Quid vultis discere? Crafting a Student-Guided Latin Literature Course

This paper poses a fundamental question: how deeply are our Latin students engaging with Latin literature? How many connections are they making between the literature and their lives? Last summer, I asked myself these questions and crafted a course to increase student choice, breadth of reading, and deeper connections with the material. This paper provides some inspiration for new, simple ways to help students discover for themselves authors such as Ovid, Cicero, Catullus, and Horace. The paper shares project topics relating to Ovid’s works which allow for student choice, creativity, and personal connection. It also highlights successes and difficulties in my attempt to increase student choice and broaden their understanding of these authors. It suggests that incorporating English readings can be an effective strategy to provide context for the Latin and greater breadth of an author’s writing. It reminds us to let go of methods we cling to that may not work for today’s students. The paper emphasizes the importance of constant formal and informal feedback from students. Lastly, the paper explores the joy of reading a new, student-selected Latin passage for the first time together with students and learning alongside them.