“I have always felt we are stronger when we are working together.”
We ARE stronger when we work together.
And we are more human: more confident, more connected, more patient, more creative, more successful.
Megan in this episode is specifically inviting her French-speaking and -teaching colleagues to join with those in the French language education field as members of their local and national chapters of the AATF.
But throughout this podcast – and always in my heart – her plea is that of so many of my guests is NOT specific to their organization or “group,” per se. Their invitation is to human connection, human flourishing.
Look around the setting, environment, and possibilities of your own life.
Where can you join others for your own increased well-being and in order to contribute to the increased well-being of the world? You DO play that role, you know. You DO make a difference each day: either connecting and inviting others in , or standing apart and lowering the energy and effectiveness of the family/groups/community/society/world.
If you are a French educator or know one or are willing to help one out you don’t know yet (say, in a local school or university), listen with an ear to what it means for YOU and/or share this podcast with the person who needs to hear it….who needs to connect, to act.
We are all in this together. Even when we don’t believe it, even when we don’t act it, the truth remains. And Megan is right: we ARE stronger when we work together.
Actually, there’s no future for us unless we do.
Enjoy the podcast. Connect.
Megan Diercks’ bio and resources
Megan Diercks is the executive director of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF). She has taught at both the high school (in TX) and university (in CO) levels. Prior to becoming the executive director, Megan served as a local AATF chapter officer (in TX and in CO), the National Bulletin Editor, the Assistant National French Contest Director, and the Region IX Representative. When not supporting French teachers, Megan enjoys knitting/crocheting, cooking, reading, and traveling with her husband and daughter.
Resources: www.frenchteachers.org & aatf@frenchteachers.org
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Transcript
Norah Jones:
You know, when I established It’s About Language as a podcast back in September of 2020, I knew that no matter basically where we go talking about language, it’s going to be relevant to those that are listening, no matter what their area of interest, career or expertise. Because language is the human phenomenon, the everyday mirror. And that’s true here again with my guest for this podcast, Megan Diercks. Megan is the Executive Director of the American Association of Teachers of French. Though the specific focus of her work is on the teachers engaged with bringing the French language to students around the world or students that are learning French from various regions of the world. what she brings is an insight into how language transforms lives. Her leadership skills, the clarity of her understanding of what it is that language can do is applicable to all of us no matter what we are doing in life. I know that you’ll enjoy this conversation with Megan Diercks. You’ll enjoy her energy and her focus. And I look for you to be able to Apply that energy and that focus to reflect on your own life and where you bring the leadership, you bring the insights, and you bring the possibilities through language. Enjoy the podcast.
Norah Jones:
You know, I find that the excited people that are in leadership are just so much fun to talk to in general, and then very encouraging for those of us that are looking for pathways of personal growth, professional growth, and for changing the world. And that’s my guest today, Megan Diercks. Hi, Megan.
Megan Diercks:
Hi, Norah. Thank you so much for having me. It’s really an honor to be able to spend some time with you and with your listeners today.
Norah Jones:
Well, we are delighted, absolutely, to be able to share what you can provide about French, French education, French teaching, French learning, French in the world, and your role as the executive director of the American Association of Teachers of French. And we’re going to mention your website often, FrenchTeachers.org. so that those that are listening, not just those that are in French, but also those that want to hear about what leadership and language can do, can follow along. So Megan, let’s find out a little bit about you and how it is that you have ended up in this particular position and in life, a person that loves and uses French.
