CPFMagazine SPRING 2018 Vol5 Issue2

Amanda Culver
Saskatchewan
When interviewed, Ms. Culver was
teaching French immersion at Walter
Murray Collegiate in Saskatoon, SK.
Ms. Culver, a former core French
student herself, grew up in Ontario
and went on to graduate from the
University of Windsor with a double
major in Math and French. Since the
Fall, she has been instructing Grade
4/5 immersion at Marigold Middle
School in Victoria, BC.
?
What is the most satisfying
aspect of your work as
a core/ intensive French
teacher?
Seeing it “click”. Watching my students
take what they’ve learnt in the classroom
and apply it outside – that is what
indicates to me that I’m on the right
track. Further to that, it’s the moments
they come back and tell me how learning
French has enriched their day-to-day
experiences and their enthusiasm when
they realize the benefits being bilingual
truly brings!
?
What new projects or ideas
do you want to implement
next?
I recently got my AP French certification
and would like to incorporate some of
what I’ve learned into the classroom.
I hope to do a lot more work with the
AIM curriculum and delve deeper in my
professional development as an educator
– I recognize that constantly educating
myself makes me a better teacher and
example to my students.
?
What do you want to
achieve?
I would like to see more aspects of French
culture brought into the classroom. I
help organize a French film festival and
feel giving students the opportunity to
participate in cultural experiences first
hand, would be a great way to engage
more directly with Canada’s French
heritage.
?
What do your colleagues or
your students’ parents say
about you?
‘She’s everywhere!’ – I do a lot of
extracurricular activities and am very
much involved in my community as well
as in the lives of my students. Teaching,
for me, doesn’t just stop when my
students leave the classroom. I try to be
engaged and in touch with my community
as much as possible.
?
When do you know
you reached a success
milestone?
I believe it ultimately comes down to
seeing the students use what they’ve
learnt in the classroom in the real world –
watching them make connections outside
the four walls of the classroom is when I
know I’ve been successful!
?
If you could wave a magic
wand and bring one
improvement to the core/
intensive French program,
what would that be?
Seeing more of an effort placed on
bringing French culture into the classroom
– even for students not studying
French. It’s one of Canada’s official first
languages, and an opportunity everyone
should be able to experience. n
Helen Malandrakis
Manitoba
Helen Malandrakis teaches at
Clearspring Middle School in Steinbach,
Manitoba where she is also currently
the Team Leader for the French
Department. Throughout her career,
she has taught core French
(Communication and Culture in
Manitoba) from Grade 5 through 12 as
well as French immersion and Adult
Education. Alongside her teaching,
Helen has also authored and published
a collection of short stories en français
which she uses in her own classroom
to increase student engagement,
promote literacy, and facilitate learning.
This year she will celebrate 24 years
of teaching excellence!
?
How did you choose
teaching?
Teaching chose me – I always loved school,
even from an early age but it wasn’t until
grade 12 that I made up my mind as to
what I wanted to teach. I was lucky to
have had one of the best French teachers
one could ever imagine. It was he who
inspired me to pursue my goals as a French
second language teacher. From a linguistic
and teaching perspective, he was a role
model for me, and I wanted to be that for
someone else.
4 CPF MAGAZINE SPRING 2018