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Meet a Secondary School French Teacher
- maryhartley19
- Nov 10
- 3 min read
Name: Anonymous
Degree: Modern Languages at the University of Exeter
How did you spend your Year Abroad?
I spent most of my time in France as an English Language Teaching Assistant where I would help students develop their speaking skills in English. As I was living in a less touristy area of France it was also great opportunity for me to develop my French speaking skills!
Briefly outline your journey from graduation to now.
After graduation I completed a grad scheme in France for a Anglo-Franco tourism company. I then stayed on in the same company in the marketing department for a few years before moving back to the UK.
What is your current job?
I now work in as a French secondary school teacher.
What does your current job involve day to day?
Everyday, I meet with my form and then teach a range of lessons from Year 7 - Year 13. When I am not teaching I am planning or marking for future lessons, completing professional development training or in meetings with the department. I spend most of my day in the classroom. The days are very busy so they tend to go by very quickly and any catch ups with colleagues tend to happen at the same time as walking to something else!
What do you enjoy most about your job?
It is incredibly satisfying to look around the classroom after years of teaching the same students and realising that what these students now know is of course down to their hard work but also because of what you have taught them! The relationships you build and the impact you can have in a child’s life are so rewarding. It is truly a privilege to be a teacher!
What advice would you give to someone interested in this job?
Write down the reasons that you want to be a teacher and remind yourself of them when times get tough! Keep a log of all the hilarious things that happen (there will be plenty). Be prepared for your work-life balance to be very heavily skewed in favour of work at least for the first few years. After completing your training remember that not all schools are made equal! Figure out what is important to YOU and your day to day life in a school then apply to those kinds of schools. Teaching experience varies so much and it’s often due to the school environment so consider this carefully.
How has your languages degree been useful during your career so far?
In both marketing and teaching I use(d) it every day! I loved that just being able to speak French meant I was able to complete a European Grad Scheme and live abroad for several years. It’s not always easy to live and work in a foreign language and this experience not only allowed me to develop my language skills but in this also increased my understanding of what it is like to not be able to communicate fully and how frustrating that can be. It made me reflect on how I communicate with people in general. Small things can also become a huge crisis in a foreign country such as needing to see a doctor or navigating opening a French bank account! My tolerance for uncomfortable situations and independence greatly increased during this time.
Do you use or practise your languages outside of work?
I sometimes listen to French music and watch French TV shows.
Thanks very much to this teacher for sharing their journey!
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