Megan Diercks:
Thank you so much. So I went into high school wanting to wanting to learn French. My mom had minored in French in college. My dad had majored in German. I actually begged my parents to let me switch schools so I could go to the public high school where French was offered. I had three amazing French teachers and then decided right before my senior year that I didn’t want to be a child psychologist anymore. I wanted to be a French teacher and I really hope that my high school French teachers proud of me for making that decision. So I went off to college as a French and English major. The English major lasted a semester and I picked up a German major after that. So I ended up double majoring in French and German with a secondary ed certification. I did a year of my master’s work and then I helped in Texas where I taught high school French and German for about ten years. Then while I was in Texas I really started to get involved with the local North Texas. AATF, American Association of Teachers of French Chapter. So I became the vice president of special events and I held that position for six years and then I was vice president. Then my husband and I adopted our daughter from China and then shortly afterwards we moved to Colorado and the first thing that I did once I moved was look for my local AATF chapter. I was a stay at home mom, I wasn’t teaching and I really felt like I was kind of losing myself because I really… feel like I was put on this earth to be a French teacher and I loved it. And the local chapter was going through a rough time, so I applied to the AATF’s Leadership Academy program and was accepted and had a wonderful time in 2015. Got to meet a lot of people in that cohort and we’re actually all very close still. Because of my experience with that, I… I applied to be the national bulletin editor for the AATF when that position came open. I got that position and so started on the AATF board in 2016. During that time, I got to be friends with Lisa Nerog who’s the national French contest director and ended up becoming her assistant and then the assistant national French contest director. So I was working on the bulletin, helping with national French contest. I was also president of my local Colorado, Wyoming AATF chapter. So just… had my fingers in a bunch of different AATF pies. And then when Jane Abrate, the previous AATF executive director, announced her retirement, I thought I have wanted this job for a really long time. I have to apply for it. I have to go for it and see. And I ended up getting it. And it’s great, the board experience that I had, the experience with the National French Contest. When I taught high school in Texas, I had a Société Honoraire de Français chapter, and so I was familiar with a lot of our programs and really felt plugged in. And here I am. And although I am the leader of this organization, I really view myself as one of us that I am here to serve French teachers and support French teachers. And that’s what the AATF is, is we are here to serve and support French teachers and students. at all levels and in all different forms of instruction. So tutored students, homeschooled students, dual language and immersion students all the way up through master’s degrees. And it’s really exciting the breadth of programming that we have to offer and we’re looking to continually improve and add more options and there’s some exciting things on the horizon for us.
Norah Jones:
And I can’t imagine that you might not like to talk about those today, but first I would like to make sure that we tap on per your conversation right there about you clearly are dazzled by French dazzled by what it can mean in the world and – What is it that you said? – I desired this leadership. Again it could be that some people just enjoy leadership positions in general. But it strikes me that wasn’t part of what I was hearing right there. What I was hearing was a vision, a desire for the future. What especially do you feel that the executive director of AATF can do that is about to happen? Now we talk about potentially the future, but what is that vision that you felt? so strongly that you wanted that leadership. What was it? What is it?
Megan Diercks:
I have always felt like we are stronger when we are working together and so being able, as the AATF or the face of the AATF, to network with other organizations just strengthens the importance and the visibility of French in the world. And so being able to work with the French embassy and the Belgian embassy and the Centre de la Francophonie des Amériques and being able to work with some private corporations on developing a scholarship program for the AATF, that’s really exciting. And so bringing people together just to reinforce the importance of French and the importance of learning French and the usefulness of learning French. I feel like there’s a lot of French teachers who feel like, oh, the counselors are saying we’ll just learn Spanish because Spanish is much more useful. But really with the developing African economy, the fact that French is spoken on every inhabited continent, your French skills are marketable. And so it can be a French and a French in business, a French in engineering. And I would like the AATF kind of to be a landing point for that if you’re looking for an internship, I would love to have an internship bank. Are you looking for a teaching job? We have a career center where you can find a teaching job. So I would really like the AATF to be kind of the go-to starting point for people who are looking. If they want to major in college, we have a website that tells you what colleges and universities and what states offer French majors and minors and have teaching certification programs. So I would really like to be the, like I said, the jumping off my starting point. organization that houses all of that information.
Norah Jones:
And you have just mentioned there, Megan, a variety of resources for people to access for different needs. What other things currently are found when people go to FrenchTeachers.org and look around that they would enjoy seeing and may not know that are there?
