teacher5etoiles

by Lorie-Anne Ouellet, proud member of #teacher5etoiles squad

I love creating educational materials. However, between correction, planning, meetings, and all the related tasks of a French Immersion teacher, the reality is that there is not enough time. Luckily, there are some great teachers out there who share their creations on social media for the benefit of all! So here are 11 elementary French immersion teachers that I especially appreciate following on Instagram.

@yvette.rossignol.resources

Yvette Rossignol is a retired teacher after 32 years (congratulations!). She continues to share her passion and create materials for elementary French immersion teachers.

@Creative.kids.co

Sophia, owner of this account, is an early French immersion teacher in British Columbia. On her Instagram account, there are lots of ideas for using art in the classroom, as well as suggestions for children’s books. Her activities are colorful and engaging for students.  For the little ones, this is the page to follow! 

@Ouimadamewee

This teacher is one of the most entertaining on Instagram! Since she started creating “reel” (videos), she is unstoppable! She makes us cry with laughter by the way she shares the realities of our profession. Her posts and stories are always appreciated, they make you feel good and often give you a good laugh. She knows how to play down situations while getting her message across! 

@mme.stairs 

I love this teacher’s Instagram account: she alternates between a photo and a visual featuring an activity. She has created engaging resources to use both online or at school. Younger children can also learn and practice writing and reading well with dynamic and colorful activities on their screen.

@Mme.mcintosh

A grade 3 French immersion teacher in Ottawa, this teacher offers a multitude of resources covering a majority of school subjects to engage kids while having fun. On Instagram, she shares a little bit of everything: literary suggestions, art projects, math activities, and more.

@mmemackenzieclassroom

I recently discovered this dynamic young teacher who teaches French immersion (programme Français+) in Montreal in grade 3. On Instagram, she shares her daily life as a teacher and the activities she does in class with her students. I discovered her task cards on emotions and her grammar activity on the noun group which are really too cute and practical.

@frenchfrenzytpt

This elementary French immersion teacher offers a ton of information, tips, and activities, both on her Instagram account and on her blog. I love her ideas for working on reading and writing, from writing tic-tac-toe to literature circles. Students’s needs are at the heart of her activities.

Through her publications, we can see that she is a teacher involved in the feminist cause and in inclusion and representation in the classroom. Another good reason to follow her!

@Fleavecmmd

Ms. D. is a dedicated teacher who is involved in the fight against racism. It is important to her to advocate for the representation of all nationalities in the classroom. It is all about what we talk about with our students and what we present to them. She is a very inspiring teacher to follow on a daily basis in order to educate ourselves and our students well in the future. Her resources are valuable and necessary, in addition to being of great quality.

@french.with.elise

Being a traveler myself, I love to follow Elise, this teacher from France. She makes us discover her country and the French-speaking world through several enriching and dynamic activities, in addition to making us travel around the world through her numerous trips from France.

@Parfaitementparnell

This teacher was one of the first Instagram account I subscribed to when I created my own professional teaching account. Especially known for her pedagogical projects, she also shares teaching strategies, as well as various activities with different themes. 

@Mmemarissa

A Grade 2 and 3 French immersion teacher in British Columbia, she shares a multitude of dynamic activities to engage students in their French learning. Her verb and vocabulary activities are particularly popular in the teaching community.

Her front-page spreads are organized by subject and by tip. Finally, her reels that deal with the reality of French immersion teachers are hilarious and add a touch of humor to our Instagram feed. A wonderful account and teacher to discover!

I’ll stop here. There are so many other French immersion teachers to follow on Instagram! I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to become a member of the Facebook group J’enseigne en immersion française, which is made up of a community of teachers from across Canada!

Did you know that April 23 is World Book and Copyright Day? This day allows us to recognize the importance of reading, but also the richness of those who create worlds. Learning French as a second language means opening up to another culture. Reading is a great way to explore it while practicing your French!

Back in January, we ran a contest on our Facebook and Instagram pages asking our followers for their literary favorites. So we thought we’d gather them here to inspire you!

1. Flash, ou le Grand Voyage by Charles Duchaussois

This story, originally published in 1971, is an autobiography of the author recounting a trip to Kathmandu, Nepal. In this place known for the high presence of drugs, he plunges into drug addiction until he reaches the threshold of madness.

---

2. Chroniques de jeunesse by Guy Delisle

Combining history with autobiography, this strip cartoon recounts the author’s memories of his experience as a worker at his father’s pulp and paper mill. This funny and touching story paints a portrait of the working class environment, but also of the author’s formative years as an artist.  

---

3. 2084 by Boualem Sansa 

A contemporary novel whose author imagines a world where the system is based on amnesia and submission to the single god. Any personal thought is banned, an omnipresent surveillance system allows to know the deviant ideas and acts.  

---

4. Folle by Nelly Arcan 

After the success of her novel Putain, the late author becomes her own character in this story tinged with despair. Nelly Arcan writes a letter to the man who left her. Conquest, abandonment, desire, cyber-sex and coke. She evokes the madness surrounding love, jealousy and the planetary dictatorship of the image.  

