As French teachers, we know that learning a new language out loud can feel intimidating, especially for our Core French or French Immersion students. A strong foundation for French class is essential if we want our students to feel safe, supportive, and willing to take risks to speak French. One simple, but powerful routine you can introduce is community circles in French class. Circles are a great way to building a classroom community where every student has a voice.

What are Community Circles?

Circles are a structured routine where students and staff sit together in a circle and share and listen. This practice originates in Indigenous communities in North America where circles have long been used for relationship-building, decision-making, and healing. They are a practice now widely used in restorative practices and restorative justice in schools as an alternative to traditional, punitive discipline.

Circles for Restorative Practices

Circles can have many different purposes. For example, administrators and teachers can use circles to resolve conflicts.

It’s important to note here that facilitating circles for restorative justice requires training to avoid unintentionally causing harm. Another key point is that participation in this type of circle must always be consensual due to the sensitive nature.

Circles to Support Teaching & Learning

Beyond conflict resolution, French and French Immersion teachers can also use circles to support instruction. For example, circles can be really informative in Social Studies and History classes to reinforce critical thinking, perspective-taking, or even analyzing cause and consequence in relationship to a specific historical event.

In French class, a circle routine can help reinforce vocabulary and provide opportunities for oral communication in a safe and low-pressure way.

Circles to Build Classroom Community

Lastly, circles are a powerful way to build community in the classroom. They create space for students to share their thoughts, connect with one another, and develop trust. For French teachers, this is especially valuable as students are more likely to speak French and take risks when they feel a sense of belonging.

If you are familiar with my work, you will know that I am super passionate about routines in the French classroom. One of my favourite routines is Question du Jour. I think that Question du Jour and circles would work really well together since both routines give students the opportunity to share their voice, practice speaking French in a low-stakes way, and strengthen classroom community.

What grade levels are community circles ideal for?

Community circles can be used across grade levels, from elementary to high school Core French or French Immersion classes. Since I teach high school, this blog post will focus on how circles can support students from Grades 8-12. However, the routine can be easily adapted for younger students as well.

Watch the brief & informative chat with my amazing colleague Maryline to see how she implements community circles in her French Immersion classroom!

Maryline is a superstar! We have been neighbours for the last eight years. For several years now, I have noticed Maryline and her class doing circles at the back of her classroom. It has always intrigued me.

Today I am bringing in Maryline to tell you all about circles in her French Immersion classroom.

Helpful tools

If you’re looking for more support and guidance before you facilitate your first circle, here are some helpful tools.

• This is a phenomenal tool from CASEL that explains what circles are, their purpose, and even helps you plan your first one.
• This is a really helpful video on the origins of circles and how not to culturally appropriate unintentionally.

The post How to Use Community Circles in French Class to Build Community appeared first on FLE Avec MmeD.

A few months ago, I was scrolling on Facebook when I came across a question posed by a French teacher in a major French Facebook Teacher group. This teacher was seeking guidance on how to begin with anti-oppressive teaching, as well as examples of activities and assessments that are anti-oppressive, differentiated, culturally relevant, and identity-affirming.

Today, we’re going to discuss pedagogies, assessment, instructional tools, and system-wide changes to advocate for all that helps form a learning environment that is anti-oppressive, differentiated, culturally responsive, and identity-affirming.

Read my blog post from a few years ago about how your French teaching pedagogy may be reinforcing colonial hierarchies.

Who am I, and what authority do I have to speak on this topic?

Bonjour! My name is Pav and I am a French teacher of South Asian descent from Vancouver, Canada. For the past three years, I have served as the anti-racism lead at my school. Part of my responsibilities includes planning school-wide activities and events, advocating for changes with my school, and communicating with students, parents, and administration to ensure that we are constantly moving forward in the direction of progress.

Online, I have used my platform for the last five years to advocate for change in French pedagogies. I have tried to demonstrate to French teachers that teaching inclusively and anti-oppressively is not only very doable, but it is also non-negotiable and gratifying.

While I have worked very hard to advocate for change and progress, both in my career and online, I also want to acknowledge that I am not perfect. I am constantly trying to learn more, even unlearn, to be a better human being and teacher.

I am also completing a post-grad diploma on compassionate classrooms. This diploma has taught me a lot about SEL, trauma-informed teaching, restorative justice/restorative practices, and more.

I am also a big reader and specifically focus on reading diversely. Feel free to peruse my Goodreads for diverse book recommendations.

What are the ways students and teachers encounter systemic oppression in education?

Let’s begin with the understanding that the legacies of colonialism are alive and well within society and all institutions. For example, students and teachers encounter systemic racism in the school setting. What does systemic racism look like in the education setting?

Systemic Oppression and the Curriculum

An example of systemic oppression and the curriculum is a focus on Eurocentric perspectives & curriculum where marginalized students do not see themselves reflected in the content and instructional practices. In French class, teachers and/or the curriculum only focus on France or Quebec, erasing Francophone communities in Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia.

Discriminatory Discipline Practices

It is easy to turn a blind eye to discipline practices within the education setting. For example, Black, Indigenous, and racialized students can be disproportionately suspended or expelled in contrast to their white counterparts.

In Canada specifically, the school-to-prison pipeline for Indigenous boys is an example of this type of disproportionate representation.

