Bridging Divides in Preparing Future Latin Teachers

This presentation shares ideas based on the personal experiences of a twenty-year Latin program coordinator who works closely with a FLTE program accredited for state licensure. The central topics include what the program advocates for pre-service teachers, opportunities the standards revision process affords to highlight areas that need attention, and some methods this program has found effective.

For future teachers, the program has deliberately dismantled a former ‘two-track’ system whereby MATs were admitted with lower scores and held to lower academic expectations than PhD students. All students are encouraged to become as fully credentialed as possible. For K-12 teachers this might mean state licensure in Latin, preferably with endorsements, but licensure is available to all graduate students, including PhD candidates, who can benefit in various ways. All students are asked to pursue the most demanding degree that is realistic for them, and future K-12 teachers are treated as equally capable of making significant contributions to research as future faculty, e.g., by being encouraged to present at conferences and publish their work. Intellectual exchange is encouraged in both research and teaching. This might look like a mixed group of graduate students critiquing practice talks by both MAT and PhD candidates, or MAT candidates sharing new materials or elements of their formal training in education classes. Eliminating outmoded prejudices is essential to the health of these programs.

Among other things, this program lays emphasis on mentored teaching experience. Many licensure candidates identify good mentors during their practicum as the most useful experience in their FLTE program. Critical is networking with area and state Latin educators, e.g., through heavy involvement in the state Latin organization. In addition to receiving priority in teaching Latin 1-4, pre-service teachers are heavily mentored, e.g., through one-on-one training, shared materials, observations, and opportunities to learn from senior TAs or visiting speakers on Classics pedagogy.

One major issue that would benefit from attention is the division between K-12 language methodologies and goals and what happens in many colleges and universities. Classics courses often focus on a subset of ACTFL World Readiness Standards, namely “interpretive” (reading) and “presentational” (prose composition) communication but expect far more advanced competency. Students in FLTE programs are often required to adapt foundational elements such as the ACTFL World Readiness Standards to the teaching of Latin and can find their Latin content training poor preparation for the formal testing components of licensure, such as edTPA, PRAXIS, or skill building through systems like the Danielson Framework for Teaching. Latin pre-service teachers are even more likely than other languages to work under cooperating teachers who do not themselves apply the methods these students have been taught.

Revision of the standards also offers opportunities to support inclusive pedagogies, providing an affirming space for all students, particularly URM and LGBTQ students, as well as students with special needs and hard-to-reach students. Effective programs and policies include experience with K-12 teaching prior to the practicum, study abroad opportunities, and realistic advising about the decision to seek licensure.