MSc in Ancient Worlds - University of Edinburgh
BA in Economics - Grove City College
8 Years High-School Teaching Experience
Classically educated his whole youth, Justin developed a love of history and literature in high-school. After graduating from Grove City College, he immediately began working as a Latin, History, and Literature teacher at Holy Trinity Classical Christian School where the academic rigor of his classes and his engaging manner of teaching brought many students to an appreciation of the classics.
Justin's personal interests have since led him to teach a wide range of subjects, from Physics and Logic to Art and Singing. Through all his teaching, however, the primary goal and chief joy are the same: the acquisition of true skill. Whether they acquire the ability to read Latin fluently, the ability to interpret and enjoy works of art or literature, or simply the pleasure of knowing a historical period like the back of one's hand, Justin Klazinga's students obtain in his classes both a genuine expertise in the subject matter and the tools necessary to continue their education on their own.
Our son is currently a college student studying liberal arts. He has told us many times that his training under Justin during high school has been a huge benefit. Our son's 4 years of Latin education under Justin prepared him to do well on the Latin AP exam and laid the... linguistic foundation for his studies of other languages. Justin's unique educational & life experiences lead his students to a love of learning.
In tenth grade, I had the privilege to learn about ancient Greece and some of ancient Rome under Mr. Klazinga. It is the best class I've ever taken. Mr. Klazinga is excellent at engaging students and creating excitement and interest in everything from the hoplite... phalanx, to the symbolism of Clytemnestra, to Plato's Republic, and Roman fish sauce. His class discussions are always eye opening, fascinating, and informative. I never walked away from class without having learned many new things. As a student who already loves the ancient world, Mr. Klazinga's enthusiasm and expertise were a huge blessing, and spurred me on to learn as much as I possibly could from every book we read in his class. He was able to teach us about nuances and deeper themes in texts like the Iliad, Aeschylus's Oresteia, and Thucydides. Likewise, his teaching was so vivid that I've hardly forgotten anything from his class. He's one of the best teachers I've ever had; I cannot recommend his class enough.
Mr. Klazinga's teaching over four years of high school enabled me to become a significantly better learner. Learning Latin provided a solid base that has been an immense help in learning French. His... passion for the material, especially the classics, inspired within me a lasting love of learning which has motivated me to study the humanities in college. His interest in and knowledge of a wide variety of areas has also contributed to my desire to be a lifelong learner, and his wide variety of experiences allowed him to bring many perspectives on a subject.
Mr. Klazinga has taught me an immense amount of Latin in a very short amount of time.
Mr. Klazinga is one of my favorite teachers I've ever had. He has a wealth of knowledge in numerous subjects and was always up for discussing various topics to help us grow as well-rounded individuals. He quickly caught me up to my peers in Latin content so... that I didn't feel left behind. I will be forever grateful for the Latin base he taught me over these past few years.
Mr. Klazinga was a fantastic teacher and is very knowledgeable about history but specifically Ancient Greece and Rome. In 10th grade I had him as a teacher and believe that some of the historical accounts and testimonies that I learned about in his class... will stick with me for the rest of my life. I will never forget reading the Iliad with him or discussing the battle of Thermopylae or the battle of Marathon. As a college student now, his class has prepared me extremely well in my honors history class to standout from my peers.