Salvete, omnes!
I’ve hardly had time to write updates, either here, or on the Facebook page, since I’ve been occupatissimus (extremely busy!) this semester, but after a week of turkey and travel for Thanksgiving (with all appropriate precautions taken for COVID) I’ve finally set aside a few minutes to write about what has been going on and about the future.
So, what’s been going on?
Well, this semester I’ve had the highest number of individual private students I’ve ever had since I started teaching independently and working with these new students has taken up the bulk of my time. I’ve got home-schooled youngsters in California, an enthusiast and fellow teacher in Hong Kong, a senior getting in touch with his Italian and Catholic heritage, an academic from Cyprus and other students of all ages, experience levels and grades in between learning Latin (and Greek) this year. I even have one student in Minnesota, where I live!
Group classes are also going well: we’re on schedule, we’re having good conversations about our texts (Hannibal is a divisive figure, even after 2000 years!) and things are about where I would expect them to be at the end of a semester. Just a few class sessions to go for everybody!
But what about the future?
I’m preparing for the group classes I’ll be hosting in 2022, starting the first week in March. That will include courses on the Latin Life of St. Martin by Sulpicius Severus that Father Michael McMahon introduced me to this semester, as well a reading course on Hans Orberg’s Roma Aeterna, and perhaps one or two other group courses. I’ll make an official announcement in January when everything is finalized.
In late December I’ll take a little over a week off for the Christmas Holiday (no travel that time) and limit private tutoring appointments until after the new year. Oh, and I guess the big news…
Assuming that the new “o-micron” Coronavirus variant doesn’t cause havoc, I’ll be in Rome starting January 8th and be there until February 4th for my first visit to Europe in more than 5 years. I plan on seeing the sites, visiting friends, and to make some Latin videos for my Youtube channel which hasn’t seen much action since the Spring of this year. Given the rather large shift in venue and time zone I’ll be offering less tutoring sessions than usual but I won’t be totally unavailable…so don’t be shy about contacting me!
Things will slide back to normal, though, at the beginning of March with new classes and a return to Minnesota.
And that’s all for now! See you around!
Valete!