K-12 Teaching & Careers

In September 2022, the WCC partnered with the Classical Association of New England (CANE) for a series of events related to K-12 teaching. The video presentation and notes from the first event, “Overview of K-12 Teaching: A Panel Discussion.”, can be found on this page.

This session featured K-12 teachers from various types of schools and institutions who shared their experiences as Classicists teaching on the K-12 level. The format comprised panel presentations from our lead facilitators, followed by a discussion of the K-12 teaching experience by our panelists and the event’s participants.

Introduction video by WCC co-chair Suzanne Lye and lead facilitators Hannah Liu and Gregory Stringer

Lead Facilitators:

Panelists:

Overview: What is K-12 Teaching?

Emma Vanderpool, Springfield Honors Academy, Springfield, MA, evanderpool@springfieldhonorsacademy.org

Ars Ludum Docendi: “Quia nullos hic praeceptores habemus…”

What is K-12 teaching?

First things first. K-12 teaching is not a back-up plan for those who “failed” at academia! It is a valid, meaningful, and rewarding way to use knowledge and skills learned in undergraduate and graduate Classics programs.

A K-12 teaching career is secure and usually well-compensated. Salaries range from $30 000-$150 000 per year with a national average of $65 000. Additionally, many public school positions are tenured after 3 years. K-12 also includes a vast array of different jobs in different locations. There are often more jobs than there are trained teachers, which means more control over other aspects of a teacher’s life.

Types of Schools:

K-12 teaching offers much more control over your location than tenure-track jobs. Additionally, you have a choice about what type of community you might want to live in, the dynamic of your place of work based on its size, whether you want to work in a public or private institution (see chart below), and the grade levels you would teach in (i.e., Elementary, Middle, High School).

Types of programs:

Generally, two years of Elementary or Middle School counts as one year of High School, and each year of High School counts as one semester of College/University Level Latin or Ancient Greek.

Instruction:

Keep in mind that Parochial and Charter schools are guided by the grammar translation method, whereas Public schools may have more freedom to integrate novellas and active/spoken Latin. Sometimes, instruction can correspond with the type of school.

Essential Eduspeak:

Here are some key words that you might encounter when perusing K-12 website:

  • Social Emotional Learning (SEL): the development of identities, social skills, and emotional self-awareness; acknowledging the difference between the content of a course and the development of the whole person

  • Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP): a student-centered approach; responding to students’ cultural backgrounds to achieve classroom success

  • Universal Design for Learning and Understanding by Design (UDL & UBD): the process of planning lessons, beginning with an end goal

  • Standards Based Assessment: “grading” based on learning targets versus categories

  • Technology Integration: the integration of technology in the classroom, such as the hybrid classroom, the flipped classroom, Quizlet, etc.

Pro tips on negotiating salary:

  • In an interview, don’t be afraid to ask about salary.

  • Upon being hired, it is important to always negotiate your salary, as all of your subsequent raises will be based on that amount.

  • Don’t take their first offer! Leverage your skills, experience, and the market (which right now is one your side).

Deep Dive: Types of courses

Kelsey Martin, Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston, TX

Here are some common Classics-related courses that you might have the opportunity to teach at different grade levels:

K-5 (kindergarten and elementary):

  • Latin and Greek Languages (usually in private schools)

6-8 (middle school):

  • Ancient History (private schools) or World Cultures (public schools)

  • Latin and Greek Languages (more common at private schools but are offered at some public schools)

9-12 (high school):

  • World History or AP World History

  • Latin and Greek Languages (more common at private schools but are offered at some public schools)

  • Elective and Enrichment offerings, such as Greek Mythology (these are often created by teachers themselves, so there is a lot of flexibility and freedom to choose a topic that you’re interested in!)

Pro tips when researching different positions:

  • If you think a school would be a good fit long-term, don’t hesitate to take a part-time position there, as there is an opportunity to be promoted towards a full-time position.

  • If you have another language certification or know a language that you can get certified for, get it! Any additional credentials will add value to your hireability.

  • Find out what extracurricular responsibilities (e.g., coaching, sponsoring a club, etc.) a given school might expect from you, as they might differ from institution to institution.

A Day in the Life: Teaching at Different Grade Levels with a Focus on Types of Pedagogy and Activities as well as a Typical Day/Term/Year

Annie Huynh, St. Ignatius College Preparatory, San Francisco, CA, annie_huynh1993@yahoo.com

Public vs Private Schools:

  • Similarities: setting expectations and goals, classroom management, daily agenda, etc.

  • Differences: resources, support, class sizes, etc.

Educational Technology:

  • Some tools to check out: Peardeck, EdPuzzle, Kahoot (pro tip: see if the school will pay for you to access these resources)

  • Learning Management Systems (LMS): Canvas, Google

Teaching Techniques:

  • Scaffolding: think of it as meeting students where they are and building on what they already know

  • Visualization: having fun slides/pictures to get students’ attention; not everyone learns the same way, so having as many methods as possible is important

  • Modelling: creating sample sentences or speaking Latin out loud before asking students to do the same

  • Total Physical Response (TPR): using the whole body to learn, and encouraging movement as part of learning

  • Comprehensible Input: having students listen to spoken Latin, and using vocabulary that students might not know but could figure out from context

  • Games: I mean, who doesn’t love games?

