Jess🏺

Classics grad of Leeds (BA) & Exeter (MA)🏛 Researcher of Roman children & childhood🏺she/her

[Jess🏺 @_Jess_Matthews]

While I am no longer going to be a classroom teacher, I hope to continue to find ways to share my love of classics with others - just in a different way than I had hoped for 😊

[Jess🏺 @_Jess_Matthews]

After lots and lots of thinking, and many (many!) sleepless nights, today I have officially withdrawn and left my Classics PGCE at Cambridge.

I have absolutely *loved* teaching Latin and Classical Civ., and have worked with some wonderful students and school staff.

[Jess🏺 @_Jess_Matthews]

Huge thank you to the wonderful teachers and others who helped me develop my teaching both on the course, and outside of it (you know who you are!).

[Jess🏺 @_Jess_Matthews]

But even if they don't show the actual pets of these children, and even if they're symbolic, the way the images are composed in the relationship between child and animal, suggest that these were images which the artist, and the audience, were still familiar with from daily life.

[Jess🏺 @_Jess_Matthews]

I absolutely love this altar - Anthus looks like a mini orator to-be, holding his scroll, stoically facing out to the viewer... while his dog reaches up and tries to distract him!

I now can't help but share a few other examples which similarly show children and their pets - a🧵

[Jess🏺 @_Jess_Matthews]

Many of these images *feel*, at least, like realistic depictions of child-pet relationships - many of which we could imagine happening today! (Distracting dogs, anyone?!)

[Jess🏺 @_Jess_Matthews]

Finally got out to a bookshop over the weekend and I am SO EXCITED to read this!! ❤️📚🏛

[Jess🏺 @_Jess_Matthews]

Does the wonderful world of Classics Twitter have any advice/tips on teaching interviews? Especially the first one!🏛📚

[Jess🏺 @_Jess_Matthews]

Thank you to everyone involved in putting this series on! The sessions are incredibly interesting, with lots of helpful ideas to take away!

[CSCP @Caecilius_CLC]

📚 Our twilight series on the CLC continues *tonight* with @HayMagistra and James Watson's “Caecilius and beyond: working with the Cambridge Latin Course”.

🗓️ 6th October, 4pm BST

💻 Book your place for free at: https://t.co/SYC232ymel
#ClassicsTwitter #ClassicsTeacher #CLC5th

[Jess🏺 @_Jess_Matthews]

Taught my first two lessons today after returning to my PGCE! There’s (as always!) things I’d do differently if I taught them again - but I’m just so happy to (finally!) be back in the classroom and chatting about Classics!🏺🏛

[Jess🏺 @_Jess_Matthews]

Also 10/10 for this sign 💧 ⛔️

[Jess🏺 @_Jess_Matthews]

Lovely flying visit to Aldborough Roman Site today - found my new all-time favourite intaglio in the museum (a mouse driving a chariot pulled by a cockerel!!), and loved the hidden rock trail of animals in Latin (yes, of course I played along!)