Megan Diercks:
We have a lot of resources to support teachers, and currently all of our resources are free to any French teacher, AATF member or not. So when you go to frenchteachers.org and you click on resources there, we have a shared resource bank, so these are lesson plans and activities and games that teachers are sharing with other teachers. There are a lot of different filters, so if you’re looking for something very specific, you can set these filters. and find hopefully what you’re looking for. And if you are a French teacher or an AATF member, I would encourage you to share on this shared resources. If you are using this activity, your students enjoy it, it goes well, don’t worry about it not being good enough or up to someone’s standards. The more we share, the stronger we are. And if every AATF member shared something, we would have over 5,000 resources. and no one would ever have to create anything from scratch again. You can find something and then make it work for your class or for your situation. So those are our shared resources. But we also have curated resources, which has been done by Katherine Ousselin and her team, and they’ve done a fabulous job of curating very organized YouTube playlists that are organized thematically. We have a Wakelet, which is also organized thematically and that houses not just videos, but infographics and lessons and activities, ed puzzles, things like that. We have a Pinterest page that has a lot of, which is also organized thematically, that has a lot of infographics on that. And then we do have a collection of Degos bookmarks, which is also, it’s very robust collection of resources for any French teacher because they’re free. And you can find those all on French teachers.org.
Norah Jones:
Wow, I’m dazzled. I mean, I feel overwhelmed and I haven’t even punched the button yet to see all of those wonderful resources, although I planned to, mind you. Now, your voice and your contribution came during my episode 99, where I captured you on the way to giving a presentation. This was episode 99, Collected. presenters from the Northeast Conference on Teaching Foreign Languages and the SCOLT, Southern Conference on Language Teaching. What were you on your way to present? What do you share when you were on that way and I captured you?
Megan Diercks:
I was on my way with our Region 4 representative Heather Tedder to present about all of the different ways that the AATF can support French teachers and French programs. So we did talk about the curated resources that you and I have already spoke about. Well, we also talked about what the AATF offers for teachers to help. build their program. So all of our contests, we have two different contests during National French Week. We have the National French Contest, which takes place in the spring. We have our Société Honoraire de Français for high school, our Jeunes Amis du Français for middle school and elementary school. We have awards that teachers can purchase to give to their students, the Excellence in French Award, the Outstanding Senior in French Award. We have some certificates, which are actually very reasonably priced, that teachers can purchase to Recognized students who might not be the best student in their class but have been really committed and dedicated to the French language so we talked about that and Our curated resources and then the scholarships and grants that the ATF has for teachers So if you’re if you’re interested in coming to our convention We have some financial support for that if you’re interested in doing some research in Canada We have some financial support for that if you’re interested in doing a study abroad in a a teacher study abroad program in a francophone country. We have some financial support for that as well. We do have the scholarship for university students who are interested in doing a study abroad. We do have some small grant programs as well. So if you’re looking, if you’re an AATF member and you’d like to build a classroom library, but you don’t have funds for it, we have some funds that we can offer it. So just making teachers aware of how we can help. raise the visibility of your program in a positive way by recognizing your students, by giving your students an opportunity to shine in all of these different contests. And not all of them focus on French ability. We have our poster contest for elementary and middle school students, which require some research, but it’s an artistic contest. And then our francophone trivia contest, which is in English, but it’s on knowledge of the francophone world. So we have like… a whole gamut of contests that not all of them focus solely on your ability to produce in the country.
Norah Jones:
Come one, come all. Everybody gets a chance to play…
Megan Diercks:
You’re right.
Norah Jones:
That’s fantastic.
Megan Diercks:
Yes.
Norah Jones:
Well, and you mentioned about the conference and this podcast is being released before the 2023 conference. So could you provide the dates and the location and how it’s being run? And then after the specific one for 2023, broadening it out so that people know what happens annually, please.
