My Steps So Far

What I've Done

This obviously wasn't a decision I made overnight. As I might have said in a previous post, I've wanted to be a teacher for a long time, but I want to take you through some of the steps I've taken to start my journey; this time one in particular, my Explore program experience.

So, as you should know if you've been following along, I am going to have my major first teachable in French. I love the language; it is romantic, expressive, and just fun in general. It's actually amazing in a way that I decided to go into French. I was never in any point of my life in French Immersion School, nor did I have parents who spoke it at home. I didn't have any close family member who spoke it as a matter of fact.


I started French a year early in elementary school due to the fact that I was in a grade 3/4 split class. Although it would not count for anything, we were still expected to participate. Throughout elementary school we didn't have much of a learning experience. French class was a joke; like a second recess really. The most we ever learned was passé composé with avoir only.

It is lucky to say that gratefully when I went into grade 9, the French teachers basically assumed you knew nothing. Despite this fact, I had an irrational fear of going to French class. My French teacher from elementary school installed a fear. She'd say that when we get to grade 9, the teachers will only speak French and expect you to only speak French to them. It essentially said to me that I was going there to fail.

Now, I'm a bit of an over achiever. If I have a grade below an 80, I'm crying my eyes out feeling like I might as well have gotten a 0. Yes, I do realize the pros and cons of being this way, but It's me and I can't help it. But with this in my mind, it made me utterly afraid of going to French class. But thankfully that wasn't the case.

I am very thankful to have gone to a school where there are many nice teachers that are very caring and passionate about what they do. My grade 9 French teacher was a very enthusiastic person who made French class one of my favourite classes of all time. I also had this same person as my grade 11 and 12 French teacher. I think it is safe to say that she was the one who sparked my love for the language and encourages me on a daily basis to keep going with it.

So, because of my new found love for this language, I started doing some research, and then I plainly decided that I wanted to be a French teacher myself. But I had one issue... I wasn't really good at it. I couldn't speak, and I couldn't make it flow like how it should. So I had to look for a way to improve it, without leaving to do a student exchange (my parent's didn't like the idea of me going to another county where I have never been to one before.) So that is when I found the Explore program.

Both of my French teacher in high school did the Explore program, and they saw my passion and encouraged me to do this government funded bursary program for 5 weeks of intensive immersion in the French language. So, this past summer (summer of 2013) I went to Gaspé Quebec. My oh my, if you get me talking about this amazing place, sometimes it can be hard to shut me up. I went there with 21 percent fluency... I was worse than I thought. But with the great group of people, the fantastic
councilors and teachers, engaging activities, and picturesque town, it made the experience so much fun. And not to mention I doubled my fluency level, to 42.

The result of this amazing journey has given me so much more confidence and has made me so much more successful in pursuing my French career.

From my journey to yours,
Amber :)

This time the photos are from my own :)