by Dwane | Aug 4, 2014 | Education, English, Greek, Latin, Latin in Literature
Lucius Malfoy, in the Harry Potter series, is the father of Draco Malfoy. In the last post about J.K. Rowling’s famous series, we looked into the meaning of Draco’s name. In case you weren’t paying attention, Draco is Latin for dragon, or snake....
by Dwane | Aug 4, 2014 | Education, English, Motivation, The Future
“If you raise your children to feel that they can accomplish any goal or task they decide upon, you will have succeeded as a parent and you will have given your children the greatest of all blessings.” – Brian Tracy
by Dwane | Aug 4, 2014 | Education, Motivation, The Future
As a teacher, there are certain things I am should not say. Here is a big one: “I hate tests and quizzes.” I should not say stuff like that. I am a teacher. Still, it’s true. I hate them. I hate them for one massive reason. Tests and quizzes...
by Dwane | Aug 2, 2014 | Education, English, Latin, Latin in Literature
Rowling plays with language throughout the Harry Potter series. Consider this: One of the main characters in J.K. Rowling’s series is Draco Malfoy. This is no accidental name. Draco, in Latin, means dragon, or even, snake. Draco Malfoy is in Slytherin House....
by Dwane | Aug 1, 2014 | Education, Latin
August: respected, impressive; the eighth month. For the record, I like the Old English name better. Weodmonað means weed month. Let’s bring this name back. Who’s with me? To honor the emperor Caesar Augustus, the Romans renamed the month sextilis....
by Dwane | Aug 1, 2014 | Education, English, Latin, Latin in Literature
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus. This is the motto underneath the seal of Hogwarts. But, what does it mean? “Sleeping Dragons Should Not Be TIckled.” Good advice. It may remind you of Tolkein’s warning, “Never laugh at live dragons.”...
by Dwane | Aug 1, 2014 | Ebook, Education, Latin, Motivation
I need some help. We are often reminded that kids today don’t read as much as they once did. I don’t know if that is true or not. I do know they have more distractions today than they once did. I am working on a short, attention grabbing, engaging...
by Dwane | Jul 31, 2014 | Education, English, Latin, Latin in Literature
Happy Birthday, Harry! In honor of Harry Potter’s birthday, I am starting a new category: Latin in Literature. J. K. Rowling plays with Latin, Greek, French, and German throughout her famous series. For example, Caput Draconis is a password from the first...
by Dwane | Jul 31, 2014 | Education, Latin, Travel
If you have ever wondered what ancient Rome looked like… you no longer need to wonder. Thanks to the Khan Academy, you can take a virtual tour of the city:...
by Dwane | Jul 31, 2014 | Education, Grammar, Latin, ScreenCasts
This concept is bewildering to many of my students. Latin does something here that English does not. Hence the confusion. This video should clear things...
by Dwane | Jul 30, 2014 | Education, Motivation, The Future
I grew up with a very negative worldview. The world is getting increasingly worse, crime is on the rise, totalitarianism is around the corner, et cetera, et cetera. I am not angry with my parents. They did the best they could. I do get annoyed at the doomsayers who...
by Dwane | Jul 30, 2014 | Education, English, Latin, ScreenCasts
by Dwane | Jul 29, 2014 | Education, English, Motivation, Vocabulary
“Words matter. They help us define meaning. We think with words. We learn with words. Words are the fundamental tools we use for communicating. If we use them well, we can cut, and shape, and polish our ideas precisely, and beautifully. If we use them...
by Dwane | Jul 29, 2014 | Education, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, Motivation
Ten things you can do to get smarter everyday by Jessica Stillman You might be under the impression that intelligence is a fixed quantity that is set when you are young and unchanging thereafter. But research shows that, if so, you’re wrong. How we approach...
by Dwane | Jul 29, 2014 | Education, Grammar, Latin
Lingua Latina, by Hans Ørberg, saved my teaching career. For years I taught Latin. For years I watched my students struggle. I watched them memorize long lists of words and long lists of Latin endings. Worst of all, I watched as they struggled to read rudimentary...
by Dwane | Jul 28, 2014 | Education, English, Grammar, Latin
In the introduction to his book, A New Latin Grammar, (which is now an old Latin grammar), Charles Bennet defines the Restored pronunciation. “The following pronunciation (often called Roman) is substantially that employed by the Romans at the height of their...
by Dwane | Jul 28, 2014 | Education, English, Grammar, Latin, ScreenCasts
by Dwane | Jul 27, 2014 | Education, Italian, Latin, Travel
I intend to run an experiment on myself soon. I am going to teach myself Italian. This experiment will happen right here on the blog. My goal: to speak and read Italian by Christmas. We’ll see. I wanted to run this experiment on myself this summer. Other...
by Dwane | Jul 27, 2014 | Education, English, Grammar, Vocabulary
Good English, well spoken and well written, will open more doors than a college degree. Bad English will slam doors you didn’t even know existed. – William Raspberry
by Dwane | Jul 25, 2014 | Greek, Latin, Vocabulary
Achillea millefolium, commonly known as yarrow has a long and interesting history. The name of the flower is part Greek, part Latin. Achillea, comes from the Greek name Ἀχιλλεύς. According to legend, Achilles would carry the plant with him onto the battlefield. He...
by Dwane | Jul 24, 2014 | Education, English, Grammar, Latin, ScreenCasts
by Dwane | Jul 24, 2014 | Education, Latin, ScreenCasts
I’ve never loaded a video to wordpress before. This is a test. Is this...
by Dwane | Jul 23, 2014 | Education, Latin
My students and I just finished another trip through Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata, by Hans Orberg. Today was the last day of a Latin class that began several years ago. Since we bogged down in the book, the class was off schedule. I promised students we would...
by Dwane | Jul 22, 2014 | English, Vocabulary
This summer, I read The Loom of Language by Frederick Bodmer. Years ago, I read Lingua Latina, by Hans Orberg. I was discouraged with Latin and ready to quit. Orberg’s book showed up at the right time. Were it not for his book, I would not be a Latin teacher...
by Dwane | Jul 22, 2014 | Latin
It’s no secret that I believe students should start with the Vulgate (the Latin Bible) before tackling the Latin Classics. In a recent blog about this, I provided a link to Faith Comes By Hearing. By using the link, and by typing “Latin” into the...
