2 Weeks in the States | Roses, Thorns, & Buds

Bonjour la famille,

Here's hoping everyone is doing well and thriving, as we inch toward some much-needed breaks. I, personally, am dealing with some of the culture shock that comes with my first year as a teacher NOT having Thanksgiving. BUT !!! We have a full month off for winter break here, so that is very much on the horizon.

It's been a bit, so I thought I'd share just a few things going on in my head and in my practice that might be of some interest to you.

Some Roses:

• I recently spent two full weeks in the USA doing a series of conferences and workshops (while also visiting friends and family, bien sûr). A major highlight was that I...

  • Got to do another full-day workshop with my dearly beloved friend Annabelle Williamson, aka La Maestra Loca and it was amazing. We have crafted a series of full-day workshops that cater to teachers of all languages and levels that is truly just a joy to do. Please holler at us and have us come to your district!

  • Had the privilege of spending time with the amazing folks in Wisconsin for the annual WAFLT annual conference, where I got to do the keynote address as well as a really dope 3 hour workshop. I think I can say that this was the most active participation I've ever had in a workshop! It was so much fun.

  • Visited my most recent school, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia and got to spend the day with some beloved former colleagues and my old students. I was the subject of Special Person Interviews damn near all day and it was just lovely. Shoutout to the incredible Steph Kasten for having me and just for being one of my favorite people in the world.

  • Finally had the pleasure and privilege of doing the keynote and a workshop for Long Island Language Teachers association and it was fire. It happened to take place at the high school that my parents, cousins, in-laws, and like everyone I know went to. My mom actually flew up to NY to come see me speak (in all these years of me presenting and speaking, she's never been able to catch one, so it was really nice.). She also taught in that district for 34 years. The folks were SO kind and just an amazing group of people. I'm really grateful.

• AfroFranco Teacher Collective PLC is everything to me. Full stop.

Some Thorns:

• Being away for 2 weeks is a long time... And maybe more than just the sheer duration, it was that I had to spend it living out of a suitcase, and just getting up and traveling somewhere every other day. It was SO GOOD to see people and do cool stuff, and I was SO DONE by like day 8...

• I planned the trip to try to pack as much in the two weeks as I could..but that meant that if I'd wanted to go to ACTFL, I would have had to stretch it out another week or two and that just wasn't gonna happen. So I'm super bummed that I wasn't able to attend this year, but I really loved seeing all the pictures and stuff. Some of my favorite teachers and humans were there presenting and I just feel really proud and excited to be in attendance next year in San Antonio!

• Keynotes and workshops can be tough. I'm always walking a tight rope between what I think folks want to hear versus what I responsibly need to deliver for my own conscience and convictions...and whether or not that fits everyone's expectations is a dice roll sometimes. While I may feel great about every word I come up with and share, it may not always align with someone else's vision, and sometimes I just gotta sit with that.

Some Buds:

• I am so happy to be back here in Cali, back into a bit of a routine, but looking at a nice long break around the corner. On a related tip, my mother is actually coming down to visit in a few weeks, so it'll be super nice to guide her through her first time in Colombia.

• I already have several schools that have reached out about doing some workshops with their language departments later this winter and into the spring and I'm just very much looking forward to that. Like, folks who I got to work with during my recent trip have connected with me about coming back and/or doing something virtually with their school, so that's really affirming and encouraging.

• My À la une series has been so much fun to create and to use, and I'm just really excited to continue refining it and seeing how my students respond to "authentic" French-language social media stuff.

• AfroFranco Book Club is Back! I had to take some time off over the last year, but I set a date and we are gonna get together to read and discuss Jacaranda by Gaël Faye Friday, January 9th at 8PM Eastern. So def consider joining us!

Alright, that's a lot. I love y'all, and I just appreciate the hell out of you for all of your support over these years.

Blessings!!!

bt