Megan Diercks:
I would be happy to. So our 2023 convention runs from July 23rd through 26th. It will take place in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. So between Quebec City and Montreal, there’s still time to register if anybody would like to come. Our keynote is Marie-Célie Agnan, who is the parliamentary poet for the Canadian Parliament. And we’ve been working very closely with the Centre de la Francophonie des Amériques, and they have helped us. secure this really fabulous keynote. We have a lineup of really wonderful workshops and the sessions are just going to be top-notch. It’s going to be great. But if you can’t attend because it’s not always easy to get to get up to Canada and time is short before the convention, we will live stream a strand of sessions on Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th so you can purchase access. to these live stream sessions, which will also be recorded. So if you can’t tune in live, but you’re interested in viewing these later, then those recordings will be made available for those who purchase access. And it’s really a variety of sessions, sessions on technology, sessions on social justice, sessions specifically on indigenous people in Cape Bacc, so we’ve tried to include a real variety there. If this is a little bit of a too short notice, we will be in San Diego. Next summer July 7 through 10, I’m 90% sure that those are the dates 7 through 10 and then in 2025 We are slated to be outside of Paris and we are still working on dates and details for that
Norah Jones:
See how exciting it is to be arranged with the French groups. Look at those wonderful places that you go to. Not everyone has been to conferences. You certainly have given us a flavor there. There are sessions, there’s a wonderful keynote. I’m personally dazzled that you have just mentioned that Sherry is a poet for the Canadian Parliament and this is just phenomenal. Well done, congratulations in advance here as this podcast is released. But in general, when you talk about why people come to this conference or why they should come to this conference and what the feel is, what would you say to those that are not quite aware of how conferences feel? As I say, you’ve given a bit of a flavor, but help us to understand a little bit more. What is in it for those especially who are, you know, just getting started potentially or… We’ve never been.
Megan Diercks:
There’s a lot that convention has to offer. We are, we’re smaller than ACTFL. So if you’ve been to an ACTFL conference, we’re definitely smaller than ACTFL, but it’s all French teachers and all the sessions are specifically for French teachers, which it’s amazing to see French teachers volunteering their time to support and help other French teachers. So that’s one of the main benefits is that every session is for you. And it’s hard to choose to narrow down what it is you’re going to go to. But it’s also wonderful, the camaraderie, to be able to speak French and not just the French that you speak with your French one students every day, but to speak quite real French with other real French teachers. The exhibit hall is a lot of fun there. We have over 30 exhibitors this year who are ready to talk to you about the latest and greatest in educational technology and textbooks and a variety of other products so you can if you’re interested in something you can go and talk to that person in the exhibit hall and get a little bit More information or learn more about their product So that’s great and I will be honest with you. Most of my closest friends are a ATF members That’s really where I derive a large part of my identity and so when I am at convention I get to see my friends who live in Connecticut and Maryland and Iowa and Illinois and Washington DC because we’re all here together. And it’s really special to be able to see these people that I’ve formed friendships with over the years. And it’s just, it’s wonderful. And you develop this support network and we offer a lot for you to do as well. So this year. We have something every single night at the convention. And so if it’s your first time and you’ve never been and you don’t know anybody, you don’t have to eat dinner by yourself. We have a wide variety of activities and I’m sure that will continue in San Diego. So you can meet, like me, you can meet your new best friends at the AATF convention while you’re soaking up all of this learning and camaraderie.
Norah Jones:
The camaraderie part. Thank you, Megan, for expressing that so beautifully because that really is a huge and important part of the folks in the educational space. Well, humanity, but in the educational space and in teaching of languages that may be the only person on a campus that is teaching, in this case, French. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you very much for that. Now, a question that I have for you. is about, you’ve mentioned you’re going, you’re in Canada this year, then San Diego, then going to France. Help the listeners to understand what kind of connectedness this American association of teachers of French has with the world.
Megan Diercks:
Well, with French being spoken on every inhabited continent, it’s really important to make these ties to the Francophone world. The AATF convention was in, has been in Liège, Belgium. We have been in France before we were in Martinique in 2018, which was, which is really fabulous. I know that our current president’s goal is to have an AATF convention in Africa. And I think that might need to look a little bit different because I know that I would not want to be in sessions, that I would want to be out in markets and exploring. And so we’re looking at do we do an AATF trip to Francophone Africa or how do we manage that? I would love to do a conference on a cruise and cruise out to Tahiti. I think that would be really fun. But that… that’s to be worked on and that’s somewhere on down the line. But it is fun to go to these international destinations, but we also realize that that’s not feasible for everyone and everyone’s budget. And so during a virtual convention like we did during the pandemic is also an option to allow people to save up for international conferences or for equity, just to allow people who aren’t able to attend to attend a full conference. So we’re exploring a lot of options, We do enjoy being in a francophone location so that you can speak French with the locals and you’re fully immersed in not only the language but the culture as well.