Ableism in Assessment and Instruction

The following are examples of ableism in the school setting:

• One-size-fits-all instruction that does not differentiate
• Students lack voice and choice in assessment and learning practices
• Traditional grading systems that penalize students for mistakes or not learning the same way as neurotypical students disadvantage those who have dyslexia, ADHD, auditory processing disorders, or executive functioning challenges.
• Lack of accessible tools, equipment, or learning resources
• An emphasis on compliance and “good behaviour”

Other examples of systemic oppression

• Lower graduation rates for Indigenous students
• Higher rates of academic streaming for racialized and low-income students
• Lack of belonging, safety, and representation for LGBTQ2S students
• Poor mental health outcomes for marginalized students
• Inaccessible learning environments for neurodivergent and disabled students
• Students encountering racism, Islamophobia, transphobia, homophobia, and anti-Semitism at school
• Students are forced to suppress parts of their identity to feel safe or to fit in
• Teacher burnout from working in unjust systems

These are only a few examples!

Bottom line, oppression in the education system exists.

Why is anti-oppressive teaching a non-negotiable?

If we care about the well-being and success of our students, we will do everything in our power to foster an anti-oppressive learning environment for them.

In my mind, anti-oppressive teaching is divided into two fields:

a. changes I can make in my own classroom and within my teaching practices

b. changes I must advocate for at my school

Anti-oppressive teaching in the French classroom

Let’s explore the various ways to cultivate an anti-oppressive learning environment in the classroom.

Culturally Responsive Teaching

What is Culturally Responsive Teaching? CRT is an educational approach that acknowledges and celebrates students’ diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences and connects them to classroom learning.

In her book, Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain, Dr. Zaretta Hammond states that Culturally Responsive Teaching is essential if we want our marginalized students to succeed in rigorous learning. I highly recommend reading her book, as Dr. Hammond shares not only that it’s possible to implement CRP but also explains the benefits to student learning.

Trauma-Informed Teaching & Trauma-Sensitive Classrooms

As teachers, we must understand that our students are walking into our classrooms with past trauma. Trauma is going to change how our students learn. The BC Provincial Government defines TIP as:

Trauma-Informed Practice is a strengths-based framework grounded in an understanding of and responsiveness to the impact of trauma. It emphasises physical, psychological, and emotional safety for everyone, and creates opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment. 

Is your classroom a trauma-informed space? Is your teaching trauma-informed?

Trauma-sensitive classrooms:

• implement Culturally Responsive Teaching
• establish students’ physical and emotional safety
• cultivate relationships with students every single day
• focus on student strengths and never view students from a deficit perspective
• are culturally competent
• include voice and choice in activities, lessons, and assessments.
• never get into a power struggle with students
• teach/model healthy coping strategies.

This document is invaluable for understanding the various traumas students bring to school and for implementing trauma-informed practices.

Instruction & Assessment Flexibility

An anti-oppressive teacher understands that not all students learn the same way. There are so many factors that alter how we change. Anti-oppressive teachers are flexible and not stubborn. They are willing to explore different instructional approaches and assessments to see what works best for their students.

Inclusion of Diverse Voices & Perspectives

In a French classroom, there are numerous ways to incorporate diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences. Here are some quick examples!

• Explore French music & musicians. There’s so much diversity here!
  • Manie Musicale is an accessible way to get into this, and all of your planning is done for you
• Teach about Verlan & France’s banlieues.
  • Teach French slang expressions and their origins
• Learn about diverse celebrations in your novice French classes
  • Cécile Lainé has created (independently and in collaboration with others) these accessible, novice-friendly slideshows about diverse holidays
• Read French picture books
  • Explore my favourite picture books with Muslim representation, Black representation, and Asian representation.
• Begin to explore the Francophone world.
  • Discover Francophone cultures through a specific theme or topic, such as food, geography, clothing, or music.
• Acknowledge BHM, AHM, Pride, Orange Shirt Day, Indigenous Heritage Month, etc in your classroom
• Learn about First Peoples’ Principles of Learning and incorporate them into your teaching

Celebrating Students’ Identities

Hold space for and celebrate your students’ identities. We’re so lucky we teach French as there are so many ways to do this!

Last year, I organized a whole-school Culture Day. With the help of a $2,000 grant my students won, we were able to share diverse cultural foods with our entire student body.

During the event, a Filipino student came up to us, thrilled to see lumpia (Filipino spring rolls) on the menu. He told us he had never seen Filipino culture represented at school before. I cried when I heard this—tears of both joy and sadness.

How can you celebrate your students’ identities in your classroom and in your school?

Student (and Teacher) Accountability

One of the most important things you can do to be an anti-oppressive educator is to hold students accountable when they make discriminatory statements.

I’ve heard from my students time and time again that when someone says something racist to them and their teacher does nothing, it confirms to them that their teacher does not care.

Not holding students accountable is the number one way to alienate marginalized students because you are declaring in capital letters that you are NOT a safe teacher!

Holding students accountable also means:

• Communicating promptly with the Administration team when something unsafe and dangerous occurs. This includes a student saying a slur.
• Communicating with the parents of the victim to let them know what has occurred. This is crucial because these parents need to know how to guide their child, advocate for them, and even get them therapy to process what they experienced.
• Advocating for changes at the system-level if necessary

Avoid tone policing staff and students

If a staff member or a student comes to you and expresses that something you said or did was discriminatory, please do not tone-police them. This human being is telling you they experienced harm. Your first words should not be “well, I wish you didn’t tell me right now or right here” or “I wish you had used different words”.

