When my youngest son came back from Lac du Bois, a French-language summer camp run by Concordia College – French language camp info, I pumped him for information about what they did. As a French teacher, I’m always looking for new activities or insights into how better to hook students and plant the French bug!… Read More Music and Pedagogy
Yesterday, my principal came in for my 2nd formal evaluation this school year. Even though I’ve been teaching more than 23 years, I still get nervous. I even feel a bit stressed when another French teacher sits in on my class, as a peer. What will she think? Will I be effective? Will the students shine? How… Read More Teacher Evaluations
I’ve trained my students to answer this question correctly: Whose fault is it if you don’ t know a French word? The correct answer is ‘my fault’! – that is ‘me – the teacher’ Shocked at first because they anticipated that I would say it was THEIR fault as students, I quickly follow up with… Read More Interesting observation about rates of acquisition
Since the methodology I employ is about creating stories with student input, each story is completely personal to the class. As a result, interest remains high because of their ownership. I’m in a project-based school, so anytime I can add a hands-on, crafty classroom activity to the story mix, the students like it. Last week I… Read More Projects combine well with language use
All foreign language teachers long for their students to experience immersion in the target language and culture. Ten members of my 8th grade French class and 2 non-French language students recently travelled with me and our middle school principal to Québec City for 6 days in February. It’s a dicey time of year for air travel… Read More Travel to Québec – best field experience
