My background

I fell in love with French and Spanish in high school and have spent my entire professional life sharing my enthusiasm for these two beautiful languages with students in the classroom, in tutoring sessions, and while traveling with students in Europe. After finishing my formal education (BA Comparative Literature from Brown University and MA in French from University of Illinois, Chicago) I spent 12 years teaching all levels of French at two private high schools in Oakland and Alameda, CA. As the only French teacher in each of these schools, I had students for four years, and very much enjoyed building relationships with my students and participating in their transformation from starting freshmen to graduating seniors. After moving to Madison, WI, I taught in the Madison Metropolitan School District from 2003 to 2019, including the last fourteen years at Madison West H.S. where I taught all levels of French (including AP French all 14 years) and Spanish 1 and 2.

I have maintained communication with many of my former students and am totally thrilled each time I learn how they are using their language skills in their adult lives! One is practicing international law using French, one has spent two years in the Peace Corps in a French speaking country, and many have gone on to major or minor in French, spending one or multiple years studying and living in French speaking countries in Europe and Africa. I love teaching, and while I miss the energy of the classroom, I am very much enjoying being able to focus on one student at a time! I have tutored students in all levels of high school French and students in Spanish levels 1-3 and hear consistently from them, their parents and their teachers that they have gained confidence, improved skills and raised their grades after starting to work with me. I also work with adults (beginning to advanced French, beginning to intermediate Spanish).