Tone policing diverts attention from the harm caused to your own discomfort with accountability. Furthermore, you are reinforcing power dynamics by reinforcing your own authority and power in the relationship.

Instead, focus on repairing harm

Instead of tone policing, focus on acknowledging the harm that you unintentionally caused. Thank them for being vulnerable and communicating with you. Express your commitment to learning and doing better in the future.

Once you leave, commit yourself to learning more about why what you said or did was harmful. Read a book, find a YouTube video, or ask a question in an anti-oppression teaching group on Facebook.

Anti-oppressive teaching on a school-wide level and systems-wide level

Now, let’s discuss school-wide activities and events.

School-wide recognition of Black History Month, Pride, Asian Heritage Month, etc.

If you’re a Canadian teacher in 2025, your school should absolutely be organizing school-wide recognitions of these months.

This past year, my colleague and I co-organized a Black History Month panel (our third annual!) at our school. It was incredible. One of our panellists was Jamila Pomeroy, who is a film screenwriter, director, and producer. She’s amazing. One thing she said that continues to haunt me is that anti-Black racism since 2020 has gotten worse. As a teacher, I see and hear this from my Black students every single day.

School-wide celebrations are powerful because they make identities visible. Many of my marginalized students have shared that when these months go unacknowledged, they feel unseen.

There is a need to not only acknowledge these heritage months but also to celebrate joy within these communities.

Using Your Voice & Privilege to Advocate for Students

One of the most important things you can do as an anti-oppressive educator is to use your voice and privilege and advocate for your students when you see or hear of injustices.

We absolutely cannot pretend that discrimination does not exist anymore in our schools. It happens.

If you see that the system is not handling the situation well, which is causing trauma to students, please use your voice and privilege to advocate for the problem to improve!

Let me know what you think!

This is my summer reflection of what it means to be an anti-oppressive educator in 2025. If there’s something I have not discovered, I would love to hear from you! Please share with us in the comments below.

The post What Anti-Oppressive French Teaching Looks Like in 2025 appeared first on FLE Avec MmeD.

Let’s talk about the benefits of affirmations in French class. What are they, and why are they useful? At the end of this blog post, I will be sharing creative French affirmation activities that will help you build a strong classroom community.

This is the third blog post in the Social-Emotional Learning series. Discover introductory SEL lessons here. Read about the importance of cultivating a growth mindset in French students here. Discover the science behind gratitude and French gratitude activity ideas here.

Why are we talking about affirmations today?

In the fall of 2024, I took a class on Social-Emotional Learning. For an assignment, I was asked to create a stress-management strategy to use with my class.

I involved my Grade 10 students in the decision-making process. I wanted to understand what my Grade 10 students need from me, both physically and emotionally, when they are stressed.

When we feel stressed, the part of the brain responsible for detecting threats triggers the “fight, flight, or freeze” response. When the amygdala is activated, the thinking part of the brain (the prefrontal cortex) stops functioning. That means learning, reasoning, and language processing are harder — if not impossible — when we are stressed.

My students told me that when they are feeling extremely stressed at school, they want to be affirmed. They wanted to be reminded that they are strong, that the best is enough, and that they can do hard things. They also want to be reminded to take a deep breath!

Ultimately, this conversation sparked a great deal of reflection on affirmations and stress management.

What are affirmations?

First off, affirmations are short, powerful statements that we repeat to ourselves. Affirmations shape the way we feel and think. They are rooted in the idea that our thoughts have a profound influence on our actions.

Why are affirmations a vital part of Social-Emotional Learning?

Social-Emotional Learning encompasses the five competencies of:

• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness
• Responsible Decision-Making
• Relationship Skills

Good affirmations have students reflect on how they feel and why they feel that way (self-awareness). Coming up with an affirmation then helps students manage their emotions and practice resilience.

How do affirmations help French students feel more confident speaking French?

Affirmations help French language learners feel more confident speaking French because they shift the internal dialogue from one of self-doubt to one of possibility.

Ultimately, we want French language learners to replace negative self-talk with affirmations!

Also, when we speak about French affirmation activities for the French classroom, we’re not talking about those really cute, trendy affirmation mirrors. The ones that include feel-good, generic affirmations like “I am smart” and “I am kind.”

For affirmations to be effective, they must be personalized to the individual.

In other words, French students need affirmations that address the very real challenges they encounter in the French classroom.

This includes the fear of taking risks and speaking out loud, perfectionism, embarrassment from making mistakes, or frustration when they don’t immediately understand something.

French Affirmation Activities Option #1 – Daily Emotions Journal

Before we begin French affirmation activities, we need students to reflect on what emotions they’re feeling and why they’re feeling that way.

Children and teenagers are learning emotional intelligence, emotional regulation, and self-management.

It is so normal for children to feel emotions and to not know why they feel that way.

I like doing emotion journals with my students to expose them to a wide range of emotion adjectives, identify how they feel, and understand the reasons behind their feelings.

Ultimately, an activity like this helps students regulate their emotions. Students will take time to listen to their mind and body, understand why they feel that way, and hopefully even come up with an action plan if they’re not feeling great.

French Affirmation Activities Option #2 – Daily Affirmations Prompts

Next up, we’ve got daily affirmation prompts.

