Alexandra Yacoub, a native French teacher, has spent her 15-year-long career internationally: first in Egypt, and for the last 8 years here with us. She brings passion and professionalism to her pre-K classes at our Englewood site, where she also works as our pre-K coordinator and our sustainable development coordinator on that campus. Despite her busy schedule, she took the time to answer our 3 questions for the month of January.

Why do you teach? 

“I love teaching in preschool because I believe in the incredible impact early education can have on a child’s development. These are the children’s first steps in school, and creating an environment where they can develop their joy for learning and foster their curiosity is, for me, the most interesting challenge. It is very demanding and requires a lot of flexibility and adaptation, but at the end of the day, seeing my students happy to come to class, creating this unique bond, helping them progress, and hearing their first words in French is the gift that makes teaching certainly one of the most gratifying jobs! Being more involved with sustainable development over the past two years has added another layer of significance, allowing me to play my small part in equipping students with skills that will help them contribute positively to our society and tackle the challenges that lay ahead.”

Why do you appreciate teaching at the French American Academy?

“I believe one of the French American Academy’s greatest assets is its tight-knit community. The active participation of parents, the relationships and solidarity among colleagues make coming to work a real pleasure every day. The small class sizes create a sense of a big family, which I truly cherish. I also find the project-based philosophy extremely motivating as a teacher. It creates bridges between languages, classes, and subjects, allowing us to regularly renew our teaching practices.”

What projects are you particularly excited about this winter?

“There are many exciting events ahead! We kicked off the year strongly with the “galette des rois”, and Community Day, which was an inspiring experience for the entire school. I am also looking forward to the “chandeleur,” offering another opportunity for us to cook together! In March, la semaine de la Francophonie will lead us to explore more of the richness of the French language.

On the sustainable development front, “Ma petite planète” will be back in February to reinforce good environmental habits! And we will participate again in the UN World Water Day campaign, which should spark, as it did last year, some interesting discussions around the theme of water conservation.”