Madame Kolman is Northwood’s only French teacher who teaches four levels of French with students from all grades. After a decade of being at Northwood, Madame Kolman has lots of insight to share on teaching and la culture française.
How long have you been teaching French and how many of those years were at Northwood?
Kolman: This is my 10th year at Northwood. Back in the early 80s I taught for 2 years at J.F. Webb High School in Granville County and I was an assistant teacher at Chapel Hill High for one semester. My first position was a temporary one at Jordan High in Durham, just for one term during another teacher’s pregnancy leave. Between 1983 and 2012, I primarily taught adults in the healing arts.
What is your favorite thing about being a teacher at Northwood and/or what does Northwood have to offer that makes it special to you?
Kolman: I have really appreciated being a part of Northwood. The administration has been totally supportive and I have felt completely backed by the principals and assistant principals, colleagues and office staff during my years here. I enjoy teaching in a rural setting, surrounded by trees and trails. I feel very proud and lucky to be part of a school that has such an excellent arts department. As a musician and artist myself it has been delightful to support and attend events and to have many artists and musicians in my French classes. I have thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated my World Language department teachers and other colleagues. We have some incredibly gifted teachers here at Northwood! And I have learned so much new technology!
What inspired you to teach?
Kolman: My high school French teacher, Madame Wilson, was my favorite teacher and she inspired me to choose a career in French. I am a natural-born teacher, I feel, and I will continue teaching the things that I love and that inspire me all of my life. Teaching, for me, is a calling. Fortunately, French is dear to my heart and I love to teach it.
What makes French so special (to you or in general)?
Kolman: My father taught me my first French phrases as a child (“ouvrez la porte s’il vous plaît”) but I think Madame Wilson instilled in me a special love for all things French. When I was in high school my closest friends were all in Madame’s classes. We spoke French all the time, in class, at parties and concerts, driving places, shopping. We somehow made the language work for us even when we didn’t have the exact words. I had the opportunity to study in the south of France my junior year at UNC-CH, at Université Paul Valérie in Montpellier. I spent time in Paris and fell in love with this beautiful city. I studied in Angers in a graduate program after I began teaching at Northwood. The more I learn about all the different incredible places to visit in France, the more I want to spend time there. And I want to visit many other French-speaking places in the world! Such beauty, culture and variety! I appreciate speaking the French language, in particular. I love the way it feels rolling off my tongue. The first year I was back in the classroom, in 2012, I delighted in being able to speak French all I wanted, and getting paid for it! French is a beautiful, musical language. I love the appreciation of beauty and art that the French have. I really appreciate how France has protected its food from genetic modification and values its farmers and takes pride in their products. Food in France is so delicious! In addition, the French people are interested in repairing their things rather than throwing them away. They have huge stores that support and supply this hobby. I love how the different regions keep their original languages and keep their traditions alive. The café culture expresses the French “joie de vivre” and the importance of taking time to enjoy time with friends, time to enjoy life. I have dear friends who are French and I value our special connection. I appreciate being able to communicate with people from all over the world who speak French.
Why do you think students should enroll in French?
Kolman: I think people have resonances with different languages and cultures. People are drawn to particular languages for mysterious reasons sometimes. Some students just have an inclination toward French. Learning any language will broaden one’s perspective and make one more of a global citizen. It also creates new neural pathways and keeps our minds healthy and growing. It is recommended to prevent dementia in particular. Each culture is reflected in the language of the people there, different ways of thinking, of viewing life. We all benefit from learning about and understanding differences. There are many French owned companies and businesses in the US and French is spoken in many different countries; almost half of Africa is French-speaking. It has been estimated that French may become the #1 spoken language in the world eventually because of the population growth in Africa. Our neighbor to the north, Canada, has a huge population of French speakers and we have our own little pocket of Cajun French in Louisiana. We want to keep French alive in the US!
If there was one thing that you could change about your classes and/or Northwood in general, what would it be?
Kolman: If I could magically take away my students’ hesitancy in speaking French, and instill in them the enthusiasm for communicating in this beautiful language, I would wish for this! It was such a pleasure for me as a young person. Also, the magic number for successful language classes is a class size of 15. I would love to see this happen for French and Spanish at Northwood, and in North Carolina in general. This year I actually have some classes this size! And, I would love to see many more students taking French!
Do you think your teaching has an impact outside of the classroom? If so, why/what?
Kolman: There is a saying: “A teacher’s influence never ends.” I can see how this can be true from my own experience with my teachers and students. Some students excitedly report traveling to French-speaking places, conversations with native speakers, placing out of language classes in college, deciding to double major in French, deciding to pursue a career in Africa as a physician with Doctors without Borders. More important than these exciting things, however, is the influence of encouraging respect and support among people in my classroom; of encouraging a broader perspective about people and life in general, of supporting tolerance and compassion for all people, and, I hope, of instilling a life-time appreciation for French-speaking people and cultures. It means so much to me for former students to stop by to converse in French or to drop me a line to let me know how their lives are progressing. I am lucky to have students with me for 3-4 years sometimes, so I really like to know how they are realizing their dreams as they travel their life path.
