This article follows a session on ‘Using AI in the Classics Classroom’ delivered at the University of Cambridge Mentors’ Day for the Classics PGCE (Initial Teacher Education programme). The first half of the article provides a brief introduction to how generative AI operates and the impact AI has had on education in the UK. In addition, this section considers the advantages of AI for educators in supporting PGCE students and early career teachers, aiding with planning and resource creation as well as the advantages for pupils. It also sets out practical limitations such as AI hallucinations, biases, database limitations, data protection concerns, and the potential risks of pupils developing reliance on AI usage and how teachers can avoid this. The second half of this article provides guidance and examples of how teachers can use AI to support their workload outside of the classroom and for using AI with pupils in the classroom. This includes advice on how to improve AI prompts, example prompts, and prompt scaffolds, as well as recommendations of AI tools for teachers to use in the classroom.

Teaching ancient literature in translation is increasingly common across schools and universities; however, there has been limited discussion of pedagogical approaches towards, specifically, translated literature. I discuss the findings of a study conducted on first-year undergraduates at Oxford University, who analysed translations of the Iliad as part of a taught course. The publication of Wilson (2023) offers an opportunity to see how students respond to very recent translations. I explore the pitfalls students encounter when analysing poetry in translation and the ways educators, whether in high schools or universities, can help students negotiate these pitfalls and develop a more sophisticated understanding of literary translation. In particular, I discuss how a student’s level of familiarity with the Greek language affects the ways they analyse translations, and how educators can encourage students with little or no Greek to engage with translations successfully.