Affirmation journals help students build self-awareness by having them reflect on aspects of their life that they are proud of or appreciate.

French Affirmation Activities Option #3 – Classroom Bingo

This next French affirmations activity focuses on students recognizing and appreciating good qualities in their classroom.

French Affirmation Activities Option #4 – Class Compliments

Lastly, this activity has students write compliments for their classmates and practice expressing their appreciation for that specific quality.

Build classroom community and resilience in your classroom with impactful affirmation activities

Grab a copy of the English version here

Grab a copy of the French version here

The post How French Affirmation Activities Help Students Feel More Confident Speaking French appeared first on FLE Avec MmeD.

Are you a Core French and/or French Immersion teacher wanting to integrate SEL in French class? Do you need impactful SEL lessons? Have you observed that your students tend to interact negatively with one another? Do your students have poor self-management skills, which are impacting their academic progress?

SEL, or Social-Emotional Learning, is a set of essential life skills that need to be explicitly taught to students. SEL skills empower our students to achieve success in their relationships, academics, overall well-being, and beyond.

In this blog post, we are going to delve into why and how French teachers should integrate SEL into French class.

This is the first blog post in the Social-Emotional Learning series. Discover introductory SEL lessons here. Read about the importance of cultivating a growth mindset in French students here. Learn all about the importance of affirmations and positive self-talk here. Discover the science behind gratitude and French gratitude activity ideas here.

What is SEL or Social-Emotional Learning?

SEL, or Social-Emotional Learning, is a set of tools and skills that human beings need to develop. They are not something we are born with. These skills and tools are essential for success in all aspects of life.

Casel defines SEL as:

“… the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.”

SEL encompasses five competencies:

• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Responsible Decision-Making
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Why should French teachers integrate SEL in French class?

Here’s why you should integrate Social-Emotional Learning in French class!

SEL helps French students take risks and participate in activities to their fullest extent

A primary factor preventing French language learners from achieving success is a lack of willingness to take risks. It’s incredibly intimidating to attempt to speak a language that’s new to you.

However, we absolutely need our students to take risks in the French classroom because that is the only way they can make progress.

French teachers who learned the language as a second or third language know that the fear of taking risks is a significant factor impeding proficiency. SEL activities and lessons help break down these barriers, allowing students to participate without fear.

SEL reduces conflicts in the classroom

Conflict is a normal and healthy part of human relationships. In the school setting, students are learning how to navigate relationships and conflict. They lack the skills to communicate and manage conflict in healthy ways.

The result is that teachers spend a lot of time putting out fires. We end up having to help our students navigate these conflicts and reach a resolution.

When you proactively teach healthy communication, emotional regulation, and conflict resolution, you are giving your students the ability to do these things independently (of you) and successfully.

Ultimately, this allows French teachers to spend more time actually teaching French and less time refereeing.

SEL encourages a growth mindset and perseverance

As French teachers, we see firsthand how students with a growth mindset progress very quickly in their proficiency level. On the other hand, it is also evident when our students have a fixed mindset, as it impacts their ability to progress.

SEL helps students manage stress and anxiety

Learning French can be stressful for our students. Novice French students can even be super anxious about participating in speaking activities.

Teaching your students to recognize how and why they feel stressed and anxious, and then providing them with strategies to manage stress and anxiety, is essential. It also helps your students see that you care about their overall well-being, not just their progress in French.

SEL and British Columbia Curriculum Connections

If you teach in British Columbia, SEL supports the Core Competencies, which are a required element of student learning, assessment, and self-reflection.

Personal Awareness & Responsibility

Skills SEL & Personal Awareness & Responsibility highlight:

• regulating emotions
• setting goals
• managing stress

Positive Personal & Cultural Identity

Skills SEL & Positive Personal & Cultural Identity highlight:

• self-awareness
• Positive affirmations and positive self-talk
• confidence building

Social Responsibility

Skills SEL & Social Responsibility highlight:

• empathy
• gratitude
• relationship-building

French SEL Lessons 101 – How to Actually Embed SEL in Your French Class

French SEL Lesson #1 – Explicitly teach your students what SEL actually is

Arm your students with the knowledge they need to be successful. Teach them exactly what SEL is, the 5 SEL competencies, and how and why SEL is beneficial to them.

There are so many ways to do this.

I wrote a straightforward, easy-to-understand article that explains all of this to students.

It also introduces the five SEL competencies without making it overwhelming.

French SEL Lesson #2 – Help your students understand how their brain actually learns

In August of 2024, I read Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain by Dr. Zaretta Hammond.

This book blew my mind because Dr. Hammond provided in-depth details about the neuroscience of learning.

When I finished the book, I asked myself how I had taught for seven years without actually understanding how the brain learns.

Arming your students with this knowledge will help cultivate a growth mindset, as they will understand that the brain learns through repetition, which creates a pathway in the brain as we improve in that skill over time. This is called neuroplasticity.

One fun, teen-friendly way to explore the neuroscience of learning is through a trivia game!

French SEL Lesson #3 – Teach your students specific strategies to help them with SEL areas they struggle with

Ultimately, the most important thing is that students leave these SEL lessons with strategies to help them navigate challenges.

It’s time to take charge of your classroom culture and give your students the tools they need to stay motivated, bounce back from failure, and believe in their ability to learn.

