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First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do
July 19, 2012 by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) at 06:50 AM
The title is a quote from Epictetus, one that I have always thought was very apt, and it is a good lead-in to an article in the latest American Educator. The article is long and leisurely, but it is definitely worth reading. It makes the case for teaching Latin, and its main argument is that Latin and Latin literature inspire students to excel. I am grateful to my own knowledge of Latin for many things, like an enhanced vocabulary, the ability to think logically, and good spelling and writing, but it would never have occurred to me that my Latin studies helped me to know myself. Very interesting!
I never thought to see the classics and Latin being a way of getting to know oneself. But with my youngest, the one with all the troubles in language, the introduction of the classics and a very base course of Latin to better understand the English language, it certainly help my child to see herself in a different light. Looking back, she began to understand herself, and it help her to succeed in school and her social life.
The classics brought to her, excitement, willing to read on no matter how long it took. But reading the novels assigned in language arts, she had no time and would not put in the same effort. I asked her one day, why? Stupid stories that don’t make sense and I don’t learn anything useful. To this day, she has her whole collection of the classics done in tasteful and beautiful illustrations, with appropriate children language, for understanding. Her favourites has always been the Roman and Greek classics, the Egyptian stories and than the African stories. I am sure, when she has her own children, the collection of books will be scooped from my home for her own children.