In this episode of Unpacking Education, we’re joined by international educator Mathilde Landemaine to explore the rich and varied experiences of teaching abroad. With a teaching journey that spans France, England, and Japan, Mathilde offers an insider’s look at how educational systems differ—and what that means for students and teachers alike.
Tune in for a fascinating conversation about curriculum design, student motivation, and classroom culture across continents. From project-based learning in international schools to the rigor of France’s baccalaureate exams, this episode invites you to reflect on what we can learn when we view education through a global lens.
We believe that the ability to embrace differences must become an essential element of a school’s educational excellence.
Olivier Brochet, former Director of the Agency for French Education Abroad, from the website of the International French High School in Tokyo (quote has been translated from French into English)
Resources
The following resources are available from AVID and on AVID Open Access to explore related topics in more depth:
- Views From Both the Classroom and District Leadership: Perspectives, Insights, and Understanding, with Ena Rasmussen (podcast episode)
- Develop Global Collaborators: Connect Your Students to Classrooms Around the World (article)
- Leverage Virtual Field Trips to Engage Students in Authentic Learning Experiences (article)
- Insights From a Small, Rural District, with Natasha Monsaas-Daly (podcast episode)
Gaining Perspective
When you step into a classroom halfway across the world, you gain perspective—and that’s exactly what Mathilde Landemaine brings to this episode. With firsthand experience teaching in France, England, and Japan, Mathilde shares how different educational systems shape expectations around curriculum, student engagement, and teacher autonomy. In France, for example, “students don’t expect lessons to be always fun,” she notes, pointing to cultural attitudes that influence classroom dynamics.
This conversation highlights how global experiences can challenge assumptions and deepen professional insight. Whether it’s the collaborative rigor of project-based learning in international schools or the standardized structure of national exams, each context reveals something unique about how young people learn. As Mathilde reflects, “There is good and bad in every system,” and through open dialogue and exchange, educators everywhere can grow. The following are a few highlights.
- About Our Guest: Mathilde Landemaine is an international teacher who has taught in Japan, England, and France. In 2000, she graduated in France as a French and classical literature teacher. She has taught students ages four to 17 years old over the course of her career and currently teaches in Japan at the International French High School in Tokyo.
- International School: Much of Mathilde’s career has been spent teaching French to students from multiple countries. In at least one of the international schools where she taught, there was a heavy emphasis on projects like end-of-year shows and theater performances, which differed from a traditional French school.
- Getting Started: When Mathilde began teaching in England, she says, “There was no proper introduction.” In fact, some of the staff assumed that she was a substitute, or “temporary,” teacher. Because she was still early in her career, she didn’t interact much with her colleagues.
- Flexibility: While French teachers must follow a course syllabus, Mathilde says, “We are very free as to what we teach.” She says that they can choose their own texts and teaching methods. In England, they were expected to follow a textbook and plan collaboratively. In Japan, Mathilde says, “They would teach only lessons that have been prepared together beforehand, so they would never do their own lessons.” Overall, France is the most flexible. In fact, Mathilde says, “We wouldn’t want to be told what to do.”
- Efficiency: Because French teachers have quite a bit of autonomy, Mathilde acknowledges that it’s not always the most efficient approach. She says, “We waste a lot of time because everybody does their own exams, does their own lessons.”
- National Exams: French students must take national exams at the end of middle school and then a national baccalaureate graduation exam at the end of high school. Mathilde says that it is common to create mock exams during the year, so students can practice. She adds that in England, she would prepare students for their “A levels, which is like the high school graduation exam” in France.
- Baccalaureate: These exams still carry quite significant weight in France. They help students get into better universities. She says, “Your baccalaureate is still something that people are proud of.”
- Choosing a Direction: Mathilde explains that in France, two years before the end of high school, students “have to choose if they want to go more into science, or economy, or literature.” After that, they take their exam.
