Blog
I do not make these up. Promise.
Still trying to catch up on emails. This one made me very happy! "As I’ve told you many times, you made Latin possible for this home schooled family! When my daughter requested to study Latin, I was so against it. I made her study Spanish. With no interest, it...
Fat chance. Oh well. It’s the thought that counts.
"Three years ago, our local football team here in Seattle won the NFL championship. Leading up to the Super Bowl game and afterward was an orgy of celebration, a non-stop display of team jingoism. Every other car, home, and shop had a “12th Man” banner. Half the...
At least it’s free!
It astonishes me that we believe the people who run the Department of Motor Vehicles are qualified to educate our children. https://youtu.be/yCOPJi0Urq4 But, hey! At least it’s free! Kind of. Oh, wait a minute… I have paid $1500 a year in property taxes for 20...
These questions… again.
I received these questions: How many weeks is your class? (Does it somewhat correspond to the CC 30-week plan)? Do you assign homework and do you collect it/grade it? Will the homework correspond at all to the CC 30 week Latin I (Challenge I) curriculum? And just to...
Follow the title.
I received this question: Perfect - Ok so from reading your Q&A it sounds like keep my Henle kid in Henle 2 - and once she completes that she will have 3 years of Latin? Here is my reply: Slowly catching up. Yes. As best I can tell, it seems most schools treat...
This applies to many of my students…
I realized after I read your email that I needed to streamline. If you are confused, many people are confused. So, I have begun the process of cleaning up my site. I want everything to be crystal-clear to my students. In the past, I left old classes up in case...
What colleges do not what you to know…
https://youtu.be/sMr2BxA_HVU Marty's site is helpful if you are struggling with decisions about education: http://martynemko.com/
How to get into the live classes…
When you receive a receipt from my site, be sure to click on the blue SUBSCRIPTION link in the receipt. When the file downloads, open the file. There you will find the links to the live classes. Access to the previous classes on my site is a different registration....
Need help?
Confused about classes? I will be offering another free Q and A orientation class tonight at 6 pm central time zone. Register here (just click on the link and enter your name and email): https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6416932763790514946
Too late?
In class. I will be teaching all morning. I am unavailable. If you did not register in time, I will be back to help this afternoon.
It has come to this…
IMPORTANT! When you join a class, you should receive a link to a PDF. Inside that PDF are the links to the live classes. PLEASE verify that you have those before emailing me. I may not be able to respond to you for days. The name of the link is SUBSCRIPTION. It is...
Well… it has finally happened.
Tim Ferris (of Four-Hour Work Week Fame) has this note at the end of all of his emails: DUE TO VOLUME, PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. SADLY, WE ARE UNABLE TO READ 1,000+ MESSAGES PER DAY. After putting it off for years, I am going to have to take the same action....
Attention! Classes begin tomorrow. Please read!
It's Labor day here in the United States. We celebrate by not working. Heh. I don't celebrate Federal holidays. Federal holidays are great days to catch up. Today, I will be catching up. If you are waiting for an email from me, you should get a response today....
Summary of the Millionaire Next Door
Years ago, I read the Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley. I remember thinking... "Is this a commentary on the book of Proverbs?" This morning, I ran across a summary of the book. Investment writer Mark Skousen wrote this:...
Do this.
August is a crazy busy month of the year for me. Last Saturday, I didn't send a tip of the week. This Saturday, I am too tired to spend much time typing. A writer I follow once sent out a reminder that I have never forgotten. I read this from time to time. You may...
When schools fail…
I received this email: After reading several blog posts, I am wondering (again) about Henle. Yes, I admit that I am also one of those people who HATE Henle. I find it cumbersome, confusing, limited (vocabulary ), and just plain aggravating. Our son has struggled with...
Which meaning?
I received this question: My son came across a problem on Visual Latin 1 Lesson 15. On the answer sheet it says that the word "feminam" means wife and "feminas" means wives but on the vocabulary list, it is not listed. It is listed as woman. Also, we ran into issues...
Lingua Latina. Where to begin?
I received this question: Our school is in its second year with a new high school (very soft, very quiet open). Four students, three ninth-graders, and one 11th grader. I am needing help in how to divide the Lingua Latina into courses. Latin 1, Latin 2, etc. Surely...
A notice from the National Latin Examiners
Salvete, omnes! We wanted to remind you about the postmark deadline for applying for the 2018 National Latin Exam. The application will be available on our website, listed below, starting in September. Applications will be mailed to all who participated in the 2017...
A grammar a month?!?
I received this comment: Quick question: I'm reading your book, Via, and I'm wondering what you mean by reading a grammar per month. Do you mean something like "Wheelock's Latin"? That seems like a tall order each month! Could you please give an example of what you...
Very possibly my favorite video of all time…
https://youtu.be/UC_gXD5OE88
When do classes begin?
Here is the schedule of classes for 2017 – 2018 (subject to change, of course): Tuesday classes will begin on September 5, 2017, and will end on May 29, 2018. Wednesday classes will begin on September 6, 2017, and will end on May 30, 2018. (Classes during the month...
Better than flash cards?
I received this question: My question: my 10-year-old son and I are super enjoying VL1. You are a brilliant teacher. Now that we are on lesson 10 he has a lot of vocab words to memorize. He writes out the flash cards and reviews them almost daily. Are there any better...
🙂
So far we have worked through Lesson 6. I cannot tell you thank you enough! Today she was on Google translate to hear the pronunciation so she could not only translate it but speak it! And she did it well and translated her sentences perfectly. She has never liked...
Lucky?
This is a repost. I wrote this in January of 2017. It still applies. Especially since we are back to Greece. ======================================================================================= My family and I are very likely moving back to Greece in March. If...