---

5. Le Sablier by Édith Blais  

This true story recounts the terrible adventure of Edith Blais, a Quebec woman captured in Africa in 2019 and held captive in the desert for 15 months. Her story, interspersed with poems written during her captivity, answers all the questions that everyone has about what happened during this long period.   

---

6. Culottées : des femmes qui ne font que ce qu’elles veulent by Pénélope Bagieu 

This feminist comic book, presented in two volumes, presents more than fifteen portraits of women who have invented their destiny.  

---

---

7. Shuni by Naomi Fontaine 

In the form of a letter, the author, Naomi Fontaine, recounts her memories, her history within her Innu community. She takes the opportunity to address her son and tells of the doubt that hangs over the heart and mind of the colonized. 

 
Please note that all descriptions are inspired by the website Les Libraires.  

 
Enjoy your reading!

---

Other readings that might interest you:

4 series not to be missed if you want to practice your French

4 French-speaking countries to visit to practice your French

I am a French as a Second Language teacher by training and I am passionate about children’s literature. I always try to pass on this passion to my students. It was during my first teaching internship, in a foster class, that I really understood the power of books on learning a new language.

In this article, I present five of my favorite books for your French immersion students in grades 1 to 6, along with some ideas for teaching.

1. Gâteau aux pommes

Author : Dawn Casey
Publishing company : La pastèque
Illustrator : Geneviève Godbout

This is the story of a little girl and her dog who go in search of the ingredients to make a cake. They celebrate nature and thank her for what she offers. There are very few words, but the message is big and beautiful. And what about the illustrations!

With your students, practice giving thanks for the little things in life. It’s so simple and caring!

---

2. L’arbre des souhaits

Author: Kyo Maclear
Publishing company : Scholastic
Illustrator : Chris Turnham

This is the story of Charles who goes in search of the wish tree with his toboggan. On the way, he meets different animals to whom he does favors and who help him in return. His adventure is full of kindness: we see the power of mutual aid and kindness.

This is an absolutely beautiful book that students really enjoy. They can understand the story well because of the many repetitions and simple vocabulary (in addition to the beautiful illustrations!).

In the classroom, this album can be used in a variety of ways and for different subjects:

• Ask students to formulate a wish (I wish/ I would like) with a focus on an intention.
• Their wishes can be posted in the classroom afterwards.
• Make a wish tree, individually or collectively, with leaves containing wishes.
• Discuss the theme of winter and discover new vocabulary.
• Discover the habits of animals during this season (the bear hibernating, the squirrel stocking up, etc.).

In short, a complete scrapbook to have fun with! To check out the project I did with my students, visit my Instagram account!

---

3. Au cœur des mots

Author and illustrator: Kate Jane Neal
Publisher: Scholastic

This album highlights the power of words. They can be used to do beautiful things, but they can be hurtful and cause harm. This is a must-have album in a classroom. It can be used as a primer for a discussion about bullying, as well as to address manners and respect for others.

Personally, after reading the book, I asked my students to write words and short sentences that are comforting and kind. Then, they shared them with the other students in the class. We ended with a great discussion about the impact of our words by reflecting on these two questions: How do you feel when you say or receive a kind word? How do you feel when you say or receive a mean word?

A good way to work on empathy!

---

Are you interested in the activities? It’s here and it’s free:

• Document by Cactus&Chocolat

• Document by Grandir en français

---

4. Sergent Billy – La vraie histoire du chevreau devenu soldat

Author : Mireille Messier
Publisher : Isatis
Illustrator : Kass Reich

Sergeant Billy is the TRUE story of a young goat who REALLY became a soldier in the 5th Battalion of the Canadian Armed Forces during the First World War. The album begins with a photo of him taken in Regina when he returned from the war in 1919.

This book allows students to discover an inspiring fact about the history of our Canadian army. It can be a great addition to a social studies class.

For the French class, I found a complete pedagogical sheet, produced by the publisher Isatis, on the author’s website.

Although it is based on the competencies of the Quebec Education Program, it can be built upon and adapted for the needs of teachers in all provinces.

---

The albums of the collection « De petite à grande » ou « De petit à grand » in French

Author : Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara (16 albums) & Lisbeth Kaiser (1 album)
Publishing house: La courte échelle
Illustrator : Various illustrators

The Courte échelle catalog currently includes 17 documentary albums from the De petit.e à grand.e collection that have been translated into French. They allow us to discover the inspiring journey of women and men who had to fight to live their dreams. They include scientists, artists, activists, adventurers, writers, painters and more. A wide variety of role models for everyone!

The books in this series are real favorites. We get to know each personality from childhood to adulthood, and understand the motivations behind each of their actions. Each of them has contributed to building a better world! The reading of these albums can lead to great discussions and reflections with the children: What makes you special? What are your dreams? What would you like to do in the future? What would you like to accomplish?

The books can also be used as a primer for a research project on an inspirational person, or students can be asked to summarize the information by creating a poster. Biographical text can also be introduced using the biographical cards that complete each album. I also like to draw a psychological portrait of the personalities, based on the story read. This allows students to discover new words and to work on the description (she is persevering, determined, courageous, committed, etc.).

Enjoy your discovery!

Other readings that might interest you:

7 suggestions de romans à dévorer pour pratiquer son français

3 French songs to play in your French immersion class