- Science: In all of the countries where Mathilde has taught, “science is the main subject, and all the good students, whether they love science or not, they’re told to learn science and to choose science.” Science is seen as the best gateway to a good career and opens opportunities in nearly any field. Students from educated families have an advantage. Mathilde says, “It’s knowing the system in both countries that is important.”
- Fun: Mathilde points out that one difference between French schools and English schools is that in the French system, “Students don’t expect lessons to be always fun, and that’s a big difference. We accept the idea that the lesson can be boring or difficult.” In England, teachers employ more interactive activities and games to keep students engaged. Mathilde says, “The classroom environment in Japan is quite old-fashioned, and it’s more the teachers speaking, and the students listening, and a lot of learning by heart . . . so there’s more memorization.”
- The School Day: Mathilde says, “In France, teachers are only expected to be at school for their lessons, so that’s quite different from many countries, like in England, where you’re supposed to be there from 8:00 to 3:00 or 4:00.” In England, she had an office space where she could work and would often be assigned supervision duties when she wasn’t teaching a class. In France, she was more freed up to use her time as she wished. In fact, she says, “We don’t have specific offices, so we have a main staff room where we can work, but it’s not like everybody could work there, so we are expected to work at home.” She adds that in France, “My day can be very different according to how much I teach that day. So sometimes, I come in the afternoon only. Sometimes, I teach in the morning and in the evening, so I stay the whole day at school, teaching [and] marking. In the French system, the day is quite long, so we start at 8:00 in the morning, and last lesson finishes at 6:00 in the afternoon.”
- Holidays: Because their school days are so long in France, they schedule a lot of school holidays to compensate. Making their days even longer, students often have homework in the evenings, particularly in high school.
- Japanese School Days: In Japan, students might end class in the early afternoon, and most attend private exam preparation schools after that. Mathilde says, “Sometimes, you come back from the restaurants, and you see students still with their uniforms coming back from this school.” She says that these private schools are nearly mandatory for students who aim to attend a good university.
- Discovery Learning: Mathilde’s toolkit strategy is “when students learn without realizing it, going through different activities before knowing where we’re aiming to, and then they’re building the competence and the knowledge. And at the end, they [say], ‘Oh, that’s it.’” In a French lesson, this might mean starting with a problem and having students try to find a solution together.
- Learning From Each Other: Mathilde thinks that we should exchange more between countries. She says, “There is good and bad in every system,” and she believes we can learn from each other.
Use the following resources to continue learning about this topic.
If you are listening to the podcast with your instructional team or would like to explore this topic more deeply, here are guiding questions to prompt your reflection:
- How can teaching in different countries influence an educator’s perspective?
- In what ways can exposure to global education systems inspire changes in your own teaching practice?
- How do national exams, like France’s baccalaureate, shape student motivation and curriculum focus?
- How do cultural attitudes toward “fun” or “rigor” affect student engagement across different education systems?
- How early should students be expected to choose academic or career pathways, and what are the implications of that?
- How can embracing educational practices from other countries help us create more effective classrooms?
- International French High School in Tokyo (official school website)
- Teaching in International Schools Overseas (U.S. Department of State)
- Programs for U.S. Teachers (U.S. Department of State)
#408 Teaching Abroad: Exploring Schools in Other Countries, with Mathilde Landemaine
AVID Open Access
35 min
Keywords
Teaching abroad, international schools, educational differences, project-based learning, student motivation, national exams, teaching strategies, student collaboration, educational systems, teacher flexibility, student pathways, educational excellence, classroom environment, student preparation.
Transcript
The following transcript was automatically generated from the podcast audio by generative artificial intelligence. Because of the automated nature of the process, this transcript may include unintended transcription and mechanical errors.
Mathilde Landemaine 0:00 But one difference I noticed between England and France or French system is that students don’t expect lessons to be always fun, and that’s a big difference.
Michelle Magallanez 0:14 The topic for the podcast is teaching the art, exploring schools in other countries with matted London, Unpacking Education is brought to you by avid.org.
