Teacher Feature: Madame Field

     I decided to write a teacher spotlight article, and when I think of a teacher who deserves that time to shine, there is one person who comes to mind: Madame Field. She is one of the most amazing people I have come to know, and I'm so grateful to have her as a teacher. She is effervescent and always puts a smile on people's faces, and she takes the time and energy to truly get to know her students and be there for them. Through her love of TikTok dances and energy drinks, she forms connections and makes her students’ days just a little bit more enjoyable. She never fails to make me laugh, no matter what kind of day I'm having, and I can guarantee that is the same for my fellow students. I know all of us at Hoggard deeply appreciate her, and not just for her personality. She is a remarkable teacher who somehow turns even the toughest lessons into engaging ones. She strives to teach her students in the best way possible so that they may be successful, whether that’s in French or just life in general. I sat down with her to ask her some questions about her career and her experiences as a teacher, and here is what I received:

What made you start teaching? 

“I wanted to share the French language and culture in this country, I thought students and Americans in general have a lack of knowledge of other cultures. I think people need to see that there is something other than the US; there are other people out there. I also wanted to show them that French is not only part of France, it is also part of Canada, Africa, and other parts of Europe; it's a bigger entity than just France. French is much bigger than that.”

Did you always want to teach? 

“I did not. I wanted to be a journalist. I ended up teaching because when my children were little, they took AP French and I started helping them, and that gave me an idea. I started by teaching kids at the Children's Museum downtown, and then I taught French to Marines at Camp Lejeune. I switched to high school because I thought it would be more regular, since Marines were not there all the time.”

What do you enjoy about teaching?

“The students, having a relationship with the students. And when they get it, when I can see after 4 years, they can speak for 15 minutes in French and have a conversation, it makes me feel very proud and grateful that they can do that, and they have worked so hard.”

What is the most challenging part of your job? 

“THE STUDENTS! The students, because sometimes they don't try enough, and I wish they would spend more time on it, because they don't realize the chance they have to learn. Learning another language is amazing on all levels, it teaches you culture, and it ‘opens’ your brain. You learn better English with it because a lot of languages have relationships with English. I think speaking a second language is an advantage and a gift; it's amazing. And it's easy to learn at your age; when you're older, it is much, much harder. And not everyone realizes the chance they have, that gift, that they could embrace and excel at.”

What is your favorite thing to do with your students?

“Communicate and build relationships with them. And, of course, make TikToks!”

Why/how do you take the time to make meaningful connections with your students? 

“Number one, I think it's very important to have a connection, because if the student doesn't like the teacher, they won't put in any effort. Number two, if there is zero connection, they won't understand what they are learning. People will say, ‘I hate math’ and then the next thing they say is ‘I hate my teacher.’ If you hate the teacher, it makes it harder to learn.”

What do you hope students remember most from your class? 

“The French that I teach them. Like later in life, when they come back to see me or they email me and say they’ve been to France and they were able to have a conversation with a taxi driver, or when they go to college and test really high in French, they realize that taking French in high school was actually really helpful to them.”

What is the best lesson teaching has taught you? 

“To understand that not everyone has the same abilities, so you have to be able to differentiate and adapt.”

How do you stay motivated throughout the school year? 

“Seeing my kids succeed and do well makes me want to do more.”

What is a fun fact most students don’t know about you? 

“I grew up in Africa, and I was one of the only non-African kids in the class.”

If you weren’t a teacher, what career would you have? 

“I'd be a doctor, any kind of doctor, Dr. Field.”