CPFMagazine_FALL2017_Vol5Issue1_eVERSION
A national network of volunteers, parents and stakeholders who value French as an integral part of Canada. CPF Magazine is dedicated to the promotion and creation of French-second-language learning opportunities for young Canadians.
A national network of volunteers, parents and stakeholders who value French as an integral part of Canada. CPF Magazine is dedicated to the promotion and creation of French-second-language learning opportunities for young Canadians.
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genuinely cares about you as a student. It’s the little things like<br />
her saying ‘good morning’ when she sees you in the hallways.<br />
Even when someone’s struggling in class and having a difficult<br />
time she never gives up on us! I can honestly say a lot of<br />
my peers respect Ms. Gromko. This is the first year where I<br />
truly felt I learned a lot in French class, and it’s all thanks<br />
to Ms. Gromko!”<br />
Kimberly Gromko<br />
Quebec<br />
Kimberly Gromko works in Pointe-Claire, QC and teaches French<br />
at Lindsay Place High School. Her career has spanned well over<br />
20 years and includes teaching tenures at the elementary, high<br />
school and university levels.<br />
Kimberly Gromko completed a Bachelor of Education at<br />
McGill University and has gone on to complete her Masters at<br />
the Université de Sherbrooke in Quebec.<br />
How did you choose teaching?<br />
How did you choose FSL education?<br />
My parents moved around between Quebec and Ontario a lot<br />
when I was growing up. Once we settled in Montreal’s East End<br />
my parents enrolled me and my sister into French – a decision<br />
that proved to be very beneficial for me, not only culturally but<br />
professionally as well.<br />
Being bilingual has afforded me a lot of amazing<br />
opportunities throughout my life and is what inspired me to<br />
become a FSL teacher. Being an Anglophone who decided to<br />
learn French by choice makes me an example to the students<br />
I work with. I want them to see what French has done for me<br />
and know that it can do the same for them too!<br />
What is your biggest challenge?<br />
I would have to say my biggest challenge is finding authentic<br />
situations in which the students can speak French. Full<br />
immersion in real life scenarios is the best way to learn<br />
and retain a new language, and is one of the reasons I try<br />
to facilitate learning opportunities outside the classroom.<br />
Ultimately though, this type of approach, while effective,<br />
can be challenging because of tight schedules and<br />
conflicting timetables.<br />
What would your students say about you?<br />
Ms. Gromko put one of her high school students, Sarim, on<br />
the phone. The student stated “She is the kind of teacher that<br />
What new projects or ideas do you want to implement next?<br />
What do you want to achieve?<br />
Textbook teaching isn’t the only way to learn French as a second<br />
language! I’m all about thinking outside the box. I want the<br />
students to be passionate about learning French, so next year,<br />
I will be implementing a new approach that allows students<br />
to demonstrate their reading, writing and oral competence by<br />
showcasing it through something that interests them, whether<br />
that might be science, math or art!<br />
If you could wave a magic wand and bring one improvement<br />
to the FSL program, what would that be?<br />
I would like to see learning be a student-led and -directed effort<br />
with teachers facilitating in the process. I think we need to<br />
trust our students more. They are amazing individuals and can<br />
accomplish wonderful things when given the proper supports<br />
and opportunity to do so! n<br />
5 weeks French immersion including<br />
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6 Canadian Parents for French Vol 5 • Issue 1 • 2017