Michelle Magallanez 0:25 AVID believes in seeing the potential of every student to learn more about avid visit their website at avid.org.
Rena Clark 0:35 Welcome to Unpacking Education, the Podcast where we explore current issues and best practices in education. I’m Rena Clark.
Paul Beckermann 0:46 I’m Paul Beckerman.
Winston Benjamin 0:47 And I’m Winston Benjamin. We are educators, and we’re here to share insights and actionable strategies.
Transition Music with Rena’s Children 0:56 Education is our passport to the future.
Michelle Magallanez 1:00 Today’s quote comes from the website of the International Friendship high school in Tokyo. They credit Olivier Bucha, former director of the agency for French education abroad, with the following quote, which was translated from French into English.
Michelle Magallanez 1:16 We believe that the ability to embrace differences must become an essential element of the school’s educational excellence. And so Paul, you start off with this quote today. What are you feeling?
Paul Beckermann 1:30 This takes me right back to my speech classroom when I used to teach small group problem solving skills with my students, and it seemed like almost without exception, the groups that were made up of the most diverse viewpoints and life experiences came up with the most innovative and interesting solutions to the problems. It’s like their collective brains together and their collective experiences equaled more than them individually. And I really believe they walked out of the classroom valuing that. And I can totally see how that dynamic would play into an international school. Really cool.
Michelle Magallanez 2:01 I love that, and it really resonates deeply with me, especially in the context of fostering real world skills like collaboration, empathy and creative problem solving. And like you, Paul, I’ve seen how different perspectives can transform a learning experience when students are exposed to differing viewpoints, not just tolerated, but truly embracing them. It challenges them to think more critically and with greater nuance.
In many ways, the ability to engage across difference is no longer optional. It’s foundational to a thriving global society, and that’s why I’m so excited to welcome Matti London to today’s episode, because Matti has had experience teaching in Japan, but also in England and in France, and has traveled worldwide, and so being able to share her experience as a teacher and what it looks like to be in this kind of dynamic environment. And so matte, can you introduce yourself and walk us through your journey as an educator? What led you to teach in the UK, France and Japan?
Mathilde Landemaine 3:14 Well, hello. Thanks for having me.
Well, I kind of graduated in France in 2000 as a French and classic classical literature teacher. So I would teach French and Latin and Greek, although I never came down to—I never ended up teaching Greek, because no one is learning it anymore. But I could teach Greek, and then I was, yeah, I was a teacher in France for four years in northern France, where I was sent in like middle school.
And then I met my husband, or who the person would become my husband, who, at that time, lived in England, and this is why I moved to England. And there I looked for a job. I thought teaching French would be easy, but no, I couldn’t find any job, because I guess I didn’t have a right qualification. But I got a further position as a Latin teacher. I ended up teaching Latin in a private girls school, like middle school, high school, and later on, I also was asked to teach French for primary school. So my students reached from four years old to 17 years old. That was quite interesting.
And then we moved back to France, and I was lucky enough to teach an international school in France. In France, nice, I was—it’s a state school, but it’s designed to welcome like children from expat families. So we had, it’s French syllabus, but we had, like, American program, Italian program, Spanish programs. So it was really nice to be in that international environment again. So I really enjoyed that. I taught there for 10 years, and then we thought that it would be nice to explore new territories. So because we love Japan so much, we decided my husband and I to move to Japan. And there I found a job in the French International School where I’m teaching, wow, that’s a lot of experiences, yeah.
Michelle Magallanez 5:27 And with that, some of this isn’t a story that’s entirely new to me, even though I’ve been for a number of years. So I’m super excited to be able to share your experience with everyone.
Paul Beckermann 5:40 Yeah. And I’m kind of wondering, you know, with all those experiences you’ve had, even when you were teaching in France for the second time, you were teaching students from lots of different nations, you know, that came to the schools, what a unique experience. I’m wondering if you could maybe talk about the similarities and differences between those different classrooms that you were able to teach in.
