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National Latin Teacher Recruitment Week

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions:

And here are some answers:

  • What is National Latin Teacher Recruitment Week?
    NLTRW is a week in which as many educators as possible across the nation (and beyond) find one day to devote to talking to their students about becoming secondary Latin teachers. NLTRW was created to address the Latin teacher shortage that we are facing in this country. The demand for Latin continues to grow, in great measure due to our own best efforts to raise awareness of the importance and richness of the study of Latin. Now that we've created the demand, it's time to create the teachers.
     

  • When is National Latin Teacher Recruitment Week?
    NLTRW is scheduled for the first full week in March,  March 6-10, 2006. However, if you can't speak to your students that week due to testing or holidays or whatever, just pick another week or another day. The most important thing, of course, is talking to your students about becoming teachers.
     

  • What can I do to help prepare for National Latin Teacher Recruitment Week?
    First and foremost, we need your help in the creation and/or gathering of materials. The most important item we are currently working on is a master list of U.S. universities and colleges with teacher training programs. In addition, we are trying to gather information about scholarships available for students working on a teaching certificate. Please take time to look at our page on colleges to see if we've included all of the programs you know about which have teacher training. Spread the word that we are doing this as well.
         In addition, if your state has created promotional materials for teacher recruitment already, please let us know. We'd be happy to post them on our website or at least include information on how to obtain them.
     

  • How can I possibly fill a whole class period talking about becoming a teacher?
    You only have to do as much as you feel comfortable with doing. But push yourself to your limit. You may find that your students are more receptive to hear what you have to say about teaching than you think.
        Currently the Materials page has the following brochures/flyers for printing and distributing. The first one is aimed towards educators, providing ideas for NLTRW:
        1) NLTRW Promo (PDF file) - Tom Sienkewicz's Advice for Promoting NLTRW, good for distributing to other teachers. Some ideas on this flyer include

    • Sharing personal experiences about teaching with your students.

    • Having a class discussion about teaching.

    • Getting a guest lecturer to come to classes to talk about teaching.

    • Distributing materials about teaching Latin to students.

    • Having students teach a short lesson.

    • Targeting individual students who would make good teachers by taking them to lunch or something similar.

        The remaining flyers are suitable for handing out to students:
        2) Some Top Reasons to Teach Latin at the Pre-Collegiate Level (PDF file): Testimonials from classics teachers on the thrill of teaching at the secondary level. Suitable for all level of students.
        3) Secondary Considerations (PDF file): PhD Testimonials on teaching at the secondary level. Designed with grad students in mind.
        4) What Do You Make? (PDF file) An admittedly feel-good story about a teacher's value and worth. It is, at least, thought provoking.
         While we will continue to create online materials for you to print and use, there are also more materials that you can order, including the recruitment poster and brochure developed by Rick LaFleur for CAMWS/ACL. Just check the Materials page for more information.
     

  • What have people done previously?
         Former CPL Chair Tom Sienkewicz published an online report on NLTRW activities in the CAMWS area in 2003. Current CPL Chair Ginny Lindzey has published the survey results from the 2004 NLTRW.
     

  • Is there any funding available to cover promotional activities for NLTRW?
            As a matter of fact, you can apply for up to $200 in mini-grant funds to cover your promotional activities directly related to NLTRW.  Please see the application for more details, and please feel free to print and distribute the new brochure advertising these funds.
     

  • How can I become certified to teach Latin?
    On the Colleges and Scholarships page you will find a list of universities and colleges who offer preparation and certification in teaching Latin. This list will be kept as up to date as possible but ultimately you will need to contact the classics department at the particular university you are interested in yourself. We hop that having this list will give you a wider choice of possibilities.
     
