This year, Western is home to a few new teachers including Mrs. Cone, who arrived from her former high school to teach French. She answered some questions to let you get to know her better.

She has been teaching for twenty years now. She began at the University of Virginia, then at the Tandem Friends High School for thirteen years, and now she’s here. And it’s thanks to the good reputation of our school. She was told that the students were serious and motivated and one of her friends advised her to come here, and she is very happy to have followed her advice.

“I was a little afraid because I come from a very small High School, with only 200 students.” Mrs Cone said.

But Western was a good surprise, she thinks she will stay for a moment.  She is able to teach French now because she travelled a lot. She went to France for the first time when she was sixteen. Then, she went back during her studies as an English teacher assistant in the suburb of Paris just before taking her PHD. She also travelled to Quebec.

Of course, she noticed some differences between France and the US.

“I really prefer French food!” she said. But what stood out to her the most was something else. She was really surprised by the relation between the student and the teacher in France. She thought it was really distant, very different to the US. She didn’t like the way French teachers behaved with the students. She has been shocked by the words they employed sometimes against the students. That’s why she prefers the US schools. Because she thinks American teachers support the students more.

She also prefers teaching in a high school instead of the University, because in the University, she saw her students once a week and couldn’t get to know them like in the high school.

If you’re interested in French literature, Mrs. Cone advises that you The Meursault Investigation or, in French, Meursault, contre-enquete. It’s another version of L’Etranger d’Albert Camus. She loved it.
Beyond, the high school, Mrs. Cone loves cooking, reading, hanging out with her friends and she also has a pretty mean cat, named Rex. Now that you know her better, she looks forward to getting to know you!