8 Reasons Why I Love Teaching French

The beginning of a new school year is a good time to remind yourself why you're in this job to begin with.  I'm sure you all have your reasons.  In case you're interested, here are mine:

 #1  I love speaking French and France.  This is definitely one of my passions, so it's enjoyable to share it with others and easy to be enthusiastic about it.  I learned French in France, but when I arrived, I could barely say or understand a thing.  I was part of an incredible university program which offered 65 different levels of French to students from all over the globe.  The only language used in my classes was French, so I learned through immersion.  I understand what it takes to go from not understanding a language to becoming fluent.  It's not an easy process, but it is possible and it's fascinating.  Here's a picture of the city where the university is located.


 #2  My students make me laugh.  I really enjoy teenagers.  They are so full of life and are often very witty and frequently amusing.  Here are a few favorite photos from last year. 



#3  Teaching is meaningful.  Life is short and earning lots of money isn't a high priority for me.  Making a difference in this world while I'm here is.  Teaching provides an opportunity for impact and influence on the next generation.  I find that having a positive influence on even one student makes it worth it.  Don't you agree? 

#4 Teaching is creative.  The possibilities for being creative in a language classroom are endless.  I really enjoy that part of this job.  Last year I made a bûche de Noël (a French Christmas cake) for my French III class.  Here's a photo.



I use life-like mannequins in my classroom as I've mentioned before.  I plan to share many ideas about how I do this as the year unfolds, so if this interests you, be sure to check back.  Here's a photo of one of my mannequins.  His name is Jacques DUBOIS.



#5  Teaching requires learning.  I believe that the best teachers are those who are continually learning and growing themselves.  I find looking for new and improved ways to be more effective in the classroom interesting and stimulating.  This year I'm going to start a classroom blog, which I've never done before.

#6 Teaching means being part of something bigger than yourself.  I like being part of something bigger than my own life and my own family.  It makes my life richer. Wouldn't you agree?

#7 The rewards outweigh the cost.  I'm sure you'd agree that teaching is hard work and not for the faint of heart.  But when a student shares how I've made a difference in their life, or when I'm able to participate in helping a wayward student change their ways for the better, it's truly priceless!

#8 Variety in schedule.  I find life in the classroom to be intense.  I enjoy the rewards of hard work, but I also love the fact that teachers have time off at holidays and over the summer.  I like being able to change my focus from the classroom to spending time at home and doing things with my family during my vacations. 

Teaching matters!  Have a great year.

Comments

  1. Karen BoschAugust 27, 2010 at 4:14 PM

    Wonderful post, Renee. After such a stressful summer, I am having a hard time transitioning back to the world of the classroom. Thanks for the reminders!

    ReplyDelete
  2. RenéeAugust 27, 2010 at 5:29 PM

    Thanks, Karen! I appreciate your help getting started on this blog. And I'll be nearby to cheer you on this year.

    ReplyDelete

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