Training days for teachers of Classics

Training days for teachers of Classics

In 2013/14 the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Birmingham, will be running a programme of Teacher Subject Days on six Saturdays across the year.    This programme is aimed at

• Trainee teachers of Classics on School Direct, School Direct (salaried), SCITT and Teach First programmes;
• Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) of Classics;
• Teachers of Classics in their second and third years of teaching;
• Teachers keen to run Classics in their schools who may not yet have established programmes

The six days will cover a range of aspects of teaching Classics, from the practical (e.g. an experienced teacher’s advice on how to plan, budget and run a successful Classics trip) to the technical (workshops on the A-level and GSCE texts, and on the Cambridge Latin Course, and on the different exam boards). To encourage new teachers’ confidence with material culture there will be, for instance, an afternoon spent at Chedworth Roman villa with Professor Esmonde-Cleary, and a session on practical ideas for teaching Roman Women with a focus on dress and identity.  A panel session on careers for Classicists with recent Classics graduates aims to give teachers ideas for promoting their subject and recruiting to it. The opening keynote workshop will be led by Roman Mysteries author and president of JACT, Caroline Lawrence.

Programme for 12 October 2013
10:00 – 10:15 Welcome
10:15 – 11:00 Introductions and round-table: aims of the course
11:00 –12:45   Cambridge Schools Classics Project Workshop: KS3
12:45- 1:30      Lunch
1:30- 2:30        ‘Bringing antiquity to life: artefacts as clues’: a workshop with Caroline Lawrence, President of JACT
2:30-3:30         Panel and discussion on the exam boards for Latin, Greek and Classical Civilisation and WJEC Certificate in Latin language.
3:30- 4:00        Evaluations, Departure

Further days will be as follows
30 November 2013
11 January 2014
8 February 2014
15 March 2014
10 May 2014

The days will run from 10.00am to 4.00pm in order to allow participants from a wide geographical area to participate.  There is a fee of £250 for the six days, which includes lunch and refreshment, and a trip to Chedworth, but we anticipate being able to offer bursaries for trainee teachers on School Direct SCITT and Teach First programmes and NQTs in maintained schools. For further information, and to book a place, please email Dr Elena Theodorakopoulos on e.m.theodorakopoulos@bham.ac.uk.