Q&A With Clint Hagen

What drew you to teach Latin?

I loved Latin from day one of ninth grade. But more than anything else, I loved my high school Latin teacher. Mrs. Giles was my second mom. As it turned out, I also had a talent for it, and I went to college with several scholarships that required me to keep studying Latin. Sometime in my sophomore or junior year of college, I knew I wanted to teach Latin.

Why FWCD?

I came to FWCD in 2015 at a difficult time in my life. I had spent the previous year teaching part-time and working as a website developer, but I knew I wanted to return to full-time teaching. I applied to many schools, but FWCD seemed like a good fit. I could tell that the Middle School faculty was a tight-knit and supportive group, and that’s important as a teacher. It’s also one of the reasons I stay at FWCD. But the biggest reason I stay is because there is so much potential for the growth of Latin at FWCD, and I’m a person who likes building programs. I want to establish a Latin program known across the state and nation for its excellence.

How do you engage students in the classroom?

Life in middle school is never boring. I love the students’ energy, enthusiasm, and openness to trying new things. They also regularly roast me, which I find hilarious. By far the best roast was the kid who said that me going to a barber was like charging your phone when it’s already at 100%! My classroom is a place where I’m willing to talk about almost anything related to Latin or the ancient world, even if it derails the lesson a bit. I created animated videos that teach Latin grammar (which can be a little dry) with some humor, and I’ve written two textbooks we use in class -- one of Roman history and one a Latin textbook that tells the story of a Roman family who encounters wizards, zombies and werewolves. One of my favorite projects uses TEAM Room equipment to build a scale model of ancient Rome.

What is the value of learning Latin or any modern language?

Language is the best way to understand how people from another culture think and perceive the world. Latin, in particular, enriches our understanding of the modern world in ways that a modern language cannot. So much of modern American culture has its origins in ancient Greece and Rome. You want to study politics? Democracy, representative government, imperialism, colonization and fascism all have their roots in Rome. You like literature and entertainment? From Shakespeare to the Simpsons, our ideas about tragedy and comedy come from ancient Rome. The same can be said about western religions, military strategy and about 50% of English words – to say nothing of the Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian languages.

Clint Hagen, Middle School Latin Teacher and Lacrosse Coach