Latin Brain Teasers | Latin Alive!
One of the Seven Laws of Teaching* states that a teacher should never attempt to begin a lesson without first having gained the attention of the student. This can be a challenge, especially when it comes to bubbly (er . . . chatty) middle school students. A strategy I have employed often and without fail is the Latin warm up. I have a Latin phrase on the board ready to go before the student come in. With very little training, students will know that as soon as they enter the classroom they are to get busy. This eliminates wasted dead time that can creep in as the teacher waits for straggles or is pre-occupied with someone or something lingering from the previous class. Such a warm up engages the students' attention immediately and begins preparing their focus for the subject at hand – Latin. There is certainly no lack of pithy Latin phrases, but it is good to keep their attention by throwing in a puzzle or brain teaser amid the expected ancient proverb. Several of these brain teasers and puzzles have made their way into Latin Alive, Book 3. In this post we'd like to share some wonderful sources for more such diverting tidbits.
*The Seven Laws of Teaching is a treatise by John Milton Gregory that outlines the seven natural laws of teaching and how teachers may best work with such laws to maximize effectiveness. It is an excellent read and highly recommended.