Annual payment?
I received this question: Is there still a way to pay $250 for the year or is a monthly payment the only option now? Here is my reply: I used to allow people to set up annual payments with a discount of $50 for those who did not want me to grade their work ($250), and...
Heal your brain.
Now and then, I simply borrow someone else’s tip of the week. Since it is 11:45 and I am still up answering emails, I am going to do just that. This tip comes from Bill Myers. I am doing exactly what he recommends at the moment. I am listening to soothing music on...
Check this out!
A friend of mine, and a fellow teacher, David Durham is about to launch a Spanish class online. Many of you have been asking me... "Where do I go to learn Spanish?" You have read my recommendations. Now, with exitement, I can add another recommendation. David, like...
Snort.
https://youtu.be/I_j-tBJ3Kss
Visual Latin may not be right for you.
Visual Latin is now 8 years old. Honestly, I have to face reality. Visual Latin is not for everyone. It just isn't. You should be able to complete Visual Latin in two years. By the end of those two years, you will know how to read the New Testament gospels in...
How to diagram a simple sentence
In the book First Year Latin by Robert Henle, the author requires students to diagram sentences from time to time. Unfortunately, there is not always sufficient explanation on how to do this. This summer, I have started a series of videos explaining how to diagram...
After First Year Latin by Robert Henle?
I received this question: My son took your Latin Henle Year 1 last year. We are trying to figure out which class would be the best next step for him to take. What would you suggest? Here is my reply: Since he has finished First Year Latin by Robert Henle, it really...
Now’s your chance…
Every Saturday, I send out a tip of the week. I also include announcements, upcoming classes, and so on. If you would like to hear from me every weekend, sign up for my weekly updates here: [yikes-mailchimp form="1"] I don't like to use my email list to...
Why I can no longer grade your work.
This morning, I am plowing through over 150 emails. Many of them look like this: ================================================= 1. Quae sunt insignia imperii? Fasces et secures insignia imperii sunt. 2. Quomodo Romulus civitatem auxit? Romulus multitudinem...
Coffee Break Italian
On Monday, July 31, I flew down to Miami, Florida. Long story short, I had left a vehicle there when my family flew to Athens, Greece. We were going to pick it up on the way home. But, on April 13, my son ended up in the emergency room in Aurora, Colorado. We flew...
Seemed like a good idea…
In March, my family and I drove to Miami. We left our van at a storage facility about 20 minutes from the airport. It was our plan to pick it up in July when we returned from Athens. But, then my son crashed in Denver, and we flew directly from Athens. Our van...
Oh man. This explains a lot.
"There is a basic rule of bureaucracy. It is an almost unbreakable rule. Bureaucrats within the bureaucracy never want to hire somebody who is really talented. The presence of such a person within the bureaucracy makes every other person in the bureaucracy look...
Would the Italian class be appropriate for my young children?
I received this question: I have a 7 and 8-year old that are learning Italian. I lived in Italy for 6 years and speak, so I would like them to learn that as their first foreign language since we could practice together at home. Currently, we are doing Rosetta and...
Just so you know…
I will be offering an orientation class every week during the month of August. Feel free to join any of them. I will be posting them here on my blog. Here is the next one: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8468847959797832449
On the road…
I will not be responding to email this afternoon and I will not be responding on Tuesday, August 1. When we flew to Athens, Greece we flew out of Miami, FL. We left our car parked there. We were going to fly back into Athens later and drive home. Then, when my son's...
IMPORTANT!! How to get into class this fall.
Short and sweet this week. Okay. Not sweet. Never call me sweet. I hate that. Hate. Hate. Hate. Loathe entirely. Compass Classroom is about to start a "Back to School Sale". If you have been thinking about learning Latin with Visual Latin, then keep an eye on...
The Rudiments of Anglo-Saxon
Years ago, I think in Surprised by Joy, I read about the English education of C.S. Lewis. Unfortunately, Evernote didn't exist at the time. As a result, I can't source what I am about to say. Anyway, at some point, and somewhere, I read about the English education...
There’s still time….
I am hosting a live Q and A / Orientation class tonight at 7 central. No charge. Here is the link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7024812059890156289
But, I only need one year of Latin…
I received this comment: Hi - I was getting ready to register my son for Henle 3 class and I understand it is $25 a month, but when I was checking out it said my card would be charged once a month, 36 times? I do not understand this? Would a year be 12 times? or Is it...
Soooo behind. 🙁
Catching up today. If you are waiting for an email from me, I am likely about to attack your inbox. I am sorry for the delay's guys. If you don't feel like waiting, I am hosting a live Q and A / Orientation class tonight at 7 central. No charge. Here is the...
Live Q and A
Questions about Latin? Visual Latin? Henle Latin? Lingua Latina? Get answers. I will be hosting a live Q and A class tomorrow evening. Register for free here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7024812059890156289
Olde English…
Lately, I've been tinkering around with Old English. This is something I have wanted to learn for a long time. I'll be reviewing a book I've been reading on the subject this coming Friday. Meanwhile, pronunciation has been a bit of a problem for me. I went looking...
Ouch.
https://youtu.be/8utmmWoBSBY
A rare Sunday post…
I never post on Sundays, because... six days shall you work, and all that. But, I wanted to let everyone know that we are throwing a party. We want to show our gratitude to the creator, who, for some reason, preserved the life of our son. We know he didn't have to....
How to learn all the vocabulary…
Estimates vary... but, it seems you need at least a few thousand words in your head to be able to speak fluently in another language. Since there is no way to nail down an exact number, I am going with 2,000. If you learn just 50 words a week, you would possess those...