The Visor

French Student teachers adjust to American culture at Hoban

February 18, 2010

Jules Libertin

From the Eiffel Tower to the Golden Dome, two French teachers have arrived at Hoban to intern until the end of the year. Sylvain Berchet and Tidjani Ban arrived to blistering cold Ohio to begin teaching on Jan. 26.
“I am very excited to get started and to learn,” Berchet said.
The teachers are part of the University of Akron Franco-American Teachers-in-Training Institute. 29 French students come to America and in return Akron students spend the fall in France interning. Each group spends 12 weeks exploring, observing and learning about the country’s education and political institutions.
“This is our fourth year in taking part in the program,” Dr. Mary-Ann Beiting said. “The program fits several aspects of the Holy Cross statement especially embracing other cultures and reaching out.”
Berchet, a physics and chemistry teacher, will be teaching with physics and AP chemistry teacher Randy Solsman.
“When the director of the program, Dr.Coville-Hall, asked me if I wanted to participate I decided to take part in it,” Solsman said. “I knew it would be fun and interesting to work with a science teacher from a different culture. This is my second time participating in the program.”
Working with someone from a different culture also brings out different aspects of teaching. Probably one of the biggest differences, Berchet stated, was the schedule.
“In France, students can have a two hour class,” Berchet said, “and having only 55 minutes to teach is hard to get everything organized and done in such a small time.”
Berchet also has noticed a difference in the relationships between the students and teachers.
“Here the relationship between students and teachers is much more relaxed and open compared to the France education system,” Berchet said.
Beiting believes these among other differences can be thought provoking for the teachers.
“Both the French and our teachers teach the same thing but just differently,” Beiting said. “I believe when they encounter their different styles of teaching it allows them to reflect on their own work and learn.”
Solsman, who agrees with Beiting, has applied to Franco-American Teachers-in-Training Institute and hopes to travel to France to intern in June.
“I hope to travel in June to France to teach there,” Solsman said. “Having hosted teachers from France already I would like to travel there and experience their education system.”

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