The Grand Experiment: Speaking a Non-Native Language with Children

September 16, 2013 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning, Reflections on Parenting, Teaching French

As an American who was raised monolingual, speaking French to my children requires an ongoing mental effort. Admittedly, I taught French to middle and high school students for several years, but when my first child was born, I still had doubts about my ability to speak French consistently. I am a fluent French speaker (you can find more about how I learned French here), but since it is not my native language, there are plenty of gaps in my knowledge.

Responding to the Messages of September 11th

September 12, 2013 by Michele Cherie in International Exchange, Teaching French

Twelve years have passed since the attacks of September 11th, 2001. At the time, my now-husband and I were students working towards our Master's in Teaching degree. When we began teaching the following year, September 11th was a day of mourning marked by a moment of classroom silence, then discussion. Today's high school students no longer remember September 11th firsthand--they were too young. (It's eye-opening to see how quickly collective memory begins to disappear.) But the questions of that autumn day can still be taught: Why our nation was targeted. Why America is not loved by everyone outside her borders. And equally important, how people responded--and how we ought to respond to those who wound and scar us.

A Shelf to Keep your Home Decluttered

September 05, 2013 by Michele Cherie in Home Management

Our laundry room holds a simple secret that keeps our home clutter-free: a shelf with several baskets. Here's how each basket maintains order:

* Return basket: Corrals merchandise that needs to be returned to stores and items to return to friends (like borrowed books and food containers). If you cover the basket's label with clear packing tape, you can use a dry erase marker to remind yourself of the stores you need to revisit.

5 Refreshing Tips for Introverted Moms

September 04, 2013 by Michele Cherie in Contentment, Home Management, Reflections on Parenting

Until I read Quiet, I thought introversion was a negative trait. After all, I'm an introvert who has learned that extroverted cheerfulness is one of the best ways to make new friends. I admire people with extroverted personalities (like my husband) because they can quickly express thoughts that take me longer to formulate into words. But Quiet changed my perspective. Author Susan Cain's commentary helped me realize that being introverted is a gift even though it is not often recognized as such by the culture around us.

A Little Girl's View of Paris: OliveUs Films

September 03, 2013 by Michele Cherie in French Resources, French Language Learning

Have you seen an OliveUs film yet? Ben and Gabrielle Blair (of DesignMom fame) together with Tiger in a Jar productions have created three seasons of adorable short films featuring their six children. The episodes are filmed in France and are mostly under three minutes in length. I love watching them because of their sweetness, and the French settings are so idyllic.

Growth and Contentment: My Hopes for You

August 25, 2013 by Michele Cherie in Contentment, Reflections on Parenting, Teaching French

I live in Oregon, on the outskirts of a city where there's a scattering of cedar trees native only to this area. Most of the cedars here have grown for over a century, adding growth rings as farmhouses and cookie-cutter housing tracts were built around them. Years ago, I moved into one of those cedar-lined neighborhoods as a newlywed. At the time, I didn't appreciate our house--I'd envisioned something larger, sunnier, and certainly not an hour's drive from my workplace as a French teacher. But it was near the job my husband loved, and he'd purchased it just before we'd gotten engaged. Moving to a point halfway between our workplaces still would have required a moderate commute for both of us. So instead of moving, we agreed that I would leave my teaching position at the end of that year.