Fellow French teachers – it is almost that time of the year where my heart yearns for Michaels! However, given our circumstances, I think many of us are limiting our trips to physical stores (as we should!). Today I am going to share with you some of my French teacher amazon essentials!

That way, you can take on a project or two for the classroom, should you choose to, and never leave the safety of your home!

You absolutely do not have to purchase any of these. I always love reading these types of articles just to see what others are using in their classrooms!

The objects I am sharing with you completely revolutionized my teaching. Because of these products, I was able to do so much more!

These links are NOT affiliate links. I am not an Amazon Affiliate – they are just for fun!

1. AmazonBasics Heavy Duty Dry Erase Ticket Holder Pockets 8.5″ X 11″

In my French classes, we play so many games. We also do tons of activities where students need a sheet for the period but they don’t necessarily need to put it in their binder. More often than not, it just ends up on my floor, on desks and, if I’m lucky, in the recycling bin. With multiple preps, the waste just accumulates!

These dry erase folders are amazing! I can switch up what worksheets I want in there. For example, for one prep it may be a BINGO game and for another prep it might be a reading comprehension activity.

Students can write directly on the folders with their dry erase markers and I can save the worksheets for more preps and for future years!

2. LNKOO Powerpoint Clicker Flip Pen Wireless 2.4 GHz RF PPT Controlor Presentation Pen Presentation Presenter Remote Control USB Flip Pen

This next one completely revolutionized my teaching! Up until June of this year, I’ve had a projector that sits on my AV cart. As someone who teaches with a lot of PowerPoints and Internet tools even pre-Covid, I hated being stuck next to my cart!

I wanted to be able to move around my classroom and even WALK as I teach.

I bought this remote for $15 CAD and I was SO excited to use it that my students would roll their eyes at me. There’s no complicate setup required. You plug in the USB key into your computer and turn on the remote! Your computer is then connected to your projector via HDMI or VGA and voilà!

I can change slides (Google or PowerPoint) with this remote anywhere in the classroom. My other favourite part about this remote is the laser pointer!

My projector is now ceiling-mounted. However, I will continue to use the laser pointer in September!

3. Scotch Thermal Laminator Machine, 5 Minute Warm-up, 9″ Input, for Laminating Sheets Up to 5-Mil Thick

I absolutely LOVE my laminator and I have done so much with it! From laminating puzzle games, to posters, to grammar charts, or French recipe instructions – it has truly been super useful!

My school also does not have a laminator and so this cheap one has honestly saved me from printing so many copies of destroyed materials that I use year after year.

4. French Grammar Pamphlet – March 1 2001

This next one is actually one that my sister introduced me to! My sister is minoring in French in university and bought one of these from the campus bookstore! I thought that it was absolutely genius.

My students do tons of creative writing tasks in French and as much as I can, I like to make them as independent as possible. Teaching my intermediate students took find answers to their questions if I am busy with another student is a game changer!

5. SO many French movies

This next one isn’t so much one resource. It’s the fact that Amazon has a HUGE collection of affordable French films that are AWESOME! French language films are incredibly important to me given that my goals are inclusivity and critical thinking in French class.

Remember, students leaving your classroom with a greater understanding of how other peoples’ lives differ from their own and being empathetic is more important than any grammar lesson you do!

I want my students to be exposed as many different stories, lived experiences and perspectives. All 6 of the films above are my favourites to show to my students!

Do you have different French teacher Amazon essentials? What is something you find essential from Amazon? Share with us in the comments below!

The post French Teacher Amazon Essentials appeared first on FLE Avec MmeD.

Today I am going to be sharing with you 5 French books on residential schools. It is incredibly important that our students understand the magnitude of the traumas inflicted on Indigenous peoples in residential schools.

All 5 of these books are in French and are picture books appropriate for Elementary-aged students and older. There is a number of activities that you can do with your students to demonstrate their understanding.

Additionally, if you teach Indigenous students, please ensure that you are speaking to counsellors and family members in advance. This is a crucial step to avoid re-inflicting trauma on those students.

Finally, if you are looking for more French resources with Indigenous perspectives, I have a whole blog post dedicated to movies, documentaries, texts, books and so much more.

1. Les bas du pensionnat

This is a 7 chapter story about Margaret a 7 year-old Inuit girl who lives near Aklavik.

Margaret desperately wants to attend the same residential school her father attended, but her father will not allow that. She dreams to read, write and attend this school her half-sister also attends.

After attempting to convince her father for months, her father reluctantly agrees to allow her to attend residential school. Margaret discovers all too soon that the school is nothing like home and that the sisters are nothing like her family.

2. Quand j’avais huit ans

This picture book and Les bas du pensionnats are written by the same authors. Quand j’avais huit ans is a condensed version of Les bas du pensionnat.