Norah Jones:
That’s phenomenal. What’s the future? You’ve been speaking about many things here as potentially being in unique places, doing different things. What are some of the goals here for AATF in the upcoming years?
Megan Diercks:
That’s an excellent question. And I would say the goal for us is to really continue to support programs in a more robust way than we already do. So taking what we do well, our contests and our honor society, and just making sure that we have this continued emphasis on la Francophonie, that’s become very, very en vogue. And very important as well. And some of that past is sticky and icky, and we really need to face up to the fact that, you know, colonialism wasn’t always great for these countries, but what can we learn from that, and what can we learn from these countries? So we are working on developing curricular units for teachers at all teaching levels that focus specifically on Africa, we’ve applied for some funding on that. If it comes through, that’s going to be really exciting for us that we can create these things. We can take a group of teachers who go to Africa and create these curricular units and then we can make them available to French teachers who haven’t had that experience. And I have not yet been to Africa, and so I don’t know how comfortable I would be. teaching it, not having any experience with it, but if you can take something that someone who has been there has created while they are, then that’s a layer of authenticity that you can give to your students.
Norah Jones:
I’d like to, thank you. And I’d like to tap in a little bit on, even in my own experience as a French teacher, I recognized that in the area in which I live, that there was a hunger to, an unknown among my students really, a hunger to understand how the French language related to their lives. There has been historically, and clearly it’s moving. You’ve already mentioned some of these movements. I have been just… locations where things have been taking place. But still I believe in a lot of folks’ minds, especially in young minds, that France is the focus. And there’s a huge French speaking, francophone population all around the planet. How then, what are some other aspects? Continue please to share here. What are some other ways in which our young people particular are going to understand the diversity as well as the unity of the French-speaking world?
Megan Diercks:
That is an excellent question. And I think it’s very important for students to see French speakers who look like they do. And so if you can tap into the fact that French is spoken in Asia, and you can find Asian people who are speaking French. And I feel like that there’s really been a movement to diversify the French curriculum and not just focus on France. And there are other French speaking countries in Europe, Switzerland and Belgium and Monaco and Luxembourg. There are those countries too. So it’s not just France, but let’s look at South America because there’s French speaking country in South America and the Caribbean has French speaking countries. So just working on. making sure that students can see themselves in French speakers all throughout the world. It doesn’t really matter if you’re in a rural area or an urban area, there is a French speaker who looks like you out there somewhere and that with the French that you learn, it is an enhancement to whatever you want to do in your career, whether you want to go into finance or fashion or Hotel restaurant management, your French will be useful to you and you can take it all over the world.
Norah Jones:
What particular excitement do you have when you look, again, into the future about where this, where the, those that are interested in the French language, the development of the French language can go? What is, what’s like totally exciting for you?
Megan Diercks:
A lot of it is really, it was really exciting . for me. And I feel so fortunate to be in this position that I can help put pieces in place. And we’re doing a lot of really exciting things. We’re very proud to partner with the French embassy and the Delegation du Québec to organize some job fairs at five different universities across the country just to promote awareness about what you can do with French. And it’s not just being a teacher and it’s not just being a translator, but there are international companies here. who need French speakers because they do business in Francophone Africa or they do business in the Caribbean or they do business in Europe. So expanding that program, I was fortunate to be involved in the French embassies empowering French and Francophone studies grants, which gave funding to universities for some special projects. And I believe that will continue. Bay UTF has applied for some funding to send teachers to Africa. It’s just to make our… our African resources more robust. So just being able to network with a variety of partners and to really expand our list of partners and offer teachers and students more opportunities than what we currently do, whether that’s having somebody from Francophone Africa come in and speak to your class, but if we make those connections with those Francophone embassies. then they’ll will be on their radar and they’ll be on our radar. So there’s a lot of really exciting things that are that are happening and I’m very fortunate to be part of that.
Norah Jones:
Thanks. That’s wonderful that you do. Now, what I’d like to do is have you back up just a tiny bit and thinking about all that you’ve shared already, thinking about that which you’re doing, that which you’re planning on doing, how the organization runs even. What kind of model for other institutions and organizations do you think the AATF brings? What is it? that you’re proud of that reaches beyond those that are listening that are French-oriented, educators or supporters of education, and goes out into my audience of business people, those that are engaged in the language enterprise more broadly. What is it you’re especially glad that AATF can demonstrate and share?