This ready-to-go introductory SEL resource encompasses four essential SEL lessons.

Grab a copy of the English SEL lessons

Grab a copy of the French SEL lessons

The post The Power of SEL in French Class: Tips for French Teachers appeared first on FLE Avec MmeD.

It is no secret that I have to teach a whole semester without any prep time! Over the years of teaching without prep time, I’ve developed French Classroom Organization Hacks that are essential for my survival. No joke! Today I am sharing all of my best tips and tricks with you!

Are you looking for more French classroom inspo? Read my blog post on my best French classroom decor tips and tricks. Looking for French bulletin board ideas? Here are some bulletin board ideas to get you started.

French Classroom Organization Hack #1 – Get Your Students to Help You!

This is my BEST French classroom organization hack!

Organizing is one thing I don’t need to do personally. I often ask my teenage students for help. Sometimes, all it takes is the last 10 minutes of class and a few helpful hands. Ultimately, this can save me hours of work!

French Classroom Organization Hack #2 – Have an Absent / Extras Bin

Next up, have a designated area in your classroom to store handouts for any students who were absent and/or require an extra copy.

Make these accessible so that students can help themselves.

This also ensures that the learning continues when you’re not there that day.

I printed mine on neon pink paper and one of my students added a meme sticker to it!

French Classroom Organization Hack #3 – Have a Whiteboard Monthly Calendar for Students

I like to have a whiteboard in the back of the classroom with major school and classroom events.

This helps students become independent and seek the information they need to be successful.

French Classroom Organization Hack #4 – A Simple & Accessible System for Handout Storage

Lastly, these plastic containers from the dollar store are where I store my course handouts.

Each bin represents a different course I teach. Within the bin, I’ve also organized them in chronological order.

I go through these all the time, pulling out extras or throwing out activities I no longer do.

These are located right beside my desk, so they are super accessible.

In April 2025, I had a horrible month of colds and food poisoning, and I took at least 6 days off. If I needed to, I could have told my subs to retrieve a specific handout from a bin and copy it.

What are your best French classroom organization hacks?

Share with us, what is your favourite hack? What tip do you swear by?

Don’t be afraid to share with us in the comments below!

The post 4 French Classroom Organization Hacks to Start the Year Strong appeared first on FLE Avec MmeD.

The most inspiring virtual conference for French teachers and World Language teachers is back! If you are a French teacher looking for free French professional development opportunities, Practical & Comprehensible is for you!

Who is this free virtual conference intended for?

This free virtual conference is intended for World Languages teachers all over the world. Whether you teach French Immersion or Core French, there will be inspiring and practical tips, tricks and ideas for your French classroom.

Most of the presenters are in fact American, but there are some Canadian presenters as well!

When does Practical & Comprehensible occur?

Practical & Comprehensible takes place July 29-31, 2024

Where does it take place?

This free VIRTUAL conference for French teachers takes place online! You can watch all sessions from the comfort of your home, back garden or coffee shop!

Get your ticket to this awesome conference!

Here are some of the presentors and what they will be presenting :

• Languages as Lenses: Designing Thematic Units for Cultural Insights and Social Justice
• Sorry (not sorry), But Your Students WILL Keep Asking to Do These Activities
• Starting Strong: Embracing an Asset-Based Approach from Day One
• Lessen Your Planning: Getting the Most out of the Comprehensible Novel

** please note that this link is an affiliate link. If you choose to register for this conference and upgrade to a paid ticket, I would make a small commission from the purchase, at no extra cost to you.

The post Practical & Comprehensible 2024 – a free virtual conference for French Teachers appeared first on FLE Avec MmeD.

I can hardly believe that I am entering my seventh year of teaching French. In honour of those very challenging six years, I am sharing with you all of the mistakes I made and lessons I learned in my first five years of teaching French. If you are a new French teacher, hopefully, there are some nuggets of information you can learn from this blog post. If you are a seasoned French teacher and you can relate to some of these lessons, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

I actually wrote two very similar post on 10 Mistakes I made in my first year of teaching Core French and How to teach French to beginners. I shared a lot of content that I won’t be repeating in this post, so do read those as well if you are curious!

A little about me and my context

I am a high school French teacher in British Columbia, Canada at the secondary level. Unfortunately, I was in my third year of teaching when the pandemic began.

My fourth and fifth years of teaching were my most challenging years of teaching due to the pandemic and its aftermath.

These were the years I cried at my desk after almost every single staff meeting.

Teaching French doesn’t just mean teaching grammar & vocabulary

In my first couple of years of teaching French, I simply taught French how I had been taught. It was a lot of grammar lessons and vocabulary memorization.

It didn’t work. I felt like I was teaching French grammar classes, instead of French language classes.

So I worked really hard to change things up. Firstly, I made a teacher Instagram account which simply revolutionized the way I was teaching. The interactions I’ve had with French teachers all over the world have been the best professional development in my career!

Then, I discovered the world of Comprehensible Input.

I would not say that all of my activities and lessons align with Comprehensible Input. I would say that I have borrowed bits and pieces from a variety of French pedagogies and teaching practices.

Now I teach very hands-on, creative, and engaging units that center Francophone and non-Francophone cultures. The goal is to expose my students to as much French listening and reading in the early years. Secondly, I try to create safe and structured French speaking activities. We learn about all sorts of topics in French and we do projects that combine creative and critical thinking skills.