Mathilde Landemaine 6:01 Yeah, so I was French teacher. So I was, like, in the French part of the program, they would have, like, lessons with French teachers like me, and then lessons with native teachers, like American teachers or Spanish teachers. So yeah, I would do basically what I was supposed to do in any French school, but talking with the teachers, yeah, getting to know what they do in other subjects was kind of the interesting and good form, yeah, changing my my teaching methods, I guess. But still, I was like doing what I would do in a French school.
Paul Beckermann 6:44 Was there a difference amongst the schools, just as far as, like, the atmosphere that you felt, or the, you know, the way the students responded or collaborated or worked in your classrooms, depending on where you were located?
Mathilde Landemaine 6:58 Yeah, this international school, I mean, I think that’s maybe something that’s that you’re familiar with in America, but the accent was put on extra click curricular activities. There would be a lot of projects and, like, end of year shows, and I don’t know, theater place that was really something different from a like, typical French school, I would say. Yeah, working in terms of projects and building projects together, that was different.
Michelle Magallanez 7:33 And I love that. That’s actually something that we’ve talked about with guests recently on Unpacking Education is the importance of bringing that project based learning into the classroom and hearing that that’s a strong part of an international school curriculum is really heartening to learn. And my wondering is as you’re thinking about your experiences and looking back to your time in the United Kingdom, what was it like teaching in sort of an all girls school, and balancing teaching older students with some of the younger students that you were teaching French with? Was that a very big difference for you?
Mathilde Landemaine 8:20 Teaching only girls first was kind of different, because I had never had such an environment in France as a students or as a teacher. Um, but yeah, it didn’t make that big a difference. I mean, and yeah, teaching is teaching, and I, I don’t know. I don’t feel like it makes such a big difference in the class atmosphere.
Teaching ranging from primary school all the way up, yeah, primary school, that’s maybe not my thing. It’s quite challenging, I would say, especially with the younger the youngest ones, like the four year old girls that were really so it was like, play time for them. You know, it was French, was like, so we would do songs and games, so that was fun, but maybe not what I love most in teaching, yeah.
I’m curious about your experience as a teacher in those schools when so what you’ve started many times now in a new school, is there a difference in how they bring you on to the staff, like training, they give you preparation, resources. How is that the same or different amongst your schools?
Yeah, well, in England, it was—I think people thought I was like, exchange teacher. I was quite young. I was like, 25. Yeah, I didn’t interact that much with the other colleagues. I think they thought I was a momentary teacher. I don’t know. So I was, there was no proper introduction to to other teachers. Maybe I was a bit difficult for me. Um, in French schools, I don’t know, we, because as soon as we start teaching, we have to interact with all the colleagues. So it just goes naturally. Um,
Paul Beckermann 10:18 Do they tell you what you have to teach, or do you have a lot of flexibility in in what you teach each day?
Mathilde Landemaine 10:24 Well, in the French system, yeah, we have the syllabus, of course, but we are very free as to what we teach, what, what, for example, for me, what texts we choose, how we want to go there. That’s very, yeah, free.
In England, we used textbooks, so I guess that would be the guidance following the textbook. And we would discuss a lot, yeah, with my classics teachers colleagues for what, what I would do. And yeah, we have. We exchanged much more in in England than we do in France. In France, I think teachers, they they like their freedom. They like to be able to to teach the way they want and what they want. Of course, yeah, within the the official syllabus, but I think in Japan, they that doesn’t exist. They, they would teach only lessons that have been prepared together beforehand. So they would never do their own lessons. So France is probably the most flexible, and Japan maybe the most strict and rigid.
Oh, thanks, yeah. And in a way, I—we love our freedom, and we wouldn’t want, you know, to be told what to do, teach when and how. But in a way, I realized like seeing other colleagues the way other people work in other countries. I have friends also teachers in other countries. So we talk, we waste a lot of time, because everybody does their own exams, does their own lessons. And that could be, you know, something we do together would would be much more interesting, and it would save a lot of time, but.
