French read-aloud activities are an excellent way to build both language skills and content knowledge in a secondary language classroom. By using read-alouds with strategically selected tasks afterwards, teachers can help their students develop important skills such as inference, synthesis, and analysis. Whether you are reading a French novel or completing a reading comprehension activity, […]
Middle and high school teaching
No-prep French listening activity
Want a fun no-prep French listening activity to get students up and moving during la rentrée? We need to get students back to speaking and listening in French. The movement of this activity is great for keeping students engaged! During la rentrée (and all throughout the year) 4 corners is my favorite activity! You can […]
Tips for teaching a mixed level French class
Are you teaching a mixed level French class? Do you feel like you’re struggling to teach all levels? Do you feel like you’re cramming two (or more) lesson plans into one class period? You’re not alone! A lot of foreign language teachers find themselves in exactly this position, and it can be really scary, tiring, […]
Distance learning for French classes
We are just starting up our second week of distance learning. As a mom, it’s been interesting. We have these cute cat assistants who don’t understand when school is in session, my dining room table has been taken over by math books, manipulatives and graphic organizers, and we are already struggling to complete work on […]
Teaching the passé composé
Teaching the passé composé is one of my favorite French units. There is so much to cover, but suddenly, students are not stuck in the present tense. It really opens up what we can talk about with our students. As they learn the passé composé, I sense a certain relief when they find more freedom […]
10 French songs for fall
C’est l’automne ! These French songs for fall are a fun way to bring some seasonal vocabulary into your classroom this autumn. Below, you’ll find a list of songs with links to some of my favorite fall-themed chansons to use in your French class. Just click any link to find the video at Youtube. These […]
Students with slow processing speed
I’m Mom to a little one at home who is very bright. He understands things well, remembers everything with such clarity, and scores very high on assignments and even standardized tests. He is also so much slower than the other kids. It takes so much longer for him to get work done. He needs directions […]
Teaching with anxiety
Teachers have a tendency to worry a bit much, to work too hard, to plan too much, to want everything to be just right. Everyone gets a little worried sometimes. We all have things that stress us out, and this is a normal biological response. For some of us, though, that stress never goes away, because […]
French songs for secondary students and teachers
It’s la rentrée so I thought it might be time to share more of my favorite French songs! Starting back to school is exciting, because it’s a fresh start, but it’s also really challenging, because it means starting all over again. Having new French students in your class means teaching classroom expectations, learning names, creating […]
French task card Scoot game
Need a fun way to help your French students retain information and review their concepts? Have you tried task cards? You can use them at learning centers in your French classroom, give them to fast finishers, or play a game of Scoot! Scoot is a really fun game that has been a long-time favorite in […]
