L.

Takakjy Teaching Philosophy

My teaching is guided by Lucretius pedagogical imperative to make

the obscure clear. To teach effectively, I seek ways to enliven ancient
literature and history by appealing to student creativity, by cultivating a
community of inquiry, and by elucidating course objectives every class.
Furthermore, living and teaching in diverse environments has given me a
broad perspective on the value of inclusion.
The assessments and activities I develop are intended to require
students to think in imaginative ways about the past and present. For
example, on a written exam in a course on Greek civilization, I asked
students to become consultants to an Archaic city-state. They had to solve
problems of social and economic inequality, poor soil quality, and threats
posed by the potentate next door. In a separate activity, students took turns
playing the part of Socrates as they put the Socratic method into action in
small groups. After they discussed the meaning of happiness, students were
asked to determine the best sort of educational instruction for their ideal
university. These activities allow students to experiment with ideas from the
past for themselves.
I foster a community of inquiry in my classroom that sets the stage for
the exchange of ideas. Either in person or on an information form, I ask all
students to share their interests and build space into my syllabus to develop
lesson plans based on their input. For example, based on feedback shared
by students in a Vergil class, I incorporated their interest in early
Christianity into a lesson featuring an analysis of the appropriation of words
such as pietas and fides from Vergilian epic in several excerpts of
Prudentius Psychomachia. I also expect students to contribute to their
learning community by requiring them to share their work with each other,
such as creating handouts for one another on their final project. Assigning
several kinds of class presentations (PowerPoint, leading a discussion, etc.)
during the semester allows students to develop oral presentation skills,
which are transferable to their future careers. Outside the classroom, I offer
sight translation groups, in which we read texts customized to participant
interests or works not typically included in course offerings. For example,
this summer I picked Ciceros Pro Milone to read with students who
expressed interest in law.
I create many clear lines of communication between my students and
me; this is most apparent in that I explain to students how every lesson,
homework assignment, and assessment relates to course objectives. In the
classroom, I communicate key concepts at the beginning of each lesson
that will be discussed in my lecture. Outside the classroom, I post
homework reading and translating guides on the course website. These
guides are helpful, especially for first year students who may be reading
difficult works in translation, such as the Oresteia, for the first time. In
language classes these guides may be vocabulary lists or mini-grammatical
commentaries. Furthermore, frequent assessments keep lines of
communication open in my classes. In translation classes I use daily drills
on vocabulary, literary analysis, or grammar concepts.
L. Takakjy Teaching Philosophy

I bring an appreciation for diversity into the classroom since diversity

is not an abstract idea for me. I grew up in a section of Philadelphia where
many languages were spoken, and I had the opportunity to listen to the
stories of those from various socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. In my
language classes at UT-Austin, I always connect Latin to Spanish since many
of my students are bilingual Spanish speakers. Furthermore, I always
provide a statement of inclusion in my syllabus as a way to guarantee all
students understand the level of respect that is necessary for the free
exchange of ideas.
In conclusion, my teaching goal is to facilitate student interest in
antiquity while encouraging all students to share their voices. I design my
courses so that each student has the chance to cultivate an interest in past
artistic and literary traditions and bring that interest into our progressively
diverse and interconnected world.