3. Shi-shi-etko

This story is about Shi-shi-etko, a little girl who is about to leave for residential school for the first time.

Days before leaving, Shi-shi-etko spends all her time outdoors and with her family. She savours the way the sand feels under her toes, the sound of bees buzzing around her and the tall grasses swaying from the wind. She savours all the sights, sounds, and feel of everything and everyone she finds comforting and familiar.

In the end, Shi-shi-etko promises to herself that no matter what happens at school, she will never forget all of the lessons her family taught her and the memories she holds in her heart.

4. La pirogue de Shin-chi

La pirogue de Shini-chi, written by the same authors as Shi-shi-etko, features the story of Shin-chi who is Shi-shi-etko’s little brother. Before leaving for school, the two siblings ask their father if he will make them a new canoe.

During their long journey to school, Shi-shi-etko comforts her little brother by reminding him about the best part of home and she tells him important. When they arrive at the school, she gives him the little oak canoe that.

5. L’histoire du chandail orange

This book is absolutely one that you should begin with, if your students are completely new to the history of Orange Shirt Day.

Phyllis Webstad went shopping with her grandmother before attending her residential school. Her grandmother purchased her a brand new orange shirt and she could not wait to wear it on her first day of school.

When Phyllis got to her school, the sisters took Phyllis’ shirt cruelly. The orange shirt has become a symbol of the trauma and pain inflicted on Indigenous children in residential schools.

Do you know of French resources on residential schools?

Do you know of French Books on Residential Schools not mentioned in this post? Please share with us in the comments below!

Are you looking for more resources, ideas and inspiration on prioritizing BIPOC representation in your French class? Join our FaceBook Group!

The post 5 French Books on Residential Schools appeared first on FLE Avec MmeD.

If your students are anything like my students, they probably love coming to French class! That is one of the best parts about teaching an elective — our students want to be there! However, this can be a little tricky as well. You know, sometimes they’re a little too excited to come to French class, because they know we’re going to be having tons of fun!

Therefore, it can truly throw your classroom management off when students are entering the classroom all riled up and excited.

I teach Grades 8-10 and I especially find this to be true for the younger grades.

As a matter of fact, it can be rather challenging to bring teenagers back to a calm place when they run in all hyper!

Before you scroll – grab this music freebie!

Are your students too chatty or far too loud when working on activities?

Teenagers can be so social and in my second year of teaching, I was struggling with them socializing a little too loudly with their classmates.

To combat these two issues, I made one of my favourite classroom purchases in my teaching career!

I bought a bluetooth speaker! For the past two years, I have religiously used my bluetooth speaker during strategic moments.

Play calm French music as students are walking into class

In my three years of being a teacher, I have had the pleasure of teaching only TWO introverted classes out of 18 classes!

The rest of my classes have been anywhere from sometimes rambunctious to ALWAYS rambunctious.

I started playing calm French music at the start of class as students were walking in. When I do this, I also ensure that I have my daily slides projected on the whiteboard. My daily slides explain the shape of the day and which activities students should begin immediately.

If you struggle with the start of class transition, I highly recommend doing this. Students love listening to music, regardless of their grade, and it creates such a lovely ambiance.

My favourite calm artists are Louane, Coeur de Pirate, Charles Aznavour, Julien Doré and Matt Holubowski.

Play French music when students are working on assignments and projects

I frequently play French music as students are working on individual assignments or group projects.

Students are not allowed to wear their own listening devices in class, given that French class is all about collaboration. Due to that reason, my students beg me to play music as they are working.

I find that music can help my students focus on their task. They still socialize and work collaboratively with their peers, but they do not shout over the music as they would shout over one another.

My favourite is when I catch my teens asking their friends to speak quieter so that they can hear the music!

Ask your students to recommend calm French music to you as “homework”

It can be incredibly motivating for students when they see that you have acknowledged and included their interests.

Have students email you up to 5 calm, school-appropriate French songs “for homework”. I would then listen to each song to ensure that it is in fact a) calm and b) school-appropriate.

Create French music playlists for classroom management using Apple Music or Spotify

I decided to purchase a Bluetooth speaker and not use the projector speakers. I hated connecting my computer to the projector in order to listen to music.

Creating playlists on Apple Music on my iPhone has been incredibly convenient. I have all sorts of playlists — I have ones for the start of class, more upbeat songs for fun activities and games, and playlists of students’ recommendations. Here’s a playlist on YouTube of French music for the classroom.

Also, if you’re looking to diversify your playlist, check out my Instagram post by clicking this link!

Below is an image of the Bluetooth speaker I have at school and at home. Please note that the link below is an affiliate link.

If you find these tips to be helpful, comment below & share your favourite Francophone artists for the classroom!

The post Teaching with French music – tips & tricks appeared first on FLE Avec MmeD.