Who We Are
The current purpose of primary and secondary schools, as well as colleges and certificate-granting institutions, is to prepare students for the workforce. As such, it is increasingly more difficult to find curricula that do not cover career-oriented content, particularly as subjects in the humanities and social sciences have become increasingly displaced or replaced by STEM and business courses. The educators at Polytropon take a different approach, educating students specifically for mastery of the content at hand and, more importanlty, encouraging students to decide for themselves what their education means for them beyond (and perhaps in spite of) occupational goal setting.
In western history, scholars have spent centuries pondering the purpose of an education. There are some recurring themes in their writings, whether they are court cases, monographs, essays, or literary works. Cicero and John Locke, for example, both believed that reading and memorizing information for its own sake was no different than a hobby or pasttime for entertainment.
While they acklowledged that reading and memorization are both necessary for learning, if there is no personal investment or vision beyond diversion than the process of edification falls short, and is even, frankly, pointless.
It is particularly important for the modern student of a "Classical" education to know or develop for themselves a purpose for studying Greco-Roman antiquity. Should historical knowledge, as Cicero believed, be put towards service to one's nation state? Does the study of specific subjects, as John Locke believed, help one get closer to a deeper knowledge of absolute "Truths"? We believe students deserve a space to consider the arguments for these philosophies on education, and a chance to define what their own education means to them in light of the subjects they choose to study with us at Polytropon.
Biographies
Dr. Serena Crosson
Dr. Serena Unzueta (also known as Serena Crosson) is an archaeologist and art historian with research interests in inequality and social history. She has taught courses as a graduate student at Stanford University, where she also held fellowships at the Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis (CESTA) and the Clayman Institute for Gender Research. She has also worked as an adjunct lecturer at Santa Clara University. Her archaeological fieldwork experience is mostly in Italy, but she has also excavated in Spain and England. Before graduate school, she was a Latin instructor at a Jesuit high school, which has shaped her teaching philosophy towards methods that support "educating the whole person."
Dr. Micheal Duchesne
Dr. Micheal Duchesne is a historian of labor and exploitation. He taught courses on Ancient Near Eastern, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and American history during his time at CSU Los Angeles and Stanford. He also works as an adjunct lecturer for Stanford and Stanford's Continuing Studies Program. At Stanford, he held fellowships in the Ric Weiland Graduate Fellowship in the Humanities and Sciences, the Lilian Jane McConnell Fellowship, and the Leadership in Inclusive Teaching at the Center for Teaching and Learning. Prior to attending graduate school, he worked as a substitute teacher in San Bernardino County and as a resident advisor for a homeless shelter in Riverside. He has also tutored through several online and in-person organizations, focusing primarily on mentoring high school students on research projects. While his primary research interests concern Greek and Roman enslavement, he has ongoing interests in the ancient economy, warfare, propaganda, expressions of love, and gender identities in antiquity and beyond.
Dr. Ian Tewksbury
Dr. Ian Arthur Tewksbury has worked as a lecturer at Stanford University, where he taught ancient Greek, Biblical Greek, Homeric Greek, Beginning Greek, Beginning Latin, and Ancient Philosophy. He held a lectureship at Santa Clara University before becoming an Assistant Professor at the University of San Francisco, where he chaired the Classics department. Before graduate school, he taught English in Cairo, Egypt at the St. Andrews Services for Refugees as a volunteer, and played New Orleans Jazz and Blue Grass in the North Bay and Bay Area, California. He has been awarded fellowships with the Stanford Center for Digital Humanities, the Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies, and worked on the Stanford Shakespeare Encyclopedia. His primary interests are in the ancient Greek poetry of Homer and the relevance of ancient political philosophy today. He has researched and written for Aeon, The Atlantic, and Newsweek among other publications.
History
History is often considered the publication of truth. However, ancient history is fraught with misinformation, explicit biases, and contradictory sources. The combination of these factors deeply problematizes our belief in the "truth" of this narrative. Of course, it is simple to acknowledge that these factors exist and simply go about reciting dates, as is often the case when these time periods are covered in most survey courses and in primary schools. Students in this program will gain the opportunity to explore and better understand how we have received the history we have, what is left out, and reflect on why this is the case. Our history courses are designed for the individual historian, focusing on themes, regions, and development that resonate most strongly with the student. We cover the entire ancient world, from the conquests of Sargon of Akkad to the death of Justinian's Italian dream. We will tailor the course to focus on the military, socio-cultural, or economic factors that characterize the period. Each and every approach is worthwhile and revealing, and this variety of approaches creates an opportunity for the motivated student to explore history on the terms they believe are most defining. Students will leave this experience with a rich understanding of the history of their chosen area, including the sources and trends that shaped the course of events. While we acknowledge the limitations of our sources, we do so to identify the truth of history, a process only possible when we learn and work together.
