la Classe de Mademoiselle.
Because I believe that FLES sets the foundation for further language learning, student motivation and engagement is of the utmost importance to my teaching practice. Students must become agents of their own learning if they are to attain and continue to build proficiency. In order to be agents, they must first WANT to become French speakers and then BELIEVE that they can. In other words, the "I WANT" and the "I CAN" must both be present. My two main goals, therefore, are to hook my students on the French language (building the "I WANT"), and to create meaningful experiences in which they can successfully use the language (building the "I CAN").
The Hook: I work hard to make French fun and rewarding for all students by...
Student Performance: I create meaningful experiences in which my students can use the French language by couching their performance tasks in real and/or cultural experiences. For example, my 5th grade students learn how to describe themselves and ask questions about another person in order to compose a letter to their pen pals in France. This experience allows students to use their French to connect in a very real way with a French speaker of their own age. My 3rd graders, on the other hand, pack an imaginary suitcase for a trip to Haiti, and must use acquired language to describe and justify their choices. Here, students are imagining a situation that could be real, and gain knowledge of a target culture through the experience.
Self Evaluations: In order to encourage student agency, I have students monitor their own progress by rating their proficiency on the skills covered throughout a unit of study. At the end of every unit, students complete a Self Evaluation, which I read and then send home to families. This way, students assess their own learning, receive feedback, and begin to monitor their own progress.
The Hook: I work hard to make French fun and rewarding for all students by...
- Providing constructive behavior incentives.
- Including a variety of engaging activities, such as songs, dances, games, and skits.
- Meeting the needs of various types of learners through the use of technology, songs, stories, images, video, realia, and kinesthetic activities.
- Drawing student interest through the use of cultural content from other countries.
- Creating an environment in which students feel safe and comfortable by normalizing imperfection, rewarding effort, and providing multiple opportunities for students to participate in a variety of ways.
Student Performance: I create meaningful experiences in which my students can use the French language by couching their performance tasks in real and/or cultural experiences. For example, my 5th grade students learn how to describe themselves and ask questions about another person in order to compose a letter to their pen pals in France. This experience allows students to use their French to connect in a very real way with a French speaker of their own age. My 3rd graders, on the other hand, pack an imaginary suitcase for a trip to Haiti, and must use acquired language to describe and justify their choices. Here, students are imagining a situation that could be real, and gain knowledge of a target culture through the experience.
Self Evaluations: In order to encourage student agency, I have students monitor their own progress by rating their proficiency on the skills covered throughout a unit of study. At the end of every unit, students complete a Self Evaluation, which I read and then send home to families. This way, students assess their own learning, receive feedback, and begin to monitor their own progress.