Rachel, a French Education major from Bowling Green State University, plans to teach exploratory and French 1 at Olentangy Shanahan Middle School in Ohio!
Some Fun Facts About Rachel
- Theme Song: Grâce à Vous - Mickaël Pouvin
- Languages you Know: French and English
- Study Abroad: Montpellier, France
- Favorite Phrase*: Improvise, Adapt, Overcome
What activities or experiences would you say have most prepared you to enter the classroom or profession?
I had my first teaching experience at a local elementary school during my sophomore year at university. I taught French to 4th and 5th graders and was fully in charge of designing the curriculum and teaching all lessons. At first, it felt like I had been thrown in the deep end of a pool with no support and no clear vision of what or how to teach... However, my professor instructed me to be creative, solve problems as they arise, and apply what I was learning in class.
The first semester was challenging as I didn’t even know what content to cover. Did I start with numbers? Animals? Food? Thankfully, I had wonderful students who were patient and full of enthusiasm. Over Christmas break I established a semester goal: equip the students with the right tools so that they would be able to write a short book at the end of the school year. A few months later, my students produced single-page short stories about a panda mom and cub, in French!
This experience was critical in preparing me to enter the classroom as it taught me to be creative, solve issues, work towards a goal and showed me the ups and downs of teaching. It solidified my desire to be a teacher and encouraged me to keep moving forward later in my studies when the going got tough.
What has most surprised you (thus far) about language teaching?
As a student I was much more interested in pronunciation and grammar than culture. My goal was always to obtain a near-native fluency level so that a French person might mistake me for being French, too. To get there, I thought grammar and pronunciation were the keys. It never occurred to me just how much culture is embedded in spoken language. After studying abroad and taking many language education classes, I now recognize that understanding the language’s culture is actually key to being an effective communicator. I went from the mindset of excluding culture to a mindset of embracing culture as a fundamental aspect of language teaching.
You’re invited!
- Explore the Teacher Scholarship Program and refer aspiring teachers in your network.
- Hear reflections from Rachel and fellow graduates in a short video!
- Share your #LanguageDream on social media @LangConnectsFdn.