‘It's all Greek to me’ Why every Jack needs a Giant Susan Deacy University of Roehampton, London

But who are the monsters? Ourselves and our monsters What about the learner or teacher who is not trying to find space for otherness, but who is This conference is on a quest for 'monstrous' already different... other... a monster... pedagogies as expressed via the event's title : 'Heroes and Monsters: extra-ordinary tales of The image above and below (from an eighteenth-century chimney-piece in Grove House, teaching and learning in the arts and now part of the University of Roehampton) illustrates how difficult it can be to separate heroes from their monsters, or to separate monsters from their heroes. The hero shown humanities'. here, Hercules, is choosing between the path of Virtue and the path of Pleasure/Vice. In the main panel, the skin of the Nemean Lion, one of his conquests, is resting on his club. On the ground beside the Athena-esque Virtue is a helmet, presumably signalling the reward that comes out of choosing the arduous path. At one end of the chimneypiece, a helmet is again depicted, which, worn by the lion, puts a Geogian spin on a recurring theme in classical myth: that Heracles, the great monster-slayer shares traits of his monsters. Every Giant needs its Jack; perhaps every Jack needs a Giant as well.

? The particulars make clear that the event is looking

for ways to challenge current ways of learning and disabled -

teaching to 'make strange' academic practice and a of one such, such, challenge what is taken for granted by its Thersites practitioners. On the conference's definition, monsters

dwell in realms just beyond our own; they can come hero -

into our world to 'unnerve' us and 'innervate' us, and analysis analysis (S, thus a 'monstrous pedagogy' can 'disrupt habits' and non Can a monster create a monstrous

'articulate...different ways of being'. doubly the e.g. pedagogy…

the or Shay's Shay's … or does such a pedagogy get created for a

monster, or even to vanquish a monster?

persons persons But who are 'we'? In an initial response to this question, I shall consider two sets of articles published several years ago in in the Bulletin of the Council of University

There is a suggestion running through the particulars that Classics Departments:

Hephaistos disabled disabled 'we' are the heroes, while it is the monsters who come into on Jonathan • In the Bulletin for 2009, two papers (Hill 2009, Shahabudin and Turner 2009) 'our' world to . The sense from the particulars is sought ways to deal with the challenges encountered by dyslexic students that this is a good thing and that the goal of the event can be studying classical modules - including by seeking ways to understand how a to make room for this otherness to improve the experience of dyslexic student might see the world. all, heroes and monsters alike. This is expressed most of all hysically hysically • On reading these articles, Ray Laurence, 'dyslexic and...also a classicist' (2010:

in the explanation of one strand of the conference, 'Slayers, P 6), was prompted to write a piece for the 2010 Bulletin which challenges the Scoobies and Watchers', which, noting that 'every Giant perception of a dyslexic way of perceiving the world as one beset with problems. needs its Jack', 'celebrates the heroes who hold the line at In place of the 'deficit model' of dyslexia, he advocates a focus upon the abilities the hellmouth by sharing tales of epic battles and characteristic of dyslexic people not least in visual and holistic thinking. Laurence Traumatic Stress Disorder? Disorder? Stress Traumatic makes clear that he is hardly saying something new. As long ago as the mid

vanquished learning and teaching demons'. - 1990s, the Tomlinson Report on Inclusive Learning (Tomlinson 1996) expressed perfectly bodied, but bodied, perfectly

the need for an inclusive curriculum that meets the needs of all students.

- later blind), the lame god god lame the blind), later Abilities of dyslexics include approaching topics from unusual angles, generating innovative ideas, and making connections that others might miss. Such abilities can enable differently-thinking classicists to flourish and inform the practice of all academics. Approaching the study of classics as or like a disabled person can help advance the dream of an

childhood, inclusive and diverse curriculum that meets the needs of all.

whom in but antiquity as might we disabled as define regarded not

On such an understanding, the hero is like –say – Hercules, those ever called to action by the monsters that his life on earth is spent vanquishing: each new monster presenting a new Where next? danger and requiring a new strategy.  Can a 'disability studies' approach disrupt the habits of arts

Oedipus from (lame Oedipus about What such one Achilles being example Post of showing traits heroes of host What constitutes disability in classical in disability myth? classical constitutes What and humanities academics?  How might a hero/monster metaphor inform the quest for I am: Blog rationale: On hearing that autistic disruptive pedagogies? students often respond to learning about classical mythology I started wondering  When can a heroic pedagogy be a monstrous one? Principal Lecturer, Department of why this might be the case and whether, Humanities, Roehampton University, as a classicist whose research focuses London SW15 5PH around myth, I might be able to contribute to moves to reach autistic people. I began Email: [email protected] the blog in 2009 to report on my progress References: Images: though areas including disability studies, • Hill, B. 2009. ‘Overwhelmed by Words: Students with Dyslexia • Kylix - Heracles v. Triton, from Harrison, J. E. and MacColl, D. S. Blog: http://myth-autism.blogspot.co.uk comparative methods and dramatherapy. and Latin’, Bulletin of the Council of University Classics 1894. Greek Vase Paintings: A Selection of Examples Departments 38: 6-9. http://digi.ub.uni heidelberg.de/diglit/harrison1894/0048 • Laurence, R. 2010. ‘Classics and Its Dyslexics’, Bulletin of the • Statuette - Hercules v. Nemean Lion, J.M .Felix Magdalena in Council of University Classics Departments 39: 6-10. artificial marble, • Shahabudin, S. and Turner, J. 2009. ‘Enabling Success for Lucha_de_Heracles_con_el_le%C3%B3n_de_Nemea.jpg Dyslexic Students in Classics’, Bulletin of the Council of • Chimney piece - ‘Choice of Hercules’, Carter workshop, Grover University Classics Departments 38 38.10-13. House, Roehampton, photograph by M. Vorobieva of • Shay, J. 1994. Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the http://smartlondon.net Undoing of Character. New York/London • Tomlinson, J.1996: see Poster Template: © Colin Purrington http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110 http://colinpurrington.com/tips/academic/posterdesign 803104859254