Paul Beckermann 12:25 I was going to ask you about the exam piece. So it sounds like in some of the places you teach, you can create your own exam, and are you given exams in some places that you have to distribute to students? Or how does that work?
Mathilde Landemaine 12:42 No, when, sometimes, when they had like an exam, like end of middle school, they have like a national exam in the French system, right? And in the end of high school, they have the baccalaureate, which is the graduation exam. So we would like work together to make mock exams during the year like, the same for all the students. And then, of course, the national exams, yeah, are sent by the and it’s the same for all the students in France.
Paul Beckermann 13:15 How about the other countries that you’ve been in? Is there a national exam in England and Japan too. Do you know?
Mathilde Landemaine 13:24 I think it was the same in England, because I would prepare the students for their for their A levels, which is like the high, high school graduation exam. And there was more or less same thing, yeah.
Paul Beckermann 13:37 Okay, that’s quite different from here, because here, every teacher does their own thing, and it’s not so much that you have to pass a national exam, but you need to earn so many credits within the school, so you have to pass the individual classes, and then that moves you on. But there’s not like a standard national exam.
Mathilde Landemaine 13:59 Yeah, in France, this Baccalaureate is still quite a thing. And, yeah, even though now we know that it’s not enough to get a job, and of course, you have to go to a good school or university, but still, in the tradition, it’s it’s very important, yeah, and getting your back, your Baccalaureate is still something that people are proud of.
Paul Beckermann 14:23 How do those students feel about those national tests?
Mathilde Landemaine 14:29 Well, they, I think they don’t mind it, because it’s it’s a way to to know your your level, and to know that you’re told the same wherever you study, in France, in good schools or in bad schools, it’s quite good to know that the final exam will be the same for all the students. So and then it’s like an achievement and the end of an era for the students. So I think they’re, they’re quite attached to it still. Yeah.
Paul Beckermann 14:59 One more question about kind of the student experience, because I’ve only known American schools or United States schools, is there a place where the students kind of need to choose their pathway and at a certain point in their education, they either go one direct, like to a university, or they prepare for something else.
Mathilde Landemaine 15:21 Oh, yeah, after high school, yeah, they would. But before that, I mean, two years before the end of a high school, they have to choose they want to go more into science or economy or literature. So that’s the first choice. And yeah. After they take their exam, they would, they would, yeah, decide where they want to study. But is that in all of the countries that that Yes?
And that’s quite problematic, actually, because now science is like the main subject, and all the good students, whether they love or science or not, they’re told to learn science and to choose science. So we’ve had quite a few reforms, changes made, so that you know that would change and you could be like good student, grade student, and choose to study literature because you love it, but still, mathematics is like the the other.
Paul Beckermann 16:30 Is that pressure coming from, like, the federal government, or is it coming from families? Or who’s pushing families?
Mathilde Landemaine 16:37 Yeah, it’s the idea that if you’re if you’re great students in science, you can study anything.
Michelle Magallanez 16:47 And that’s something that always found really interesting in a difference between the United States educational system and France in particular, is that French students—there’s the system is very egalitarian in that the same test, yes, and if you have the merit, you can move up and do amazing things. It’s just, is such there is there is such focus on what the French call le Gonza, go ELA, and those are the schools where the focus is on science, political science, math, engineering, and so those students who are interested more in humanities or literature are sort of pushed in that direction, because if they’re able to graduate those schools that gives them that elevates them in society. Exactly. Yeah, you’re right. It’s a very interesting system that anyone who has the ability to succeed in those national exams and then go on into really competitive schools have amazing opportunities open to them regardless of where they come from.
And it’s a bit different here, where our kiddos can graduate from high school, they they can get into a really competitive college, but even graduating from that competitive college doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re going to do well. So when you and so when you look at those two systems, it’s it’s fascinating to see how far merit can take you in France, where here it’s kind of like, hmm, even, even though, if we can put in the merit, there’s still more that, more of the networking and finding that sort of the right niche for a student is more of how it works here in the United States. Would would you agree, Paul? Or?