I think for so many teachers it can be a very scary place to step away from the world of French textbooks and grammar. However, I cannot explain in words how rewarding it truly is once you hit that sweet spot.

French teaching tip : establish very strong French class routines

I remember my first two years of teaching French so very clearly. Truly, I really wanted to establish strong classroom routines. I just didn’t know what those routines could be. The Internet wasn’t super helpful at that time either.

During the 2020-2021 school year, I implemented weekly and daily routines for the first time. Now, I have a very lengthy blog post where I dive into all of the daily and weekly routines I’ve established in my high school Core French classes.

Please do read my blog post on French classroom routines if you’d like more information on what kinds of routines and how to establish them.

Here is a quick example of daily routines in my classroom :

• Daily slides
• Question du jour

Weekly routines :

• Chanson de la semaine
• Expression idiomatique de la semaine
• JEU-di
• Expression argotique de la semaine
• Lecture silencieuse ou lecture en partenaire

Strong French routines are a massive pro for a new French teacher as they cut down on planning. They are also really effective for targeting speaking, reading, writing, and listening. Targeting all four strands in the first few years of teaching French can be really tricky.

Change it up if you don’t like it

In my first year as a classroom teacher, my work mom told me “teach whatever brings you joy and don’t teach anything that doesn’t bring you joy”.

If you are not happy with the outcome of a unit, lesson, activity, worksheet, strategy, routine, seating plan….ANYTHING — do NOT be afraid to change it up.

I promise you will be a better French teacher because you reflected on why it didn’t go well and what to do to improve it for the future. Immediately after trying something that didn’t go as planned, reflect on the following :

• what did I think was going to happen and what actually happened?
• what 3 changes (small, medium, large) can I implement for the future that would help this activity/lesson/unit run more smoothly?

Speak in the target language, but also don’t be afraid to connect with students in English

A lot of new and seasoned French teachers really struggle with finding a balance. For me, it’s quite simple now.

• speak in the target language for all major aspects of routines and lessons. Ensure that you are using language that is repetitive and comprehensible.
• Explain assessment requirements in English. They need to understand fully what they are doing, especially as it involves their grades. It is not fair to students to not understand what they are supposed to accomplish for assessment. This is the single most thing my students complain about in their other courses.
• Rubrics should also be in English – you are not evaluating their ability to understand rubrics.
• Have difficult/needed conversations with students in English
• Don’t be afraid to speak in English to connect with them, especially at the beginner and intermediate levels. I will do whatever I need to do to continue to build a community in my classroom

The post Lessons I Learned in My First Five Years of Teaching French appeared first on FLE Avec MmeD.

Today we are talking all about how to create a thriving French program in your department. Now, as French teachers we recognize that there can be so many elements entirely outside of the control of teachers. Most of the time, we cannot change those circumstances. Today in this video, we are talking about circumstances we French teachers DO have control over and therefore can change.

Sheena is my fellow work bestie. I am so, so lucky to have Sheena by my side. Over the years we have increased retention in all of our courses. We’ve now hired another part-time teacher. This is something we are very proud about. However, this was not accident. We were very intentional about the student experience in our department.

Sheena and I moved to our current school at the same time. Hear all about our story in the video below!

P.S. students at our school do not HAVE to take French class. They do need a language 11 to go to University in British Columbia. However, they can also do this online if they find the class to be painful (as is the case with any subject matter). However, we are capped at 30 students for most of our classes and there often long wait lists to get into a class in September!

Our students WANT to be in our classes.

Your French classes are boring ):

I know. This one is a very tough pill to swallow.

If you are struggling with retention in your classes, it may be that the student experience is lacking.

Just look at your students expressions while you’re teaching. What do you see? Have you asked your students if they like French class? If yes or no, why or why not?

If your French classes are boring, the only way to remedy this is to step out of your comfort zone. Try new units, methods of teaching, games, practices, etc.

How can you bring the French and Francophone experiences into your own classroom?

Your students think French is pointless

French is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with over 300 million speakers across the globe. It is also a working language of many international organizations, including the United Nations, the European Union, and the International Olympic Committee.

French isn’t just a language spoken in France. It is spoken in over 30 countries over the world.

It’s so important to share these nuggets of information with our students so they can see that French is relevant.

Tip for creating a thriving French program : collaborate with colleagues

If you are a department of one, reach out to colleagues within your board and collaborate with them. With the Internet, you can also easily collaborate with teachers all over the world.

If you teach in a department with more than one member, it is so important to build a culture of collaboration. The students will benefit significantly from this harmony.

There are so many other topics, suggestions, and ideas we discuss in the video! Please do watch the full video if you’re interested in hearing how Sheena and I fostered a thriving French program at our school.

The post Here is why your school’s French program is failing appeared first on FLE Avec MmeD.

Let’s talk about a hot topic plaguing so many French teachers in my DMs and emails — what to do when French students hate learning French. Honestly, this request had me shook. How can students hate learning French??? My teenage Core French students LOVE French class. It is the highlight of their year sometimes (I’m not flexing). So the question is – how do we begin cultivating a love for learning French?

In this post, we are going to talk about changes French teachers can make in order to increase student engagement in French classes and foster passion for learning French. However, as a high school French teacher, I admit that there are definitely students who will never love learning French. That is OKAY. In this video and blog post, we are talking about actual changes French teachers can undertake to continue inspiring French language learners.