  • Is certification really necessary? After all, if a school is really desperate for a Latin teacher, won't they be happy to just find someone with a bachelors or, better yet, a masters or PhD?
    Actually, yes. No Child Left Behind requires that all teachers be certified and highly qualified in order to teach in public schools. You might find work at a private school but there aren't nearly as many of those jobs available. One look at the list of applicants at the ACL Placement center will tell you something very interesting: almost 50% of those looking for jobs have no certification. And there are programs that are closing because there is no one "qualified" to take the position of a retiring Latin teacher.
        Many people think that education courses are just fluff and that all you need to teach Latin is a solid command of the language. Truly there is much more to teaching at the secondary level, with classroom management weighing in almost as much as knowledge of Latin. Many enthusiastic teachers jump into a classroom thinking, "The students will love me because I will make Latin fun and exciting as well as challenging," and then are disappointed and frustrated when dealing with the reality of the classroom. And this is not to say that teaching won't be rewarding; it just takes much more than a knowledge of Latin in order to be truly effective. Those education courses are worthwhile; take your time to become certified while you are still in college.
        And what about "highly qualified"--what does that mean? This is determined by each state, but often means that you must be teaching in your major field. That is, you cannot teach Latin if you only have a minor in Latin or a few hours of Latin.
     
  • Who should be targeted as future Latin teachers?
    Of course, we should begin with our own students, as has been said elsewhere. But for those of you teaching at the university level, why not take some of the recruitment posters to the Spanish and French departments? Most states want teachers to be qualified to teach in more than one field. Why not encourage a Spanish teacher to become certified in Latin as well? Also, consider taking a poster or some brochures to your counselors' office at the secondary level or the undergraduate advisors at your university.
     
  • Do you have advice for someone who wants to become a teacher? How about for someone training future teachers?
     COME TO ACL THIS SUMMER 2006: Teacher Prep in the 21st Century
    Yes. Anyone who is considering teaching should read the flyer, "So You Want to be a Latin Teacher?" It offers excellent advice about coursework, books to read, and skills that need to be mastered before becoming a teacher. Professors advising and training future teachers will find a wealth of advice, articles and books that should be incorporated into the methods course curriculum. 
        Recently, there has been some question raised regarding teaching at the middle school level, the amount of academic rigor that can be demanded or whether it is all fun and games. A thorough and thoughtful treatment of teaching Latin at the middle school level can be found in "The Principles of Learning in a Middle School Latin Classroom." While focusing on issues specifically related to teaching at the middle school level, this article will be instructive for those also teaching high school. Instructors are also asked to consider the article, "Teacher Prep: New Ideas, New Approach."
     
  • Are there scholarships funds available to someone who wants to become a teacher?
    Yes, scholarships are available. You will find that some universities offer scholarships of varying amounts for prospective teachers. In addition, you might look at the following websites for information about these specific scholarships:
  • Where do I look for a job? Is there a placement agency?
             The two main places to look for placement information are
    • ACL's Placement Center (national database) should be everyone's first reference when searching for a job.
    • NCLG's Placement Page (lists individual state databases) can lead you to the state clearinghouse for jobs which may not have been listed on the ACL page.
       
  • Who are the people in the changing photos on the home page?
    So far, the list of people on the front page are former Latin teacher Doris Kays (now a foreign language coordinator) and her former student now teacher Ginny Lindzey, Jennie Clifton and the pink prepositional pig, Kevin Perry, Lisa Aronson, Kathryn Jarvis and her purple hair, Amy Spagna, Ginny Lindzey (Achilleia wielding a spongia in fuste) and Michelle Vitt (Amazonia), Keith Toda, Michael Myers and his motorcycle, Patrick Yaggy, Gail Cooper, Conna Oram surrounded by students, Robert Patrick, DD Farms and his spear, Diann Nickelsburg, Lauri Dabbieri, Dexter Hoyos in Australia, Barbara Bell (author of Minimus) and Zee Ann Poerio, John McChesney-Young as the feral flute player, Maura Burke being attacked by pigeons in Venice (I believe), Amy High as Forum Romanum's Julia Pauli (died 2003), and Rose Williams, author of many delightful books for students. These are mainly individuals who participate on the Latinteach discussion group. More will be added as pictures are received. Why do you ask?  See anyone that reminds you of yourself? Latin teachers come in all shapes and sizes, with different personal interests, ways of dressing and even hair styles. I'm sure you'd fit right in!
     
  • Is there an actual NLTRW committee, and if so, who is on it?
    Yes, there is a committee for NLTRW. It consists of the following people:

Last updated: April 29, 2006. National Latin Teacher Recruitment Week is a cooperative venture of the American Classical League, American Philological Association, and other regional and state classical organizations. This site is maintained by Ginny Lindzey.