Exams are there to focus attention and showcase achievement, but it is necessary to mix exams up with lower stakes, fun projects. This is particularly important for students who want to apply to competitive universities and want to look at creative and appealing ways to stretch their skills. In this newsletter, I want to share with you a couple of currently open competitions. There are so many options that every student, both those in school or in a different setting, should be able to find...
20 days ago • 3 min read
I love hearing from you. From the way I teach to the resources I offer, it is crucial for me that I am meeting your needs. Today, I want to explain some of the recent changes I have introduced to my services for GCSE and A Level students: First, GCSE: Recently, I released the new version of my Latin GCSE Revision Course, which includes not only a definitive platform to understand the grammar but also a guided section to learn the vocabulary and exercises to test your progress. I was soon...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
I have been very busy organising the new sections for my Latin GCSE self-paced revision course This is me diving near the Tavolara island during my recent trip to Sardinia, observing a Roman anchor in situ. - yes, even a little bit while on the lovely island of Sardinia! In case you wonder what type of person is thinking about examinations during holidays, I must say that it is precisely thanks to studying Latin that I developed a love for history, languages and exploration, which has led me...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
On Thursday, I will be closing the doors to my self-paced Latin GCSE Revision Course, and I wanted to give you a heads-up that when I open them again on October 20, the price will have moved from £97 from £250. Below is a preview of the topics covered. If you go to the page, you can preview a small section on learning adverbs using gestures. It is well worth a look! But this is just a snapshot: the new extended version will include additional content on vocabulary learning and plenty of tools...
2 months ago • 1 min read
September is most definitely here, and students will be starting to rush to Quizlet to revise their vocabulary and get up to speed. But are they making the best use of their time? Quizlet gives us the illusion that we are working hard: Look at all the right answers! And the amount of words I have seen on the screen! But those words will probably not stick for long if you do not use them. Ultimately, you are just clicking away and committing them to memory... temporarily. So what can you do...
3 months ago • 1 min read
This week, I heard back from my first ICCG cohort, and we celebrated their excellent results together. This made me think about access to classical Greek and all the people who miss a chance to learn because of misunderstandings about who can and can't do it. Let us be honest: Have you been told that Greek is only reserved for the most clever of all students and that you can only do it if you attend a highly selective school? This is simply not true, although I have heard it more times than I...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Little-known reconstructed temple from Vic, Central Catalonia For the last couple of days, I have been working from sunny Hispania - that's Spain for those still working on their Roman geography! Between lessons, mosquito dodging, and some Roman sightseeing, I have also been busy planning for the year ahead. And I have some big news: I am revamping my Latin Grammar Revision for GCSE course. I have improved my recording set-up and will create new versions of existing videos, as well as new...
4 months ago • 1 min read
I have just published my latest video in easy Latin for GCSE students, which I had great fun recording. Even if you are not using this OCR set text, you can enjoy it with just some basic vocabulary. So go ahead! Once you have watched it using the link below, I would love to hear your thoughts on the resources you need to make your Latin learning and exam preparation journey successful. Do you prefer short stories? Or do gap-fill exercises work best for you? Are you perhaps a translation...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Does your learner love Greek myths? Let them get creative by participating in a fun and rewarding competition. The Oxford Classics Faculty are looking for the best comic strips based on a Greek myth. Entries will be judged by (drumroll, please!) Neil Gaiman and Roel Konijnendijk, and teams can enter for different age ranges (spanning from 11-18). Here is the poster, followed by further information on how to participate: For more details, visit the Classics Faculty website and look at the...
5 months ago • 1 min read