Celebrating Our People | 25 Years | Carrie Shea

If you overhear 7th graders apprehensively discussing their upcoming meal of “stuffed dormice” in Carrie Shea’s Latin class, do not be alarmed. Although the students believe they’re about to feast on a gutted, roasted mouse—an ancient Roman delicacy—what they don’t yet know is that Oreos and marshmallows will actually be served. This is a prank Shea plays on them every year during their first year of Latin.

 

“I play it up every year, telling the students that I will go to New York City to buy the ingredients,” Shea says with a mischievous smile. “Once a student brought in Tabasco sauce.”

 

Shea’s annual stuffed dormice surprise is a perfect example of how she aims to make her introduction to the subject as fun as possible. Her unique teaching approach—a blend of educational fun, Roman culture, and an enthusiastic introduction to the language—has enthralled Hopkins students for 25 years.

 

Shea began her teaching career on the Hill two and a half decades ago, eager to share her love of Latin with Hopkins students. Initially, she received a job offer from the School in 1998, but chose to attend graduate school instead. When another opportunity to work as a Latin teacher at Hopkins arose in 2000, she applied and was offered the position.

 

This time, she accepted. 

 

What struck Shea most about the School was the palpable enthusiasm for Latin and the unusually large department of six Classics teachers, a number rarely seen in secondary school programs.

 

“It’s the number of professors you’d find on a college campus, rather than in a high school or middle school program,” Shea explained. “Hopkins is kind of the dream place to teach Latin.”

 

Originally instructing both high school and junior school students, Shea later transitioned to teaching exclusively in the junior school—a decision driven by her love for helping middle school students develop foundational skills and gain the confidence needed for high school. As Latin is a mandatory class in the junior school, Shea has the opportunity to spark students’ interest in the language early in their educational journeys. She especially enjoys witnessing their sense of wonder as they discover connections between the language and Roman culture.

 

“The energy the junior schoolers bring to class makes teaching Latin so fun. I love keeping that enthusiasm alive about learning,” Shea said.

 

In Shea’s classroom, course traditions include sharing ancient Roman recipes like the afore-mentioned stuffed dormice, hosting the 7th-grade cena (Roman dinner party), celebrating Roman holidays such as Saturnalia, and playing Roman games. Shea believes that integrating cultural and historical context into her lessons makes Latin more meaningful and engaging for students. 

 

“The emphasis has shifted to making Latin more than just the study of grammar, vocabulary, and translation,” she said.

 

Outside of the classroom, Shea is an Academic Support Specialist at Hopkins. A collaboration between Shea, Matt Treat, Director of Academic Support, and Linda Romanchok, School Counselor, the Academic Support Program (ASP) provides specialized tutoring for students with diverse educational needs. Shea said her main goal in the program is to make the curriculum accessible to students with different learning styles, helping them succeed in their own ways.

 

“There are so many other ways for students to show their talents,” she said. “I feel like we’ve become more creative in meeting students where they are as we help them develop into their full academic potential. The connections I've made working one-on-one with students in the Academic Support Program have been some of my most rewarding experiences at Hopkins.”

 

Since coming to Hopkins, despite the many changes to campus, Shea remains a cornerstone of the Classics department and the Academic Support Program. She says the reason she has remained at Hopkins is because of its community. “This is the best teaching gig there is,” said Shea.