Paul Beckermann 18:41 Yeah, and I don’t feel like there’s that much eagerness to get into the maths and sciences across the board. I mean, certainly some students do pursue that, but not nearly like what you’re describing in Europe.
Mathilde Landemaine 18:57 That’s interesting. Well, what, Michelle, what you described is true, but I would say it’s like the theory and of course, it’s not as wonderful as you make it sound. Yeah, when you come from more challenging school areas, of course, if you’re good students, you can, like, get to this more selective, conical like college, but it’s very difficult, because you will have to compete with students who come from much more educated families, who have like the comfort to study and and who know the system really well. Exactly. It’s knowing the system in both countries that important. So.
Paul Beckermann 19:47 I’m kind of curious. Now, okay, I said it was my last question, but it’s not, no. So how motivated are the students? Do they come into class seeming pretty academically motivated? Or are they just kind of like, I really don’t want to be here?
Mathilde Landemaine 20:02 Yes, I think there are, well, I mean, since I—well in that school in France, where I taught for 10 years, and now in this school, I think there we have, like, really motivated students, and they come to school to study and, yeah.
But one difference I noticed between England and France or French system is that students don’t expect lessons to be always fun, and that’s a big difference. We accept the idea that the lesson can be boring or difficult. And I mean, in England, it was we, I learned a lot because we, we would teach using more interactive activities and games. And, yeah, I would say maybe or in classes can be a bit boring sometimes. In France, yeah.
Paul Beckermann 20:58 How about in Japan?
Mathilde Landemaine 21:00 Yeah. So, well, as I said, I teach in a French school, but I think from when I heard that the classroom environment in Japan is quite old fashioned, and it’s more the teachers speaking and the students listening and a lot of learning by heart. And so maybe what we would have like 50 years ago, or maybe more. Yeah, so there’s more memorization, and the teachers, the sage on the stage, something like that.
Although I think Primary School is quite different. It’s quite open. They do a lot of day trips, and it’s quite open to the outside world, and they learn a lot about being part of a community, like how to socialize, how to respect others, how to take responsibilities for your action. That’s quite something they teach in the primary school, and I think then in middle school, they start preparing for the exams, like high school exams, university exams. So then it gets very serious and a lot of memorizing.
Michelle Magallanez 22:08 And let’s say, focus on those essential life skills so early on, so that students have developed that self regulation and self awareness as young learners, so that they can carry that forward as they grow up. That’s awesome.
And so with that, just out of curiosity, what does your average day as a high school teacher look like in each of these countries? Is it very similar? Were there differences?
Mathilde Landemaine 22:38 It’s quite different actually, because in in France, teachers are only expected to be at school for their lessons. So that’s quite different from many countries, yeah, like in England, where you’re supposed to be there from, I don’t know, eight to three or four.
When I didn’t teach, I would work in my of—in England, I would, I would work in our office, you know, with my colleagues. And I would have to, sometimes, like, go and watch the corridors and or watch the students in the libraries. I would have, like, some tasks I would, yeah, I needed to do every every week.
And in France, yeah, you can do whatever you want. You have to teach, like, AI, yeah. I think the minimum is 18 hours a week. Usually with small about 20, 20 hours a week. And we don’t have specific offices, so we have, like, main staff room where we can work. But it’s not like, well, not everybody could work there, so we are expected to work at home.
So it the, yeah, my day can be very different according to how much I teach that day. So sometimes I come in the afternoon, only sometimes I teach in the morning and in the evening. So I stay the the whole day at school, teaching, marking, so. And yeah, in the French system, the the day is quite long, so we start eight in the morning and last lesson finishes at six in the afternoon. So that’s quite a lot for the students, whereas in England, we would finish three, four, I think, and, yeah, we would have a tea time at the end of the day. That was nice.
So the students are there that long in France every day? Yes, yeah, we have a lot of school holidays, but to compensate, we had—the students have really long days.