Also, please note that I am not talking about behavioural challenges that make teaching and learning French very challenging. To reiterate, we are talking about circumstances we actually have control over.

Let’s begin with a self-reflection – why do your students hate learning French?

As mentioned in the video above, a lot of my Grade 8 students come to me from elementary school and they are not shy about sharing that they HATE learning French. As a matter of fact, they’d rather be anywhere else than in French class!

Most say that French was extremely boring in elementary school. Some say that they had Francophone teachers who only spoke French and they had no idea what they were saying the entire time. Others say that they were forced to speak when they just weren’t comfortable.

All of these experiences are so valid. French teachers need to recognize and understand that students’ comfort and safety levels and confidence are intricately connected.

So, when your young Core French students express that they hate French class, ask them why!

Don’t assume that you know why.

Tip : ask them via an anonymous survey if you don’t feel comfortable having an open discussion. I personally do both so I can hear from all of my students.

Start with open lines of communication

When students express to me that they hate French class, I tell them that I am so sorry to hear that. I thank them for feeling comfortable and safe sharing that information with me. Then, I tell them that I am going to do my best to change their opinion.

Then I ask them the following questions :

• what makes you feel unsafe in a French language class? What do you need to feel safe taking risks?
• what kinds of activities do you like to do? What do you not like to do?

I share my findings with them and then I work hard to adjust my lessons and activities to incorporate their feedback.

These are the surveys I use at the start of the semester in all of my classes. I have been doing student surveys since practicum. The information students share in these is always so valuable.

If you don’t already have student surveys, go check these out.

Ultimately, students feel valued and heard when you ask what they need. In order to cultivate a love of learning French, communicating and incorporating student feedback is critical.

Is it a safe learning environment for ALL students?

Establishing a safe learning environment for ALL of your students needs to be the very first task.

French is a class that requires significant risk-taking. If students feel unsafe (e.g. they are mocked for their accents or made to speak when they don’t feel ready), then of course they are going to dislike the course.

Again, poll your students and ask them what they need to feel safe and comfortable in French class.

Is your passion for teaching French evident? How do you expect your students to love learning French if your love of teaching French is absent?

Listen, this isn’t math or socials. In a class like French class, your passion and energy need to be contagious.

For example, I am obsessed with French music. From the moment I met my current Grade 11s when they were in Grade 8, I shared my passion with them through all sorts of activities and projects. From the very beginning, they too have LOVED French music to the point where they told me they’d go to Gim’s concert with me.

If my passion and enthusiasm weren’t contagious, do you think they would have been as excited about French music?

The answer is no.

If you are not having fun teaching French, they aren’t having fun learning it. That’s not to say that every day has to be fun. My teens and I have boring “work” days too. However, the overall energy of the course does need to be exciting and infectious. The French teacher’s overall energy is critical in cultivating a love for learning French.

If you’re interested in learning about the following sub-topics connected to this blog post, do go ahead and watch the video.

• being flexible
• stepping away from grammar
• putting students before the course requirements
• mixing things up
• ensuring your assessment is fair, equitable, and ethical

Cultivating a love for learning French by mixing it up and trying new activities

From my personal experience, all kinds of subject teachers can get stuck in doing the same things year-after-year. Whether it’s using the same textbook published in 1991 or photocopying that one worksheet from 12 years ago – there is very little change.

Listen – the world has changed so much since the publication of textbooks in the 1990s. Also, there are so many new pedagogies like Comprehensible Input. Technology has changed so much in the last 10 years.

We need to continue to strive to be better French teachers by changing things up.

Start small – follow teachers on Instagram that inspire you. Join a Facebook group. Try out one new activity. Ask your students what they thought of it.

I have a blog post I wrote on 10 Mistakes I made as a first-year Core French teacher. In the post, I share my reflections on practices I’ve dropped since that first year. I also have a blog post on how NOT to teach French to beginner students.

These are all of the activities, tasks, projects we do in my French classes that foster passion for French and motivate my French language learners :

• doing wild projects like music videos and vlogs
• going on a field trip to a local Francophone community
• making crêpes in class
• learning about the social, political, and historical origins of the Francophone world
• incorporating French music into all sorts of activities and lessons
• doing fun daily and weekly routines that prioritize building students’ confidence in French
• learning French slang every week
• starting each class with question du jour
• going on walks when we need a break
• playing fun games
• changing up the lesson based on the needs I am observing and what my students are communicating to me
• ensuring that lessons are different and we’re not doing the same type of tasks every day
• learning in French and not learning French
• laughing and joking with my students

Consequently – it’s all about community, safety, communication, passion, AND FUN

The post Cultivating a love for learning French in French class appeared first on FLE Avec MmeD.

When thinking of French class, the first images that may come to mind are those of an Eiffel Tower, cheese, poutine, and cute classroom decor. The very last thing that may come to mind is the harm that you are perpetuating with your teaching practices. Even so, you may not be considering how your content and French curriculum uphold colonial hierarchies, thus perpetuating violence against racial & religious minorities.

The time to disrupt these harmful practices is today. I hope that you take the content in this blog post as an opportunity for reflection and action. Just reading and listening is not enough. We must commit ourselves to meaningful action immediately.

Please note that this blog post is the result of my own experiences as a Core French student, French undergrad student, a full-time French teacher in BC, and a participant in French teacher social media.

