SMC Alum Mrs. Leanne Morton: Latin Teacher Extraordinaire

In honor of Alumni Appreciation Week here at SMC, meet Class of 1998 Latin instructor Leanne Morton (Mrs. Morton or ‘Magoose’ to her students) who graciously agreed to answer a couple of questions for us about Saint Mike’s then, Saint Mike’s now, and life after SMC. Mrs. Morton is beloved by her students because she cares about them genuinely, and goes the extra mile to ensure that they grasp the material she is introducing. Can you tell that this writer may be a little biased? I admit, she was my favorite teacher in high school, and was also the one who wrote my letter of recommendation when I applied to Saint Mike’s. Trust me, she’s awesome!  

HerCampus: Current occupation?

Leanne Morton: I am currently working as a Latin teacher at Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg, VT.

HC: Where are you located?

LM: I work in Hinesburg, VT but my husband, two daughters, puppy and I reside in New Haven, VT.

HC: What was your major while at Saint Mike’s?

LM: I was a Classic Civilization and Latin major. I also had a minor in English.

HC: What year did you graduate SMC?

LM: I graduated SMC in 1998 and then went on to UVM for an MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) in Latin and Greek where I graduated UVM in 2000.

HC: What was your experience at Saint Mike’s like?

LM: I had an incredibly positive experience at St. Mike’s. The courses were enlightening, the friendships have been long lasting and the campus and surrounding area of Chittenden county were a safe and friendly place to stretch my proverbial wings as a young adult.

HC: How is Saint Mike’s different from when you went here compared to today, both physically and otherwise?

LM: From my most recent visits of the campus, SMC has become more student focused in respect to space and aesthetics. Although the dorms haven’t changed too much, the student center is amazing. My college roommate and I said on a walk through campus a few summers ago how we would like to go back to SMC. I also like the approach the student activities team is taking to having options for students at night on the weekends. I even hear there have been BBQs on the quad late at night. Sounds like fun!

HC: How did Saint Mike’s help you get where you are today?

LM: I know that I wouldn’t be teaching today if it wasn’t for my experience at St. Mike’s. I never though to explore teaching as a field until a group of peers whom I was tutoring in mythology shared with me how easy I made learning the content. My peers were the ones to suggest that I think about teaching. Working in the tutoring center was only meant to help offset the college expenses not turn my eye to my future, but it did. My courses in the Classics Department were small and I had the opportunity to learn at my rate. Looking back on it now, it was my own personalized learning plan. Professors acknowledged where I was with the curriculum and my learning ability in Latin and pushed me. I appreciated that one-on-one time with all of them.

HC: If you could give one piece of advice to a current Saint Mike’s student, what would it be?

LM: My advice for any college student would most definitely be to study abroad. I didn’t have that opportunity while I was at SMC because of my commitment to the Vermont Army National Guard. It is probably one of my biggest regrets. There is no time like your young adulthood to get abroad, study in a foreign country and travel. This is the time in your life where you don’t have the commitments of adulthood to take 4-5 months and experience a totally new culture.

HC: Many call Latin a dead language and claim it has little to no relevance to today’s society. As a Latin teacher, how would you respond to this?

LM: Latin will never “die” as long as people speak English. Although English is not derived from the Latin language, it has borrowed heavily from this ancient tongue. Our culture and forefathers also borrowed from the ancients in the form of our government and buildings in and around Washington D.C. A walk through the monuments of D.C. feels like a walk through the Roman forum. Students of Latin get an opportunity to build upon their English vocabulary, work on grammar, and explore ancient authors such as Ovid whose works have inspired authors like Shakespeare. Latin serves as a foundation to the Romance languages and opens the door to oratory, politics, law, and medicine. My students are trained to reply to Latin being a “dead” language by saying “it is not dead, but immortal.”

HC: What is one long term goal that you are attempting to accomplish right now?

LM: Professionally, I am trying to keep the curriculum alive with new research in the fields, or new ways to approach a Latin poem with my students, or better ways to assess where a student is on particular learning target. I don’t want to wake up one day and find that I am bored with my job and my life. I love teaching and spending my day with high school students as they explore the grammar, culture and literature of the Ancient Romans. My long term goal is to make sure that they see the value in choosing Latin as a course to study.

HC: Finally, please pick three words to describe yourself.

LM: Energetic, organized, and happy.

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