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Teaching Standard 4.1
Teaching Standard 4.1
The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines she teaches.
The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines she teaches.
EVIDENCE #1: French teacher in diverse venues for 25 years with much French language and other relevant coursework.
DESCRIPTION:
I have been a French teacher for 25 years, across diverse venues to all age groups and abilities. I have and am currently giving private lessons, lead French classes for adults and youth, and offer art and French camps at my teaching studio. I have taught in after school programs, been the French teacher at two private schools and recently was the French teacher at a public middle school in Burlington, Vermont - Edmunds Middle School. This position at Edmunds, led to pursuing my French teaching license.
Since I have started the Peer Review process I have arranged two teaching internships to gain important instructional tools, obtain coaching around best practices and learn more about working within a public school structure to best meet diverse learners' needs.
I studied extensively in Paris, France and will go into detail about this in future sections of my portfolio. I attended an intensive French program through La Sorbonne. I continued language and cultural studies the following semester at L'Institut d'Etudes Catholique. My second academic year in Paris, I attended a rigorous program at L'Institut d'Etudes Politiques. I then returned to my university in Texas for a final year and to graduate. Please see transcript here.
1. Above is a picture at my first French teaching job in Washington D.C. in 1988. This was at a private high school, The Emerson Institute, off of Dupont Circle. Pictured here with the Principal, another teacher and a guest speaker from Africa I had arranged.
2. Class & Camp Brochures - Wingspan Studio
Winter 2018 ScheduleSummer Camps 2015February African Art, Music, French CampSummer Camps 2019Wingspan's current offerings: www.wingspanstudioeduc.com
3. Wingspan Studio on-line listing. Please click on link below regarding information/adult student reviews for my teaching studio, established in 2002, following a move from Washington D.C. to Vermont.
Wingspan Studio's Google Listing.
Please note when you click the link, you land on the google page of searching for "French classes near me." Hover on the right side of the page over Wingspan's listing. Scroll down to see student reviews. Click the left or right arrows to see recent adult, youth and preschool French classes and other events I have offered here.DESCRIPTION: Upon returning from studying and working in Paris, France in 1987, my French had drastically improved. As I had only begun the study of French in college, (I studied Spanish in high school), the first two years at Trinity University, in San Antonio, Texas, were quite challenging. The pace was quick and I was at times behind since most of my classmates had taken French in high school. It was my time studying and working in Paris, that took my French to a fluent level. Thus, it was back in San Antonio, Texas at Trinity University, where I was finishing my bachelor's degree in international relations, that a friend suggested I work as a French tutor. This, along with myriad experiences have led to where I am today, pursuing my teaching license in French.
ANALYSIS/REFLECTION: As a teacher of French for the past 25 years, I have had the opportunity to teach a wide range of people, ages, levels and at diverse venues. These teaching positions have required me to understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of French as called for in Teaching Standard 4.1. In the winter of 2017, I applied for a French teaching position at Edmunds Middle School in Burlington, Vermont. My position called for taking on all the responsibilities of the French teacher (please see worksheet documenting this teaching experience by my mentor teacher, Sarah Wright).
Having a strong grasp and fluent level of French, I have tutored many private students, both children and adults. I have taught French at private schools in Stowe and Essex, Vermont. I offer interactive, supportive and engaging adult group classes at Wingspan Studio. For children and preschoolers, I designed a program I call FRArt! It uses the arts, movement and music as a lens through which to learn French. I have taught French in a number of After School programs fro 10+ years and love to weave in geography, civics, the arts and nature to enhance instructional activities. For decades I have included drawing and art making across disciplines for learners. Just recently I learned of a study supporting this as a surprisingly powerful tool for supporting memory. Very exciting!
Here is what one recent French adult student has to say:
"Ms. Maggie is a creative and accomplished teacher with the capability and flexibility to adapt to student needs and accommodate multiple skill levels within the learning environment. She fosters a warm and welcoming class and makes learning French very fun. I've loved the dynamic with the other students as we learn from each other and learn from Ms. Maggie. In addition, my children have really enjoyed her vacation camps and have grown as artists from her guidance. Highly recommend all that Wingspan offers!"
This evidence reflects my command of this teaching standard as I have engaged learners of all ages as a French teacher. In order to keep up with best practices and tools of inquiry I look forward to professional training opportunities and learning from other educators.
First French job - The Emerson Institute, Washington D.C., 1988
Example of overview of Wingspan's education programs - Winter 2018. French and art, Pre-k thru adult.
I have been offering interdisciplinary camps combining the arts and French and since 2011 at Wingspan Studio. Shown here- Summer camp brochure for 2015. Throughout this summer I was also working on a mural with teenagers from the Burlington Girls & Boys Club. The 2,000 sq. ft mural is in Roosevelt Park. Several of the teen mural assistants were from francophone African countries.
Wingspan_FebCampFlyer_5x7.pdfFlyer for a February camp on the interdisciplinary theme of African art and music, French and geography. I make us of an African themed educational kit from the Fleming Museum. It provides many resources to engage students from actual fabrics, block printing materials and artifacts. In addition, I have a colleague I borrow drums from. French games engage participants. Each camp week ends with a reception, performance and art show for friends and family.
Summer camps 2019. There are a number of exciting francophone focused weeks for diverse age groups. Week 2 is an African art, music and French camp, for children ages 4+. Next up is Week 3 which is an immersion prek French camp, with the theme of baby animals. Week 5 is one of my favorites that I offered last summer. We dive into the prehistoric age and learn about French cave painting and dinosaurs, while learning French and making art! Wingspan's website.
EVIDENCE #2: Praxis French Test
DESCRIPTION: To illustrate my understanding of the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of French, please see attached here my French Praxis Score Report. I took and passed the test in February of 2019. The score to pass was 162 and I received a 180 total.
ANALYSIS/REFLECTION: The preparation for the French Praxis was an intellectually engaging pursuit. To prepare, I ordered the test materials and did the full test to assess what I needed to work on. I was glad I ordered this, as it gave me a solid pre-assessment of what to expect and the steps I needed to take to prepare.
In addition, I wanted to learn more about the testing environment, to assure my performance was maximized. This in part, included assessing potential adjustments for a sensory processing condition I have due to traumatic brain injury. Given the dates of the tests availability, the time it took to make a request, with one's doctor's recommendation, for a quiet testing area, I decided to take the test first, before being granted an accommodation. If I did not do well, I would then sign up to take it again with the accommodation in place. Fortunately, I succeeded the first time and could focus on the rest of my portfolio requirements and a winter teaching internship with a French teacher at Middlebury High School.
I would like to add that my own sensory processing differences, lend themselves to an acute understanding of diverse learners' needs. I bring first hand experience to teaching that ensures I am able to create an environment where all are comfortable, valued and accepted in such a way that they are willing to take intellectual risks and be fully engaged. The fact that I succeeded on the French Praxis test demonstrates my competency with this teaching standard. I look forward to growing my French language teaching skills, with my strong French skills, in several new approaches being lauded such as TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling).
I was first exposed to this while observing and student teaching with Michael Bradbury, French teacher at Edmunds Middle School in May, 2018. This was a new model for me then, and is an input-based approach to teaching language. It focuses on the systematic instruction of vocabulary in a comprehensible, personalized and contextualized manner. As I develop as an educator, I look forward to taking a workshop in this methodology.
ScoreReport_FrenchPraxis_Feb2019.pdfGoogle Sites
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