Gislele ` Rappaport
By Tori Gilbert
When you have worked with a colleague for nearly 25 years , saying goodbye is difficult . However , Gisèle Rappaport has left an indelible mark on our teaching of modern languages and in our hearts . A piece of who she is and what she believed will stay with us forever . One of the ways to see this mark is to examine Gisèle ’ s dedication to her students . It begins as they cross the threshold of her classroom ; English is left behind and the boys enter “ France ” away from France . Whether it is her acerbic humor , her very high expectations , her plumier or crêpes , the boys ’ encounter with Madame and all things French is memorable . Her work ethic in
“ Madame ’ s ability to simplify and distill a concept to its essentials has always inspired me .”
preparing materials so they hit the “ just right ” note was unmatched , as was her willingness to meet students outside of class time to help them wrestle with a grammar topic . Madame ’ s ability to simplify and distill a concept to its essentials has always inspired me . As mentioned in her retirement announcement , Gisèle introduced the total immersion method of teaching languages to Saint David ’ s . An early innovator of what world language teachers today refer to as “ 95 percent target language use ” helped the rest of us implement the approach . By teaching her classes entirely in French and helping the boys see that , yes , they could still understand , Madame gave them the gift of knowing that they could be successful . All they had to do was trust her long enough to see she would never lead them astray . The breadcrumbs for decoding the meaning of her words were there for them to track . With this belief in themselves , her students were willing to take risks and make inferences that let their language skills grow . It also taught them to tolerate some ambiguity ( a life skill !) and trust themselves .
Gisèle is a team player who was always willing to add to her duty list as needed ; whether that meant teaching an introductory Spanish class to eighth graders , a Latin course to fifth graders , or helping the Headmaster ’ s office wrap hundreds of student gifts or prepare a mailing . She would just jump in . Her generosity of spirit extended to her entire work family .
In creating this homage to Madame , many colleagues came forward to share how they felt about her . All shared that she was a wonderful and supportive colleague . One mentioned how she will miss having a colleague that just “ gets her ” and how Gisèle has always inspired her with her moral compass in facing whatever challenge might come their way . Another noted that Gisèle is “ always the first one in the office and many times the last one to leave . It does not matter if a story is short or long , Madame is a great listener and willing to provide helpful advice .” And having “ Happy Birthday ” sung to you in French was also a special treat conceded on many .
Of course , no homage would ring true if there were not some sharing of bugaboos . For Gisèle , that was technology . I still recall her many tears of frustration when we transitioned to a digital work environment . She always doubted herself in this arena , and yet , today , she knows how far she has come confronting the challenges
12 • Saint David ’ s Magazine