ML Latin Teacher Receives Calliope Award

Congratulations to Leah Berryhill, ML Latin Teacher and Student Activities Coordinator, who has received the Calliope Award! Presented by Excellence through Classics, this award focuses on supporting the study of Classics in elementary and middle schools.

Named after the muse of epic poetry, the award looks for a teacher who advocates for Latin and the Classics while promoting diverse perspectives and supporting all students who show an interest in the ancient world. 

As part of the award, Berryhill will address the summer conference of the American Classical League. Her topic will be Neuroscience in the Brain. She will model a “Galloway style” of teaching, considering how to pace a class over 80 minutes, including warm-up activities, brain breaks, and “exit tickets,” allowing students to demonstrate what they had learned that day. Berryhill likens the metaphor of a freight train and a roller coaster to teaching: from the freight train, all students arrive at the same destination during a class or a year of study; from the roller coaster, the teacher recognizes the students’ responses to teaching, noting their excitement and occasional need to slow down the pace of instruction.

Berryhill presented at the American Classical League last summer as well. She talked about the variety of influences in Roman graffiti, which reflected underrepresented voices in Roman culture. Innovative, progressive, often discussion-based, Berryhill’s methods of delivering her content include exemplary techniques in the classroom.