I integrate diverse perspectives and topics in my curriculum design and aim to build the classroom community through student engagement with speakers outside the classroom. I enjoy exploring interdisciplinary connections through exposure to diverse voices and fields of interest in French, including environmental issues, human rights, and the industries of fashion, music, and dance performance.

I also optimize experiential learning through real-world interactions inside and outside of the classroom. After discovering the rich cultural presence of French-speaking immigrant communities in Boston and the surrounding areas, I have integrated Community Engagement Scholarship into the curriculum for my intermediate and advanced French language courses. Ernest L. Boyer describes this methodology as essentially connecting academic and civic cultures in an effort to“enlarge the universe of human discourse and [enrich] the quality of life for all of us.”For example, students in my French 20 course develop their final project around a cultural experience that involves participation in an activity of their choice with a local Francophone community. Activities range from Senegalese dance classes to learning Haitian culture and Creole language at the Everett Haitian Community Center. In order to bring Francophone guest artists, musicians, and dancers into the classroom to engage with the students, I have been awarded the Elson Family Arts Initiative Fund to support the integration of arts into the Harvard French language curriculum annually since 2020.

Roles

• Course head for French 20: Francophone Culture in Local Communities
• French 50: Justice, Equity, Rights, and Language
• French 62: Exploring Sustainable Practices in French Industry—Fashion, Cuisine, and Music