by Matthew Cobb
On
the penultimate Saturday (16th) before Christmas, when many schools
and sixth forms were finishing up for the (calendar) year, the University of Wales
Trinity Saint David hosted a teacher training day for
Classicists. This event was part of a series of INSET days organised by the Cymru Wales Classics Hub, the first of which was hosted by Swansea University, and the second by
Cardiff University. This third INSET day, organised by Dr Matthew Adam Cobb, was held on Lampeter Campus.
A range of workshops were run by Classicists and
Ancient Historians from the Faculty of Humanities, including Dr Cobb, Dr
Brenda Llewellyn Ihssen, Dr Fiona Mitchell, Dr Ruth Parkes and Dr Kyle Erickson.
Closely allied to the OCR Classical Studies syllabus, these workshops covered
themes as diverse as ‘heroic masculinity in art’ to the ‘portrayal of the
Julio-Claudian emperors’. The sessions were designed to explore creative and
interactive ways of engaging with pupils/students – a particular focus of the
sessions run by Dr Brenda Llewellyn Ihssen
and Dr Kyle Erickson – as well as means of getting them to think in a more
nuanced and critical way about the source material.
A number of teachers and aspirant
teachers from across the UK attended the event. All present were keen, engaged
and had very constructive experiences (as can be judged from the very positive
feedback). Thanks to the kind support of the Classical Association, we were
able to offer the attendees a free lunch, and teas and coffees, as well as a
modest travel reimbursement.
The fourth in the series of CWCH INSET days is expected to run later in 2018.
Dr Matthew Cobb is a Lecturer in Classics at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, whose research interest lies in the cultural and economic interaction between the Mediterranean and Indian spheres.