Paul Beckermann 24:41 Do they have much for homework then or when they leave school that they’re done for the day?
Mathilde Landemaine 24:46 No, unfortunately, yeah, they have homework. Well, usually they finish at five and but in high school, yeah, often six. But my, yeah, the students in my school, they because. Follow this, like biling Work Program, like French syllabus, and, for example, American also, they have maybe more a lot of hours and homework. So maybe that’s a bit special.
Paul Beckermann 25:14 **** So you said an average teacher would be on campus in France, maybe 20 hours a week, so like four hours a day.
Mathilde Landemaine 25:23 No, that’s not how we teach 20 hours a week. Or you teach 20 hours, the hours would be like spread in so it depends how good your your schedule is and yeah, so we would be down depends. Sometimes we can have free afternoon or free morning, but usually we’re there.
Michelle Magallanez 25:45 That’s interesting, because in the United States, teachers are there from usually about seven in the morning, depending on the teacher when school ends at about three, 3:30 some leave right after others stay, and as you said, do correct correct homework and prepare their lessons for the next day. But teachers here in the United States are doing a lot of those administrative tasks in their school to watching kiddos on the playground, monitoring halls. It’s fascinating that in sort of the French culture, the focus really is on teaching and really focusing on your area of specialty and sharing that with a student. And so that’s that’s fascinating. I love the differences.
Paul Beckermann 26:35 So I know you said you’re in a French school, international school in Japan, from what you’ve heard or observed how? How long are those Japanese school days? Do you know?
Mathilde Landemaine 26:47 Um, well, I think they end like in early afternoon. But of course, they have this after school system that nearly all the students have to take.
So what’s that? It’s like, they have these private schools. It’s like cramming schools like to prepare the students for the exam. And most of the students, they would go there after school, and that 8 p.m. or Wow. It’s Wow. That’s quite tough. Yeah, sometimes you, you come back from the restaurants and you see students still with their uniforms coming back from this, yeah, this school. So it’s.
Paul Beckermann 27:33 So are those publicly supported, or are those private?
Mathilde Landemaine 27:36 No, they are private. But yeah, if you, if you’re aiming to to get into a good school, you have to follow these.
Paul Beckermann 27:49 Anything else you want to ask Michelle before we jump into our toolkit?
Michelle Magallanez 27:52 No, but this, it’s been fascinating to learn the differences we get so focused on what we know every day that it’s really wonderful that you’ve been able to share your perspective of what’s happening in different parts of the world and and how we’re educating our young ones and preparing them for the future. So thank you for that.
Mathilde Landemaine 28:12 Thank you very much.
Paul Beckermann 28:14 All right, well, let’s go to our toolkit then and see what else we can drop in here.
Transition Music with Rena’s Children 28:18 Check it out. Check it out. Check it out. Check it out. Check it out. What’s in the toolkit or what’s in the toolkit. Check it out.
Paul Beckermann 28:29 All right. Toolkit time. Michelle, what would you like to add to our toolkit?
Michelle Magallanez 28:34 I love, and I’m going to go find out more, learning the differences about how we’re preparing our students for what happens after school. Because here in the United States, once a student graduates from high school, they they have that opportunity to potentially go off onto college or look at what that alternative career path is for them. And it’s it’s interesting looking at it from the perspective of other countries of what that type of preparation looks like, and when does it really start? It sounds from what you were sharing, Mathilde, that the decision students are making early in what we would call their high school years, that are pushing them in a particular direction of what they’re going to do in their adult life.
Paul Beckermann 29:20 Yeah, yeah, it seems very different in some regards. And you know, otherwise, I’m guessing kids are still kids too.
You know, I love these kinds of conversations, because what I would drop in the toolkit is perspective. And honestly, that’s why I like to travel so much. I like to go and meet as many different people as I can, and see as many different places that I’ve never been before. As I can, to broaden my perspective of this world we live in, because I feel like every time I get to go somewhere new, I have a better version of myself that I come back with, because there’s just more to build upon. And you know, if we can be curious, if we can learn from each other, wow, it kind of goes back to that quote at the beginning. I think that makes us all better and stronger.