Classical Languages
The foundation of education is no longer dedicated to the study of grammar, speech, and writing today. There are many good reasons for our shift in focus in the 21st century to more scientific and mechanical domains of knowledge and training. For those interested in the literature, ideas, and enduring influence of Classical culture, however, it has made it more difficult than ever to study and master the ancient languages of Latin and Greek. As a result, many schools and teaching resources have sought methods to make ancient language study less diligent to attract students to a ‘dying’ discipline, but this catering to enrollment numbers has hurt inspired students who would like to master the basic rudiments that make reading Latin and Greek an enjoyable and profitable experience. Motivated students, however, can rest assured that there are time honored methods and tools to achieve high proficiency and mastery of these ancient languages. Our approach uses learning techniques grounded in comparative historical linguistics so students achieve comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the rudiments of each language. Based on the ancient and living traditions of memorization through targeted recitation, our instruction ensures that students learn the fundamentals within the time of instruction itself. By saving students from the struggle of independent memorization and organization, we thoroughly and quickly prepare all students for the practice of reading Latin and Greek with the full knowledge of the basic building blocks. Furthermore, our organization of the language content is transferrable to other Indo-European languages, both ancient and modern, making it uniquely suited to help students learn other languages and practice comparative study. Our students have gone on to achieve extraordinary results and academic accomplishments - record setting feats of memorization at Stanford Univerrsity, admittance to study Classics at Harvard University, achieving accolades at the Junior Classical League and high scores on the National Latin Exam, and learning ancient Greek at the age of 72. We are excited to share our love and passion for the lost art of reading Latin and Greek with all ages of students who truly wish to learn how to read the Classical ancient languages. All ages and levels of experience are encouraged to inquire.
Archaeology
The general outline for our surveys of Greek and Roman archaeological instruction follow the material evidence of each civilization according to chronological periods, beginning with the Neolithic and ending in Late Antiquity with the Byzantine Empire. The peak areas of focus in the Greek timeline are the Bronze, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic ages; in the Roman, the Archaic, Republic, and Imperial periods. Greek and Roman archaeology also intersects with cultures and civilizations in the mediterranean basin and European continent, including Egypt and other regions in North Africa; Anatolia; Syria and the Levant; Spain, and Gaul; the British Isles and Caledonia; and Germania, Thrace, and Macedon. These are covered and can be explored in greater depth in proportion to student interest. Many of the objects uncovered from ancient Greco-Roman cultures are world famous artifacts, works of art, and monuments. Thus the study of Greco-Roman archaeology is ripe for art historical and architectural investigations. Other potential areas for instruction include: the history of early excavations and site reports, and archaeological methods and theory, broadly speaking.
Test Preperation
Whether a student is working towards the Latin AP exam or a graduate school general exam, we aim to help students prepare by teaching towards information retention. That is, instead of teaching students how to take tests, we value teaching students content and analysis with long-term memory in mind. This deviates from typical test preparation workbooks, as well as from the procrastinating student's "cram and flush" tendencies. In theory and in practice, our students develop the knowledge and confidence to treat exams as a step - rather than an end-goal - in their life-long educational process.
Writing and Research
One of the most rewarding, yet difficult, aspects of studying the ancient world is writing about it. We are dedicated to helping students overcome this barrier so they can write products that their audience and the authors themselves can be proud of. For students taking one of our courses, we offer a more thorough version that culminates in a college-level research project. Throughout the selected course, we will help guide the student in picking an appropriate research topic, compiling relevant scholarship, outlining, and drafting an original research paper. One of the most difficult transitions from high school to college is writing a research paper. This course will help students develop the skills to identify topics, acquire the necessary resources, and construct a research paper. Acquiring or honing these skills will ease the transition for both new and existing college students. Every student who completes our writing and research program will leave with an entirely original work as proof of their mastery of the subject. We are dedicated to helping students pursue publication routes for especially promising papers, either internally or, in the most exceptional cases, externally. Aside from our research projects, as professional and lifelong scholars, we are well aware of the expectations and hardship of writing personal statements and cover letters. We offer courses designed to help students craft statements that reflect their unique personalities and qualifications for the programs they apply to. Oftentimes, cover letters are vague and leave applicants feeling confused and frustrated at the prospect. We help fill this gap by providing our insight and examples to help students outline, draft, and compile the best versions of these statements at any level, from high school and college to professional settings.