Megan Diercks:
That’s an excellent question. And for me, the link between French and other industries is so, so important that if you study French, you don’t just have to be a teacher, you don’t just have to be a translator. You can go out and work in these other industries. And we would love to partner with French American Chamber of Commerce or other chambers of commerce that have internships that need French speaking people. We are open to that. And we would love to help those types of companies fill those positions with quality people, with people who speak French but have the other skills necessary. And I think that the sooner we can plant that seed in students’ minds, that of course you’re going to continue with your French into your engineering or your business or your culinary studies, the better it is. Just really emphasize that French pairs well with anything and it will only seek to enhance your career and it’s not. Yes, we are the American Association of Teachers of French, but our organization can support you even if you don’t want to be a teacher, but you want to go off into the business world.
Norah Jones:
There’s so many resources again on your website, FrenchTeachers.org, and that can be of use to many people, it strikes me. Let me ask you something, Megan, you’re so positive, you’ve brought a positivity to your experiences in the world here now, clearly, for years. And in your role, your positivity is just coming out of every pore. for a moment when you think this is a struggle right now, this is something that I struggle with or I’m disappointed to see or I’m finding that I need to turn and maybe pull along a little bit harder. Is there anything like that? That you look around and you go and what brings my heart some sadness and what I really want to work on is. Is there something there?
Megan Diercks:
Yes, there’s actually an X and a Y to that. So the first is that there are teachers out there who don’t believe that they need to be part of a professional organization. And that that’s very disappointing. I would say. When I was taking my methods class, my professor said, professionals join professional organizations. And when you go out into the world and are teachers, it’s expected that you will join your professional organization. And that’s exactly what I did. And I didn’t do it a lot with my AATF membership the first year because it was my first year teaching and I didn’t really know about it. But then… I moved to a different school and had a wonderful colleague who showed me all of the benefits of my AATF membership that I didn’t really realize was there. And so I would say that not being part of a professional organization is not really a badge of honor. I would say that I’m a member of the AATF and several others. I put my money where our mouth is. The AATF puts our money where our mouth is. We are members of JNCL, the Joint National [Council] for Languages and so we are out there supporting language education and language advocacy with our dollars. So that’s one thing that hurts my heart a little bit that there are teachers who don’t see the value and being part of a professional organization. And then it’s also hard when teachers come to us, the ATF and say, my program is being cut, what can I do? I’ve worked so hard to build it up, or I’m retiring and my principal told me that they’re not going to find a replacement that to cut the program and my students are devastated. And I will say that the AATF will advocate for any French program whether or not you are a member. So if you are not a member and your program is in danger or threatened, please let us know because we have a team ready to go who will jump in and do their best to do what they can to help you save your program or stave it off or stave off cutting until certain seniors make it through. Of course we want to save it, save it. But that’s hard too, and it’s hard for, it’s hard when teachers are the only one in their building and they’re feeling lost and they don’t have a support network. But we can be that for you, even though you’re the only one in your building. There are French teachers in your community, there are French teachers around the world really who are there to support you.
Norah Jones:
I would like to, on behalf of being a member of the board of JNCL-NCLIS, thank the AATF for being a sustaining member. When you go onto the JNCL website, languagepolicy.org, the first thing you’ll probably see pop up and thanks of support for advocacy for all languages, but including the very important language of French around the world. So thank you ATF and thank you Megan for that support of the advocacy for languages from which all benefit and
Megan Diercks:
We are happy to do that.
Norah Jones:
Well, thank you. And that generosity that extends to even if one is not a member of AATF that we still reach out and help because we are all in this together. Thanks for sharing that. And what are the things that I would like to make sure I ask is, you said a beautiful phrase there as you were addressing that. I want to see this happen. A colleague, my second year, I had a colleague. who is able to show me. And we come back to sometimes the person is the only one in their school. Sometimes the person that’s listening to this podcast may be that person, or it may be if you are listening to this podcast and you know someone who is by themselves and could use this network to be thinking, how can I reach out and be that companion even if I’m not in the same school, or even if I’m not. teacher of French. So first of all, I would like to extend the invitation to everyone listening to think, how can I make sure I help the person that needs those connections to make it? Turning back to you, Megan, specifically about talk about the local, regional, state work of AATF. What are some of the things that then those that turn and say, I’ll take some action here. What will they discover in their local life?
