December 2016
A Look into the Life and Teaching of Madame Petersen
December 2016
TEACHER SPOTLIGHT
BEHIND THE TEACHER
A Look into the Life and Teaching of Madame Petersen
BY ELIZA LEE
Petersen has lived an adventurous life all around the world . She was born in Chicago , Illinois , but soon moved to Iran , where she spent the majority of her childhood . She then moved to Texas to attended Baylor University , then to Colorado , back to Texas , and finally to Orange County , where she currently resides .
Petersen is trilingual ; she is fluent in French , English , and Farsi . Her passion for French has been an important role in her life . Petersen has been learning French since she was in third grade , and went on to study it further in college . Petersen is also passionate about teaching and has taught for 15 years across Texas , Colorado , and California .
Petersen has always known she wanted to be a teacher . When she was little , she used to play “ school .” Petersen ’ s favorite thing about teaching is the students . She loves the relationships she builds with them and enjoys getting to know each student personally over the course of their high school career .
Petersen standing in her new , creatively decorated classroom .
Photo Courtesy of Eliza Lee
Behind room 204 is more than just a French class . Behind those doors lies a room that not only looks fantastic , but is full of fun learning opportunities . Behind those doors lies Mrs . Roya Petersen , a hardworking lady whose consistent dedication to teaching French is truly admirable . Students walk out of her class not only enlightened with the knowledge of the French language but also happy and smiling . The reason : she teaches French in a way that both engages her students ’ minds as well as enlightens their hearts .
Having taught all grade levels with the exception of 6th grade , Petersen ’ s favorite grade to teach is high school . Petersen likes teenagers and enjoys teaching them . “[ High schoolers ] make me laugh a lot , so it makes my day go fast ,” Petersen said .
In her years teaching French at public and private schools across the country , Petersen has learned a lot about how to teach French better . In her free time , Petersen consistently researches more ways to teach French , and how she could more efficiently teach her students . Her brightly decorated room , creative projects , and other innovative ideas are just a few of the ways she makes her French classes engaging and enjoyable .
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