2012 Issue - Ontario Modern Language Teachers

The First
Five Years
e
Classroom Management
Strategies
The classroom can be a busy place with
students who are uninterested in learning.
This lack of interest leads to negative
attitude and unwelcome behaviour.
The key to their success is for them
to both enjoy the subject and want to
learn. As a teacher, I must then compete
against entertaining and powerful
mediums such as television and computer
games. I need to make it fun. The
following ideas are things I have used to
keep the students’ interest.
I am a Core, Pre-Intensive, Intensive and
Post-Intensive French Teacher in a small
school called St Joseph, the small school
with a big heart, in Toledo, Ontario. I
teach all the classes in the school from
Kindergarten to Grade 7. I use one
strategy with my grade 1 and 2/3 and a
different one with my grade 3/4, 4/5, 6
and 7.
The first strategy is using songs, finger
songs, and those with gestures. I teach
them the Quebec sign language at the
same time. Children at this level often
love to sing. Singing has several positive
effects on the children. First, it
releases the energy they have inside
them, thus it may reduce their desire to
talk later in class. The nature of singing
in French also helps them learn a second
language. The other component in my
teaching through songs is using sign
language at the same time. The sign
language is a tool for them to learn the
language. The students learn the Quebec
sign language used in Quebec and
they find it fun to use the signs as well.
The students use the visual of a sign and
it helps them to remember the French
word. These methods work as they ascribe
to the multiple intelligence model.
To finish the class if time permits, we
play games, such as 7up and 10. In both
of these games, students communicate
with each other in a fun way or practice
their numbers.
The second strategy I use is using checkmarks
or points. I have a list of students
for each classroom (3/4, 4/5, 6 and
7). I give points to my students if they
speak to me in French before the class,
in the class, hallways or in the yard.
For example, when I have morning bus
duty, I greet each student in French as
they get off the bus and they respond
back to me in French. After they get five
checkmarks, they get a sticker and after
five stickers they get a prize. I am impressed
how often students without help
would say something to me throughout
the day in French. Some days weaker
students will come up to me, point
to something, and ask how to say it
in French. I would then tell them the
translation and the students would say a
sentence of some kind to me about it. I
would then tell them in French they get
one point. Throughout this teachable
moment their faces are lit up with enthusiasm.
Students can see that French
is not just spoken in the classroom.
Lastly, at the end of the week I have
raffles for the classes depending on the
students’ behaviour such as showing
respect to one another, working well,
and participation in class. In this raffle
all students’ names are in a box and
one name is drawn for a prize. These
prizes are usually larger than those I
give out for the point system. Some
unique prizes include things I find from
my travels, such as France (my country
of origin). The students are told that
respect is given both ways. They learn
that if they give I will give.
At school all levels of students now
come to me speaking French throughout
the day using signs to remember words
or asking me in French how to say it. In
the classroom students are encouraged
to listen to each other with respect and
finish each week with a strong work
ethic. Competing against the attention
grabbing power of TV and computers
will always be there, that is our reality.
But through a reward strategy I have
found that I have created a positive
teaching environment at school in which
students want to learn, participate and
even have some fun.
By Claudine Fenard
Take It And Make
It Yours
e
How the CEFR Has
Impacted my Classroom
More and more French teachers are
beginning to bring the principles of the
CEFR into their classrooms. Here are
the experiences of two Core French
teachers from Durham DSB’s “CEFR in
Action” group of pioneering educators
who have now made the CEFR a regular
part of their daily teaching.
“I used to faithfully utilize the teacher’s
resource guide in order to plan and
orchestrate my Core French lessons.
Now, since I have learned about the
principles of CEFR, I have made a shift
in my teaching practices and philosophy.
When I now plan my lessons, I ask
myself:
• How am I going to maximize the
amount of time students are speaking
in French?
• How can I implement lessons that are
authentic and/or action-oriented?
• How am I able to motivate my
students to learn?
Since I have implemented the principles
of CEFR, I have seen an increase in student
talk, motivation and enthusiasm.
In fact, one of my grade 6 students who
has consistently demonstrated a lack
of enthusiasm for learning, not only in
French, jumped out of his seat as we
began examining fast-food menus on the
Internet in French. He was so eager to
share his food selections and converse
with his peers in French! This was a
huge breakthrough for that student, not
to mention for me as an experienced
teacher!
The Internet has in large part been one
of my most valuable resources. Some
sample activities have included texting
with a friend, bringing in and describing
family photos, creating a new attraction
for the Carnaval de Québec and ordering
a meal in a restaurant. As a result of
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