As Allure Of Latin Wanes, New Teaching Methods Focus On Fun

When she started teaching Latin 40 years ago, Patty Mullis used to drill her students on grammar and structure. These days, Mullis and other Latin teachers are using new teaching methods to keep the “dead language” from languishing in the classroom. “I tell the kids, Latin is everywhere you look! Medical terms, legal terms, even Harry Potter spells!” Mullis said, beaming after cheering on the Nokomis Regional High School Latin students in a muddy tug of war at the Maine Junior Classical League spring convention last week. “Teaching at first was all geared to grammar and we’d bring in the mythology and culture to keep the kids from going crazy,” Mullis said.