrogant bitch to do that.