2004 APA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE
TEACHING OF CLASSICS AT THE PRECOLLEGIATE LEVEL
The
Joint Committee on Classics in American Education is
pleased to announce the winners of the 2004 APA Awards
for Excellence in Teaching at the Precollegiate Level.
Eligibility is open to teachers of grades K-12 in schools
in the United States and Canada who teach at least one
class of Latin, Greek, or classics. Applications are
evaluated on at least four of the following criteria:
success, size, and growth of the classics program;
outreach and promotion of the classics; innovative and
creative classroom activity; evidence of improved student
learning; student success in contests and competitions;
significant numbers of students moving on up; student
travel and field trips; and the teacher's professional
service and professional development.
All
of the nominees this year told inspiring and compelling
stories of dedication, high standards and even higher
achievements. The task of choosing among them challenged
the committee, which consisted of Scott Ettinger,
Nathalie Roy, Lillian Doherty, Mary Pendergraft and
myself, as much as these masterful educators have
challenged their students. The task of singing their
praises is not nearly so difficult.
Kelly
Kusch
Covington
Latin School
According
to Andrew Barczak, her Headmaster, Kelly Kusch
revitalized the whole foreign language program when she
arrived in 1990. And she teaches at the Covington Latin
School where she now has a full program of Latin and
Greek. He concludes: "Kelly was always searching for ways
to draw students into learning." It is an unusual school.
"Students usually enter the Latin School after the sixth
grade of their elementary schooling, and in four years
are prepared for college." As the Dean of Students
Richard Stewart notes: " I once walked by Kelly Kusch's
classroom and found her standing on the top of her desk
leading her students in some Latin recitation or exercise
of some sort. I don't really know exactly what she was
doing up there, but, frankly, most anything Kelly does in
the classroom has a strong tendency to work, so my
attitude is, stand on all the desks you want." She has
reached out to her school and community by organizing an
Opening Mass in Latin for not only the students, parents
and alumni of this Catholic school, but also for the
whole diocese. As Kelly states "I teach Latin and Greek
to my students in a way that helps them see the
connections to their own language, culture and society."
Her classroom swarms with activity. The Fontinalia is celebrated by musical processions and
ritual blessings of all six water fountains, and this
Girl's Volleyball Coach has been accused of requiring
wind sprints for the race for the October Horse. Her
colleague Dennis Whitehead remarked: " ...In thirty years
of teaching I have rarely met a teacher as dedicated to
her subject matter and her students as Kelly." Those
students are learning Latin (85% score 3 or better on the
AP) and learning to work hard. John Anneken, class of
2003 noted, "She will not settle for anything else but a
student's best effort." They do well on the National
Latin Exam, the National Greek Exam and the CAMWS
Translation tests. They regularly continue their studies
at the University of Chicago, Notre Dame, Loyola of
Chicago, Duke, Carnegie Mellon, Vassar and the University
of Kentucky among others. Ted Hall is a classics major at
Xavier and he testifies: "I know that I wouldn't be where
I am today were it not for the enthusiasm for the
Classics, dedication to her students, patience...and
guidance of Ms. Kelly Kusch." Kelly has been very active
in the profession. She participated in the Fulbright
program in Italy in 1995 and completed graduate work at
Cincinnati beyond her Xavier M.Ed.. She was president of
the Cincinnati Area Teachers of Classics, and the
Kentucky Classical Association and has done yeoman duty
on two local committees of CAMWS. In the last several
years she has made excellent presentations about teaching
Latin at CAMWS and KCTFL meetings. She is actively
involved in the Junior Classical League and the American
Classical League and the Vergilian Society. Throughout
the glowing testimonials, one theme emerges: Kelly is an
active part of her school, its administration, its
athletic programs and its church community. Belle
Zembrodt sums it up: "Kelly Kusch is a pillar of the
Covington Latin School and I am glad that each of my
children was fortunate enough to have her as a teacher."
Sally
Murphy
The
Winsor School
Docendo
discitur is the
philosophy of our next award winner, Sally Murphy of the
Winsor School of Boston. In a speech for its Campaign
Celebration, she recalled the experience of watching the
students walk across the stage who entered the year she
started. "That truth, "Docendo Discitur",
kept resonating with me. I believe that I have received
more from my work than I have given over the past eight
years."
And
she has given a lot. Gil Lawall noted " Sally's presence
reinvigorated the department, sparked many innovations in
teaching, increased retention and enrollments, and gave
the Latin program greater visibility in the school as a
whole." In nine years at Winsor, she has also served as
Student Activities Director, Eighth and Ninth Grade
Coordinator, School Scheduler, chair of several
committees and most recently Interim Director of Studies.
But such a load has not distracted from her dedication to
her students and her spectacularly successful efforts to
apply multiple intelligence theory and multicultural
goals to a classroom that she made "fun and exciting" in
the words of former student Brigitte Libby who was
inspired to pursue graduate work in classics. Her style
is reflected in this quote from an observation provided
by her Chair, Helen Otis Schultz: "The students had
learned and were learning steadily throughout the class,
they were comfortable while being purposeful, and they
actually seemed to like the class!!! Finally THEY did the
learning, while Sally took a patient but watchful and
ready back seat."
And
her students have shown their ability by their high
scores on the AP tests and National Latin Exam, for which
she is now a consultant. Sally has taken students to
Italy twice, where she showed herself, "...an unfailing
source of sympathy, support, and energy for both students
and chaperones." She has also taken full advantage of the
city of Boston by annual treks with her Seventh graders
to the Gardner Museum courtyard to study Roman villas and
the Otis House on Beacon Hill to Study Greek and Roman
elements in early American architecture.
Sally
is a wonderful teacher. Her fans call her
"...knowledgeable, vivacious, enthusiastic and
inspirational..." and they respect her rigorous standards
"That she expects effort, preparation, and involvement
while at the same time respecting her students' needs
wins Ms. Murphy immense respect from all of her
students." The Classical Association of New England
certainly recognized this when they awarded her the
Matthew I.. Wiencke Teaching Award in March of 2004. Her
seven publications, twenty nine presentations and her
work for the National Latin Exam, the Interstate New
Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium, the
Massachusetts Foreign Language Association and the
Classical Associations of Massachusetts and New England
are impressive in quantity and quality. One presentation
was dubbed "..a work of art."
In
his nomination letter, Gil Lawall concluded with this: A
captivating, innovative, and truly stellar teacher,
consciously incorporating the best contemporary
pedagogical theory and educational standards into her
teaching, an active and much-appreciated contributor to
many aspects of the life of her school and a vibrantly
engaged and active member of the classical profession as
a whole, Sally is ...the quintessential Latin teacher for
the twenty-first century, representing everything that is
best in our profession and bringing also that extra
something that makes her a star."