Megan Diercks:
The local chapters are so important because that’s really where you meet with people, other French teachers or retired French teachers or hopefully student teachers who are going to, who are doing their student teaching in French but having that local support, being able to get together. And now that we’re coming out of the pandemic, we’re realizing how important those local chapters are. And we have some really rockstar local chapters who offer a lot for teachers, professional development for teachers, social events for teachers, but a lot for students too. And it really runs the gamut from lip-syncing contests and singing contests to… financial support for college students by purchasing French textbooks if they’re going off and studying French Competitions local competitions for four different French students. And so you know, these local chapters are So important to us and these local leaders who are all volunteers and I have been one in several different Capacities, but we are so thankful and honored that they choose to serve our organization by giving of their time the organized social events and professional development opportunities and contests for students. And so it’s, it’s really your, your membership gets you access to all of our webinars and all of our resources and all of the programs that we offer. But it also allows you to plug into a local network that can really just help you recharge those batteries. when you’re feeling drained. Maybe you are the only French teacher in your building, maybe you live in a rural area, but by attending local events, you get to know these people, they become a support system for you and they can give you ideas and really help you reclaim the joy that you might be lacking.
Norah Jones:
Reclaim that joy. Yes there. I love that phrase. That’s excellent you know, I was thinking about the joy and I’m thinking about my own students because I was a teacher of French I made sure that we had the French contest and that we had the French Honor Society and the experience of my students when there was an induction into the society and they had practiced because I had them practice a Memorized French poem from various places and then Francophonie Let’s swap some stories. Do you have a story about a young person, either someone you yourself were teaching or that you’ve experienced in your work here with the regional and national organizations, that where a young person has had their fire lit because of being able to be engaged in French studies? They’ve been connected to the ATF? So be it. but French studies in general, whatever works for you.
Megan Diercks:
I have a couple, so I have been very fortunate to have several of my former students go on and become French teachers, which is like, it’s so moving because that’s what I did. My high school French teachers were amazing and I wanted to touch lives just like they did. But I would say my go-to story, and I will probably cry because I get teary-telling this story, it was my last year teaching high school. And All of my students had to participate in the National French Contest because that’s what they did. So they all paid their money to participate in the National French Contest. And I had this very sweet boy who was on a 504 plan and French was not his strongest subject, but he tried and he worked hard. And he had a very sweet disposition and I really liked him. And then when the scores came back, he ended up getting an honorable mention. And… He got an honorable mention certificate, and you could just see the pride in his face because he had probably not gotten academic recognition in any of his other subjects, but to see the pride on his face. And that’s why I tell people, don’t be afraid to have your students participate in the National French Contest. We are very generous with our awards, and you just never know if this sweet, sweet boy who struggled but made it through was on a 504 plan can get an honorable mention. And I don’t think it lit a fire under him, but just to see the pride and joy in his eyes for being recognized, for doing something that he didn’t really feel strong at like that. It was just really special. It was very, very special.
Norah Jones:
Well, and the emotion of that experience that people can hear in your voice. And thank you for sharing that because it is very touching and that’s what language does. It can bring hope. And thanks for sharing that because that’s hugely important. Yeah, they may not turn into the using the French for a career, but that moment builds their capacity for joy and hope in the world. Thanks, Megan. How
Megan Diercks:
hopefully that, I’m sorry, but hopefully that student will tell his children or his nieces or nephews, like, I took French and I had a great experience with it. My teacher loved me and we did this contest and I surprised myself and I did really well. So just planting that seed in the next generation, like I took French in high school. I had a great experience. You should take French too.