Mathilde, I don’t know if I said your name right, but it’s that try to pronounce it like the French. You have a, you have a chance to jump in the toolkit here too. Would you like to leave our listeners with a thought or an insight or a way that you teach there, or anything you want?
Mathilde Landemaine 30:28 Yeah, we didn’t think about that. Yeah.
Paul Beckermann 30:33 How about this for a toolkit? Mathilde, what’s like one of your favorite teaching strategies that you use in your classroom?
Mathilde Landemaine 30:42 Yeah, I like it. I don’t know if it’s strategy, but I like it when students learn without realizing it, and going through different activities before them knowing where we’re aiming to, and then they’re building the competence and the knowledge. And at the end they said, “Oh, well, that that’s it.” That’s that was it. That’s all. That’s my favorite type of class or activity.
Paul Beckermann 31:11 So how would you do that in a French lesson?
Mathilde Landemaine 31:14 Um, yeah, maybe starting with a problem or something, hustling them and them trying to find a solution, and then so they would build themselves though the way to get there.
Paul Beckermann 31:32 That is definitely a strategy, and I love it. That’s really good. Thank you.
Michelle Magallanez 31:40 And so with that, guess what time it is?
Paul Beckermann 31:44 Time for
Michelle Magallanez 31:45 that one thing? I love it.
Transition Music 31:48 It’s time for that one thing. Time for that one thing. It’s that one thing.
Michelle Magallanez 32:00 And so in this part of the episode, we talk about, what is that one thing that we want to take away from this conversation that is meaningful for us and that we’d like to share with others? And so with that, Paul, what is your one thing?
Paul Beckermann 32:16 It kind of goes back to my toolkit. I just want to know more. This little bit of information has made me even more curious, you know, to learn what strategies and structures are in place in other parts of the world. And I’m very interested in in that drive internationally to get students into math and sciences. I mean, we talk about that in the United States, but I’m not sure I see that in practice as much. So that’s really interesting to me.
Michelle Magallanez 32:42 And Mathilde, do you have one thing that you’re going to be taking away from this conversation today?
Mathilde Landemaine 32:49 Yeah, maybe in the same direction, like when you asked me for that podcast, podcast, I thought, yeah, I don’t think I have very interesting stuff to bring on. But yeah, thinking about it like what I learned from every school, every country, every system I taught in, and then discussing with you, I think we should, yeah, maybe exchange more in between countries, because there there is good and bad in every system. So yeah, I think that’s something I’d like to to pursue, to keep on doing.
Michelle Magallanez 33:23 I love that and that to build on what you’ve said. My one thing is exactly that. It’s being able to bring different perspectives into a conversation, so that people realize how things can be similar, but those differences, how can embrace them and learn something from them. And so that’s my one thing, being able to continue to bring people into this type of conversation, to share that knowledge, and open people’s eyes to all of the possibilities that are available, not just in how we do one thing here in the United States or somewhere else, but how can we take the best from each to really build something special and meaningful for students.
Paul Beckermann 34:06 100% agree, Michelle.
Michelle Magallanez 34:07 And so with that, Mathilde, thank you so much for coming and visiting with us and sharing your experiences. We really appreciate it. Thank you so much for having me that was fun.
Rena Clark 34:22 Thanks for listening to Unpacking Education.
Winston Benjamin 34:25 We invite you to visit us at avid Open access.org where you can discover resources to support student agency and academic tenacity to create a classroom for future ready learners.
Paul Beckermann 34:40 We’ll be back here next Wednesday for a fresh episode of Unpacking Education.
Rena Clark 34:45 And remember, “Go forth and be awesome”.
Winston Benjamin 34:51 Thank you for all you do.
Paul Beckermann 34:53 You make a difference.