Goodbye, Megacles!
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salve Reader! I hope this seething time of year is allowing you some fresh air and mental rest. I am not going to wallow in the drama of the season, but I would like to acknowledge a moment that can be equal parts heartbreaking and uplifting: saying goodbye to a set text. Yes, saying goodbye to a set text can be very hard (and yes, even if it is Cicero!). This week, I am teaching the 2026 Tacitus and Herodotus for the last time, and I am putting away resources in their files, making space for the marking season and preparing new resources for next year. It is hard because every time you read a text, it becomes a bit more fascinating. That is the way with excellent literature! If your student is dreading the 'horror vacui' that follows their very last Latin GCSE, perhaps there is a little classicist lurking in there ready to move on to A-Level. It may seem a terrible time, but the moment you start putting the books away is the moment to ask yourself, Mary Kondo style: does this bring me joy? If it does, why not take Latin forward to truly learn to read the classics and expand your literary and cultural horizon? If you have any questions about moving on to A-Level, you only need to reply to this email. For those (lucky enough to be) already doing Latin A-Level, now is also the time to make sure you develop the language skills you will need to tackle the complex texts that we read in A2. My A-Level Latin Mastery Hub will meet this Sunday for a workshop exploring vocabulary and stories related to the sea. You still have time to sign up, so please book a meeting if you are interested, and I will help you decide if it is the right choice for your student.
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salve Reader, I am sure you have noticed I am not a native speaker of English. In fact, English was not even my second language until my twenties! I grew up and studied in Spanish and Catalan, my A-Level MFL was French, and I only really started developing my English after I received a scholarship to spend a summer in Ireland aged 21, where I kept talking to people in German because my English was still, ehem, a bit lacking. Young 20-year-old me enjoying the Irish summer Moving to England was...
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salve Reader! I recently shared a year-in-review carousel on Instagram, celebrating everything "2025–2006" has brought. This was not intended to be 2006 to 2025, but rather 2025 to 2026! Another time, I should write about what I did from 2006 onward, which truly was another life, but my recent post was meant for just 12 months, even though some people were impressed that I had done so much in 19 years! (offending post at the bottom) Typos aside, it has been an amazing year, and I think...