Ashley Pfannenstein Philosophy of Teaching Throughout my many years of being a student I have come to the conclusion that there

are two types of teachers: the ones who love what they do and thus motivate the students, and the ones who become complacent leaving students bored and intellectually frustrated. As a French student in High School, I was excited to go to class because my teacher was passionate about the subject and this passion was reflected in her teaching. She planned numerous activities, catering to our different learning styles, while still making sure that each task had a purpose and connection to authentic French culture. Because she made the class so fascinating, I didnt realize how much I was learning and that what I was learning related to other core classes being cross-disciplinary. I look forward to being the teacher who turns a students boring day at school into a rewarding experience by making the information relevant and meaningful, binding the language with culture, and effectively incorporating technology and activities. One of the key elements for a successful foreign language classroom is being able to make the information relevant and interesting for students. The more students relate to the vocabulary and content, the easier it will be to remember. One of the most useful tactic is the use of Total Physical Response to bind information. As students take quizzes, I frequently see them going through the learned TPR motions to recall certain verbs and vocabulary. Everytime I see students using TPR I predict that their test scores are rising. While learning TPR is important, so is being an animated teacher when introducing new material. One cannot stand in front of a classroom and speak French to English speaking students and expect them to understand without additional support. Role playing stories about French history and culture by using animated actions and expressions to explain concepts also aids students comprehension. All this is done through the use of the target language.

In addition to making French comprehensive to learners, I strive to promote cross cultural understanding between Francophone countries the students in the United States. Integrating authentic French artifacts helps students achieve unique perspectives about French culture. Also through the implementation of cultural scenarios, each student learns new content, grammar, and vocabulary in context. For example as a culminating experience, the verbs associated with eating and drinking and learning French dining routines, I hold a French dinner where we practice the way a French person dines. Learners love experiencing, firsthand, the culturally unique aspects of manners, courtesies, and faux pas. One cannot be successful learning languages without understanding and appreciating the culture as well. Neither is complete without the other. I believe being an animated, passionate, and creative teachers are qualities that ensure students interest and involvement. Because technology plays such an important role in students live both in and out of the classroom, it can be an effective tool to get students involved. I have found interactive SMARTBOARD activities where students are able to interact with the different activities engage them then times more than any worksheet would. They like to be kinetic and get their blood flowing, so any activity that promotes movement or competition between the students is effective in the classroom. I look forward to being the teacher who influences students to love the language as much as I do by ways of simplifying lessons yet packing them full of meaning. I aim for the students to look forward to coming to class because they will find meaning and relevance in their learning of the language and culture. My creating a positive, comfortable, and fun learning environment will promote learning and involvement where I will see my students excel at learning a new language.