Samira Li

Meet Latin teacher Timothy Hanford

This year, Timothy Hanford joined the Townsend Harris High School classical languages department as a new Latin teacher.

Mr. Hanford has had an interest in classical languages from an early age. “It wasn’t really something I was seeing a lot of people pursuing, but it was definitely something I wanted to try,” he said.   

During his time in school and moving into early adulthood, Mr. Hanford spent many years in Latin studies. He first displayed his talents in classical Latin at New York University as an undergraduate and then at Hunter College for his graduate studies. Following his graduation, Mr. Hanford decided that he would like to educate others on the language. He began working as an instructor at Hunter College, Brooklyn College, and Midwood High School. Eventually, Mr. Hanford learned of a vacant spot at THHS for a Latin 1 and 2 teacher. He said, “I never thought I’d see myself working [at THHS], but now that I am here, I realize it’s a very nice community filled with students who encourage me to do my best teaching.”

Outside of teaching, Mr. Hanford’s hobbies include hiking, playing guitar, and reading Roman literature.

Sophomore Amden Zahir is in Mr. Hanford’s Latin 1 class and appreciates his teaching style. “He’s a chill teacher who always ensures we understand the work,” Amden said. One of Amden’s favorite parts of the class is Mr. Hanford’s bits of trivia. “[Mr. Hanford] is fun to just talk to, and he always says something [to] keep the class engaged,” he adds.

Junior Aalieza Jafri also commented on Hanford’s fun nature. She said, “The way he sings songs to help us remember the declensions of nouns and even lets us play BINGO or Jeopardy to keep us entertained is very cool. And as a newcomer to Latin, he’s definitely helped me understand the language a lot. [Mr. Hanford] is also really good at guitar, and it’s always fun to see what he does next.”

Junior Khalil Tindley, in Mr. Hanford’s Latin 2 class, said, “he’s a very chill teacher who teaches well.”

Fellow Latin teacher, Christopher Amanna, who was one of Mr. Hanford’s college students, expressed his fond memories of their past. “He’s very knowledgeable and approachable,” Mr. Amanna said. “I remember his very calming presence that engaged me in the work. Overall, he’s an excellent teacher.”