The DU Lounge

murielm99

(31,433 posts)

15. I took Latin in high school,

Sat Oct 26, 2024, 01:50 PM

Oct 26

and I loved it! It is true that it helps with English spelling, vocabulary and writing. It helps that I had a great teacher. She had character as well as teaching ability. I learned study skills from her as well as Latin.

She married a widower who had a mentally challenged daughter. He ignored the girl and beat my teacher. She left him and took custody of the girl. At the time, special ed. was not required for high school kids, but it was available. My teacher made sure our high school had a program. The kids were mainstreamed in some classes, where possible. We got to know them and treat them like human beings. Students were bussed in from our community and nearby communities. They could stay in the program until they were 21.

My teacher put her stepdaughter in things like 4-H and home ec. She taught her life skills. She did the same thing for her students, in a gentle, persuasive way.

I ran into them about ten years later, in a restaurant. I did not recognize the girl at first when I saw her ordering. She seemed like a young person who was a bit odd, but not mentally challenged. I hope that makes sense.

Maybe my teacher was an angel. She touched and changed so many lives.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

73 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Did you have to take Latin when you were in middle/high school? [View all] CTyankee Oct 26 OP

I Didn't Have To Deep State Witch Oct 26 #1

Well, you win this thread. But maybe a little Creole might be helpful in this election year. eppur_se_muova Oct 26 #35

Latin wasn't offered in my school. Rich took it at his HS in Boston because he had plans on being a doctor. debm55 Oct 26 #2

I did not take Latin, but had a study hall in a Latin class taught by a man who looked like Danny Devito as a monk. Silent Type Oct 26 #3

No. BlueKota Oct 26 #4

I was raised in France drray23 Oct 26 #5

Hic, heac, hoc. huius, huius, huius. huic, huic, huic. cachukis Oct 26 #6

I have never forgotten that but was it declension or conjugation? CTyankee Oct 26 #7

Declension. cachukis Oct 26 #29

You should take something for that.... yorkster Oct 26 #19

I didn't take it, but I went to law school. Do I get partial credit? rsdsharp Oct 26 #8

My question is: would you been better off in law school if you had taken Latin earlier in your education? CTyankee Oct 26 #9

Probably not. Reading and writing in Latin wasn't required. rsdsharp Oct 26 #13

Yes, partial credit indeed. I was the only one in my environmental law class that knew what sylvaculture was. RussellCattle Oct 28 #56

Took it in 7th grade. I don't remember why and i remember none of it. BoomaofBandM Oct 26 #10

Didn't have to; glad I did. Paladin Oct 26 #11

2 years of Latin.. Joinfortmill Oct 26 #12

It even helps when you watch "Jeopardy." Hubby hates it when I get a word right because I took Latin and he didn't. CTyankee Oct 26 #14

And it helps with the grammar structure of yorkster Oct 28 #73

I took Latin in high school, murielm99 Oct 26 #15

Latin was offered at my school and I regret I didn't take it. kimbutgar Oct 26 #16

If you had had Latin it would have been fun in Spanish. CTyankee Oct 26 #18

At least two years of a foreign language was required. cloudbase Oct 26 #17

Depended on... 2naSalit Oct 26 #20

I didn't have to, but chose to Fiendish Thingy Oct 26 #21

I went to secondary school in Paris, St. Cloud to be specific. Polly Hennessey Oct 26 #22

Jesuit high school, required to take two years. grumpyduck Oct 26 #23

I know! I took Latin 60 years ago (I'm mid-80s now) and can still remember it when I see a word I don't quite know but CTyankee Oct 26 #24

I had 4 years of Latin. nt babylonsister Oct 26 #25

I didn't have to, but I did Ocelot II Oct 26 #26

I took Latin in catholic high school 1950s. Srkdqltr Oct 26 #27

No. Elective only. 3 years of it. Small group of us just stuck it out. bullimiami Oct 26 #28

No, but it was offered, and I wish I had. snot Oct 26 #30

Took four years of Latin in HS Dale in Laurel MD Oct 26 #31

4 years montanacowboy Oct 26 #32

I did three years of Latin. Turbineguy Oct 26 #33

Never had the opportunity, and I was disappointed. We had German, French, Spanish. I wanted Latin and Greek. eppur_se_muova Oct 26 #34

Other Languages Squeaky41 Oct 26 #36

It was never an option. surrealAmerican Oct 26 #37

Where were you? I was in Dallas, Tx. CTyankee Oct 26 #38

suburban New York ... surrealAmerican Oct 26 #39

French was mandatory for 1st to 8th grade at my school JoseBalow Oct 26 #40

Yes, the Best ConstanceCee Oct 26 #41

Nah, there was no Latin in my schools. Elessar Zappa Oct 26 #42

Amo, amas, amat mountain grammy Oct 26 #43

Are you kidding? I never even had to take Spanish. LudwigPastorius Oct 26 #44

No, I took 3 years of French Mad_Dem_X Oct 27 #45

Nope. It wasn't even offered. malthaussen Oct 27 #46

2 years in high school - 2 semesters in college rurallib Oct 28 #47

I'm gonna guess that he was a writer. History perhaps. CTyankee Oct 28 #49

A poet actually rurallib Oct 28 #65

Was no longer a requirement for my class WestMichRad Oct 28 #48

It might be fun, actually. CTyankee Oct 28 #50

Three agonizing years northoftheborder Oct 28 #51

The suburb next to mine as a kid could not go to my high school applegrove Oct 28 #52

I went to a Catholic High School; had to take 3 years of latin...church latin. patphil Oct 28 #53

Agricola. Agricolae. Agricolarum. C_U_L8R Oct 28 #54

I wish I had. no_hypocrisy Oct 28 #55

I took it as an elective... samnsara Oct 28 #57

Four years. My dad wanted three lawyers in the family. My lawyer brother and sister never took Latin. I didn't ... marble falls Oct 28 #58

Oh, that's cute! I had to look it up... CTyankee Oct 28 #61

I haven't had a chance to use lazy Latin for years. It's the only one I remember. Just keep in mind: ... marble falls Oct 28 #71

No sakabatou Oct 28 #59

I took Latin too, 3 years. It helped me learn how to study as we had home work every day. brush Oct 28 #60

It was an elective in high school, but maybe I should've taken it. catbyte Oct 28 #62

Yes, so did my millennial son arlyellowdog Oct 28 #63

My Latin experience Cartoonist Oct 28 #64

I took it as an elective rockbluff botanist Oct 28 #66

nope. AllaN01Bear Oct 28 #67

I took Latin willingly IbogaProject Oct 28 #68

No we started in 4th grade gopiscrap Oct 28 #69

I did not in high school Traildogbob Oct 28 #70

In Junior High, 9th grade, it was called Development of Modern English (DME). I quite enjoyed it. c-rational Oct 28 #72