Teaching Style
Thomas Steinfeld
Teaching Philosophy
I have always had a passion for teaching French, but I must say that I consider myself a student of French as well as a teacher: we never stop learning. Furthermore, I consider myself a conduit; a guide to help my students move from one level of French to the next, while instilling in them a desire to use as many resources as possible outside of the classroom.
Keeping students motivated and engaged is key. In my classroom, I always put the chairs in a semi-circle, so that every student is able to see and hear all of the others. I also believe in personalizing my lessons as much as possible. When students have a chance to talk about their own interests and beliefs, their families, friends, etc., they are much more motivated to use the target language and increase their vocabulary. I am also a firm believer in using humor as much as possible. This keeps the atmosphere light-hearted and fun, and if they are laughing, they are more relaxed, and therefore more receptive to learning. And when they laugh at my (hopefully) witty comments, it also shows me that they’re paying attention!
I believe in a student-centered, rather than a teacher-centered classroom. In my classes, I require students to prepare for class by reading explanations and examples before coming to class, so that we can maximize class time by reinforcing what they have already studied on their own, rather than spending valuable time on lecturing. There is some explanation required during class time, of course, given the complexity of some grammatical concepts, but the goal is to have students using, through paired and group activities, the target language as much as possible. I require that only French be used in class, to maximize the students’ oral proficiency. I believe this helps students begin to think in French, and feel more confident.
I also believe in letting the students correct their own work as much as possible. When assigning compositions, for example, I allow them to write a brouillon (first draft), and then, rather than making actual corrections, I mark their compositions with abbreviations (for verb form, tense, spelling, etc.), so that they can figure out how to make their own corrections, and therefore be truly engaged in the process of learning how to effectively express themselves in the target language. Previously, they only wrote one version of their composition, and I suspect that they merely looked at the grade they received, rather than focusing on how to eliminate errors and become better writers. I have seen great improvement in their writing skills (especially in terms of eliminating common errors) since implementing the two-draft writing process.
Another activity that reinforces their ability to self-correct is an exercise that I call «Vous êtes le prof» (“You are the teacher”). This is essentially a composition, post-card, e-mail, etc. that I have filled with errors, and give to my students to correct. They work in pairs or small groups, and brainstorm how to correct the errors, restructure sentences, etc. They sometimes get quite competitive to see who can find the most errors, and it is very rewarding to me as a teacher to watch their thought process and see them so engaged in improving their French. I also believe that it is important to have students working with different partners for each activity, so that students of different skill levels can work with each other. This also encourages them to get to know each other, which of course reinforces a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. I have seen many friendships develop in my classrooms over the years, some of which began over 20 years ago and continue to this day. That, to me, is another huge reward of being a French teacher.
Of course, it is also important that the instruction doesn’t stop when class ends. I provide my students with many resources, which I have compiled on Blackboard, so that they can use and improve their French on their own time. There are many tools available to them, such as music websites, with songs that reinforce certain grammatical concepts or topics we have studied (such as politics, social justice, family life in Francophone cultures, etc.). I also encourage them to watch French news online. This not only reinforces their comprehension skills, but also gives them a different perspective on world events. I strive to get my students to see that language does not exist in a vacuum: it is not “English with different words” (to quote a former colleague and mentor); it is a reflection of the cultures in which it is used. Culture and language are intertwined, and it is essential that language learners understand this in order to become strong (and hopefully fluent) speakers.
I have been teaching French for many years, to students of widely-varied backgrounds, learning experiences, skill levels, etc. One of the most challenging, yet rewarding, aspects of teaching is getting everyone “on the same page,” so to speak. I believe that the methods I have described here are highly effective in achieving my goal of creating an effective learning experience for my students, both in and out of the classroom. Seeing students become truly motivated, and really enjoy using and improving their French, is what makes me, in turn, feel motivated as a teacher. The rewards gained by overcoming challenges, and seeing those “light bulb moments,” (when I see that they really “get it”) are what make me love being a French teacher.