Introduction

Bonjour and bienvenue. I am a French teacher in a middle school. I teach grades 5-8. I have taught middle school French for seven years. Before teaching at my current school I taught French and German in a selective enrollment elementary school in Chicago.

I really like my job because I have great students. I enjoy seeing their growth from fifth grade to eighth grade. I am continually impressed by their curiosity and how much they learn. I hope my students will learn not just French language and the culture of some francophone countries, but also a tolerance for differences. These differences might be cultural between countries or differences within the United States and our community. As my students grow into adulthood the world will continue to become more interconnected. I hope my students will become life long learners who appreciate other cultures and are able to adapt to a changing world.

I love to travel. A year ago I was fortunate to travel to Bordeaux, France for a ten day teacher institute. This was a wonderful opportunity for me to immerse myself in French again, connect with other teachers, and learn about the most recent European approach to teaching languages.
If you've never been to Bordeaux, it is a beautiful city. Here are a few pictures I took to entice you!

 An ancient gate from when Bordeaux was a walled city.

 A typical house in Bordeaux.

You can even find a little bit of home - one of a number of models for the Statue of Liberty that can be found in various cities in France.

I finally traveled to New Orleans last year, and now I understand why it was important to rebuild it after Katrina. Although not much French is spoken there, the cultural influence is apparent everywhere. When I was younger I spent a year studying in Austria and a year teaching English in Japan.

Family is important to me, but as my children become more independent and grow into adults I spend less time with them. I enjoy reading. I especially enjoy historical fiction. During the growing season I like to work in my yard and small vegetable garden. I am still amazed by the vegetables that grow each year from seed.  When it is too cold to garden I like to knit. Regardless of the weather I walk just about everywhere. I try to take advantage of the many cultural events and learning opportunities that Chicago and the surrounding suburbs offer. I am looking forward to Open House Chicago and the Chicago Humanities Festival this fall. If you are interested in Open House Chicago, October 17-18, 2015, here is a link to the site.

http://www.openhousechicago.org

If you are interested in the Chicago Humanities Festival, October 24-November 8, 2015,  here is a link to their site. Teachers can register for free and reduced tickets!

http://tickets.chicagohumanities.org/default.aspx

A bientôt!