Norah Jones:
So, Megan, thank you again. That was just such an amazing story. Again, now I have probably failed to ask you a question, or I haven’t given you an opportunity to speak about something that was on your mind. Or maybe there’s something that you want to repeat because you want to make sure everybody hears it. However you’d like to interpret these last few minutes of our time together today, what do you not want this podcast to end without you doing?
Megan Diercks:
Thank you for this opportunity. I would like all French teachers out there, all listeners out there to know that the ATF is here to support you whether you are a member or not. We will advocate for you. We have free resources for you. We had a webinar series last year that we are looking to duplicate again this year. So free webinars, usually twice a month. that will give you some professional development or enrich your cultural understanding. We have a strong partnership with the Federation des Alliances Françaises, who also has a webinar series, and AATF members are able to register for those webinars free or at a reduced cost. I would also encourage you to become an AATF member because we are halfway through the year. Membership is about half price right now, so if you haven’t, Join the AATF or if you haven’t renewed your membership, we would love to count you among our number. It’s a great value right now. You can buy six months of membership for thirty dollars plus whatever local chapter dues you choose to add on. On top of that, membership in the AATF will allow your students to participate in our free fall contest so they don’t even have to pay anything to participate in our trivia contest or our national French media contest. So we would love to count you among our ranks. We have a lot to support French teachers and students at all different levels. We have, if you’re looking to get more involved, we are happy to plug you in. We have commissions on a variety of topics. So if you teach a dual language in immersion, we have a commission for that. If you’re interested in technology, we have a commission for that. If you love culture, we’ve got a commission for that too. We are happy to plug you in. If you’re looking at developing your leadership skills, I’m sure your local chapter would be a really wonderful place to start. We have our Leadership Academy, which takes place prior to the convention. So if that’s something that’s really on your mind that you, you like me would like to grow in a, in a leadership role, it’s a really excellent program. You will make wonderful friends. You will learn so, so much. And then you get to attend the convention with, with a bunch of French teachers and speak French and enjoy. being together and learning from each other. But please know that the AATF is here to support you. We would love to have you as a member if that’s not possible financially. We still have resources to support you and your students. And we’re here for you. And exciting things are on the horizon for the AATF. We are looking to expand our opportunities. We are looking to grow. And we would love to have every French teacher be a part of that.
Norah Jones:
If you don’t feel welcome, folks, that I think there are people that are not even French teachers that are like, I’m going to join this sucker because it’s just so inviting.
Megan Diercks:
We’ll take you! We’ll take you!
Norah Jones:
We’ll take it all. We’ll take it all. How best to get in contact with the organization or with you? What’s the pathway that you’d like to send the person that’s like, I’m ready. I’m ready. And where do they go?
Megan Diercks:
Awesome, you can go to the AATF website, which is FrenchTeachers.org and click on the shop button at the top and that will take you to our store where you can purchase our membership online. You can also email AATF at FrenchTeachers.org and that will go to my assistant and he will filter the emails. If you’re interested in the Honor Society, he will send that off to our website. Society Secretary. If you have a question specifically for me, then that will get to me as well. But frenchteachers.org, you can get all of our resources and click the link to join.
Norah Jones:
Fantastic and I always invite folks to go to my website fluency.consulting and you’ll find when you go there more information about Megan and more resources to take a look at and links to all of those wonderful places one-stop shopping indeed. Megan thank you so much for what you have shared today your enthusiasm combined with your leadership skills really do provide a very bright future for a very important language in today’s world, both local for those that are listening in the United States, but also global for those that are listening everywhere else and for the businesses that come from everywhere else. Critically important that French be considered a key language for joy, for hope, and for opportunity. So thanks for sharing with the AATF and what you are doing to help make that possible.
Megan Diercks:
Thank you so much for having me. It’s really been an honor to sit and chat with you and it’s been a lot of fun too.
Norah Jones:
You see what I mean about this podcast? Megan Diercks has the focus that really brings a lot of joy to life. And I hope you were inspired by this conversation. Again, turn and reflect. Where do you bring that inspiration to others in your life? Check out my website, fluency.consulting for more information about Megan and to access the AATF website, go directly to frenchteachers.org. and see what it can do for you, or see what kind of a model it is for that which you are doing in your life, both personally and professionally. Look forward to welcoming you to the podcast next time.