Simply adding diverse resources to our Core French or French Immersion curriculum isn’t enough

Ever since the murder of George Floyd, I have seen so many French teachers commit to diversifying their French curriculum.

However, simply adding diverse resources to your existing units is not enough. This is especially the case if your teaching practices, on the whole continue, to reinforce colonial hierarchies.

It’s like putting a bandaid on a broken leg.

We must examine why some of our teaching practices are problematic and how they continue to uphold colonial hierarchies.

Your content and resources are still eurocentric

Eurocentric French curriculum and content are deeply problematic as they play a major role in perpetuating racism and white supremacy. Continuing to teach French using eurocentric resources legitimizes the history and heritage of your white students, whilst rendering invisible the existence of your BIPOC students.

To put it simply, eurocentric resources reinforce racial, ethnic and religious stratification in society.

Many French teachers still rely heavily on the use of outdated textbooks. These textbooks teach the French language from a white, French perspective. Most of the content revolves around Paris, France, “French culture” (stereotypes) and the lives of white Parisians.

Additionally, these textbooks often entirely neglect the lives, cultures, and experiences of racial and religious minorities living in France. Given the policies of universalism and colorblindness in France, this history of marginalization and oppression is not at all surprising.

French-speaking African countries, the French Antilles and French Overseas Territories are entirely neglected in FRIMM and Core French curriculum.

Remember that French textbooks aren’t the only resource that can be eurocentric. Your choice of literature, picture books, music, and content must be thoroughly analyzed.

Marginalized voices continue to be left out of the conversation

Think of the classics taught by French language arts teachers in high schools. Or the French novels studied by elementary and middle school French immersion classes. How many of those French classics are written by francophones from diverse racial and religious backgrounds?

Did francophones from diverse racial and religious backgrounds just not exist during this period? Or was it that they didn’t experience success due to their race and religion?

I understand that white FLA teachers may feel that these French classics are a part of their heritage or the “French Patrimoine”. However, this French Patrimoine neglects the very people the French Empire colonized and subjugated for centuries. Why are their works not considered to be worth reading and studying in the French classrooms?

There is also the fact that French classics, filled with white characters, do not represent all our diverse students. How can book after book about medieval white characters be relevant to the lives of our BIPOC students?

The French literature chosen in FLA classes must be reflective of the students in that classroom. In fact, French literature must :

• inform white students about the lives and experiences of BIPOC
• empower BIPOC students

Questions to consider when selecting French literature for the classroom :

• What problems do your racialized students encounter in life?
• How does your reading list ensure that your students are heard and seen, and that their peers learn about their lives?
• What trials and tribulations have the families of your students endured? Also, what stories need to be shared in the classroom?
• How does your reading list contribute to a society that is more empathetic, informed, critical and trauma-informed?

Therefore, the answer is pretty simple. French Language Arts teachers must diversify their reading list.

You are promoting colonial hierarchies in your French curriculum

Here are some examples of colonial hierarchies you may be upholding as part of your French Immersion or Core French curriculum :

• linguistic superiority – promoting French, or even standard French, as a superior language
• avoiding teaching about racism, genocide, police brutality, colonialism because your students ‘don’t have the language to do it in French’
• only teaching about standard, hexagonal French
• centering Christianity

Do you leave space in your French curriculum to teach about Creole, Michif, Chiac or Verlan?

Also, do you teach about how the Arabic spoken in Algeria and Tunisia differs from the Arabic spoken on the Arabian Peninsula? Do you listen to stories and read articles about how empowering these languages and dialects are to the minorities who speak them?

Or do you only teach the standard, Hexagonal French?

Do you center Christianity in your pedagogy? I know you may say that Christianity is a part of the French patrimoine. However, Francophones and francophiles can also be Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Buddhist. Are they not part of French patrimoine? And if they aren’t, why not?

Remember that Christianity was a violent means through which racialized people were conquered. Christianity meant rape, genocide, murder in the colonies. By continuing to only promote Christianity, and to avoid all talk of other religions, you are partaking in this violent colonial legacy.

And if you are reading this and you are Christian, I want you to ask yourself what biases and colonial hierarchies you are bringing into your classroom. Are these biases and colonial hierarchies preventing you from celebrating and teaching about your students’ religions? About the religions of people who live in the same society as you?

Remember that every opportunity you take to inform your students about diverse religions may mean that an innocent family is spared from violence.

Your content and resources do not address colonialism and the violence that preceded “la francophonie”.

When looking to bring culture into the classroom, many French teachers immediately think to do a single “francophonie unit”. This single unit cannot begin to cover the complex history of the French Empire.

Before we even begin to teach about all of the countries and places that speak French, we must address why they speak French. We must create a space where our students can listen to the stories of those who were subjugated for centuries.

While it may seem as though colonization occurred long ago, remember that people and countries all around the world continue to deal with the legacies of colonialism. These legacies are political, social, economic, and environmental.

Human rights violations and justice in French curriculum

There must be space within Core French & French immersion curriculum and content to address human rights violations and the search for justice.

To only present francophone people and places in a positive light is to teach your students 50% of the topic. To understand la francophonie, our French as a second language students must also learn about the adversity, resilience and the ongoing fights for justice occurring in many francophone communities.

The post How your French curriculum reinforces & upholds colonial hierarchies appeared first on FLE Avec MmeD.