  • Professional Development: making students aware of the practical skills they acquire through Classics learning

We learn through…

  • Community (by building connections and meaningful relationships)

  • Collaboration (through a student-centered classroom)

  • Fun (using hands-on learning and controlled chaos!)

Sample Breakdown of Categories:

Daily Engagement - 35% (participation, homework, class discussions, short reflections, etc.

Projects - 25% (creative work, solo and group presentations, research, etc.)

Assessments - 25% (compositions, exams, quizzes, etc.)

Major Exams - 15% (fall midterm, National Latin Exam, Fall and Spring finals, compositions and major projects)

Sample Course Loads:

Example 1: Public School

Latin 2

Latin 3/AP combined

English 2 (x2)

Plan Ahead Coordinator

Example 2: Public School

Latin 1

Latin 2

Latin 3/AP combined

Study skills

Plan Ahead Coordinator

Example 3: Private School

Latin 1 (x2)

Latin 2

Latin 3 Honors (x2)

Sample Day of a Private School Teacher:

7:30a-8:30a - Office hours

9:00a-9:55a - Latin 3H (Block 6)

10:00a-10:55a - Latin 1 (Block 7)

11:15a-12:10p - Latin 2 (Block 1)

12:15p-12:45p - Lunch!

12:50p-1:45p - Prep period

1:50p-2:45p - Latin 1 (Block 2)

2:50p-3:30p - Work in office

Evening: complete any prep not completed at work

Pro tips on maintaining a work-life balance after the work day:

  • The attrition rate for the first five years is high because of work-life imbalance. Make a conscious effort to reduce your evening workload, and set personal boundaries early on!

  • On average, panelist Emma Vanderpool works a maximum of 1-2 after school prep hours a week

  • Take advantage of prep time and lunch blocks.

  • Leverage efficient and standard spaced grading; Lance Piantaggini’s website Magister P provides some great resources!

  • Note that there is a wide variance in prep time blocks between public and private schools and between different private schools.

Getting Started: How to Prepare and Find Which Qualifications are Needed in your State/City AND How to Find Jobs

Jacqui Carlon, UMASS Boston, Emerita, jacqueline.carlon@umb.edu

Avenues to Attain a Teaching License:

Check out the following links about teaching licenses:

Teaching licenses are not required for private school teaching, although many schools prefer it:

  • Most states have an emergency waiver program for teaching licenses, which have been used more often given the current shortage of Latin teachers. With that said, it’s recommended to take some methods courses to give you a toolkit for success.

  • In most states, you can obtain a teaching license by passing an exam instead of completing an entire MA. You might also be asked to write ancient or modern language exams. A Google Educator certification can boost your resume.

  • Most states also have reciprocity with other states, but there often still hurdles to pass, such as additional exams, evidence of certain coursework, etc.

Avenues to a Teaching Career Without a Degree in Education:

Tailor your CV and Cover Letter to focus on pedagogy and your experience working with students:

  • What experiences do you have working with kids? Have your tutored or coached before?

  • How would you approach the elementary/middle school/high school classroom? Why does teaching matter to you?

  • How will you engage learners? How will you focus on the individual needs of students? How will you foster diversity and student success?

  • Why this school?

Information About Where To Find Teaching Jobs:

Independent and private schools recruit from January to March:

  • They aim to complete all the hiring by the end of March.

Public schools start advertising in March and hire throughout the Summer:

  • Public school teachers sign their contracts in April.

  • If they are switching jobs, they are leaving a vacancy in their previous school, which will likely advertise at that time.

  • Some schools also don’t know how much federal funding they will receive until mid-Summer, so that could affect their hiring numbers.

Here are some resources to check out for job openings:

Pro tips on the benefits of observation and mentorship:

  • Visit other teachers’ classrooms to learn about new techniques that might work for you; this could be a previous Latin teacher of yours or another colleague at your school.

  • Feel comfortable talking to administrators and colleagues - they have a wealth of institutional knowledge.

  • Spend some time with students in the age group that you might want to teach in (i.e., camp job, after school program). Can you imagine yourself interacting with these ages everyday? This can help you develop your teaching style, as well as learn about how you form relationships and work in various challenging environments.

  • Be open to evolving! Some things might work for you and at given times, and some might not. Be open to innovating and being creative, while staying true to your teaching style.

Additional Resources

Below are a list of resources related to topics on K-12 teaching that can be a starting place for learning more about qualifications and jobs. They include links to professional development websites, workshops, job listings, bibliographies, syllabi, sample assignments, and more!

K-12 Pedagogy Programs/Workshops/Courses:

Certifications/Licenses:

Positions and Job Listings:

Social Media and Networking Opportunities:

The following list has been compiled by Keely Lake, Wayland Academy (K-12 Liaison, 2008-2011) and updated by Dominic Galante (K-12 Liaison, 2015-present).

Bibliographies:

Syllabi and Lesson Plans:

Classroom Activities:

Images:

Texts of Relevance, Graded for Difficulty:

Further Resources: