1. Creative ideas for classes from AFMSP
Friday, October 20, 2017
USAF Federation meeting
New Orleans
Alix Lewis-Sadrant

2. Examples from Minneapolis/St Paul
Topics classes
Workshops
Mini-session
Review classes
New cooking program

3. 5-week Topics classes French for Travelers Literature classes
Region or city (châteaux de la Loire, La Bretagne, Lyon)
Linked to an event or anniversary
Can be taught several times on several sites

4. 3-hour one-shot Workshops
Pronunciation or a grammar theme (temps du passé, les pronoms)
Link to a holiday/ special occasion
Connection to a cultural event at AF
Highlight an event in the community
Food and wine

5. 3-week Mini-session Chance for returning students to try something new
Opportunity to take a class for under $100
Way to test a new class
Shorten break between longer sessions

6. Review classes 3 or 5 week grammar brush-up
Good starting point for new AF students with French experience
Bridge between class levels, students gain confidence before moving on

7. Cooking classes New program (Fall 2017)
Identified community interest in classes
Conducted member survey
Offered a variety of themes and class times
Reaches a new audience

8. Tips for successful classes
Define focus/goal: in most cases the main goal is to learn and use/make progress in French (FLE class, topic is the tool, not the be-all-end-all)
Classes need to be interactive, not a cours magistral, with numerous opportunities for interaction and practice
You may need to give a class several tries before finding the right formula (required French level, format, timing, resources)

9. Tips for successful classes
Tap into your teams’ knowledge and interests
Look to your students and community-members for ideas and for feedback.
Follow up on student (and instructor) feedback to improve a concept or class and make sure it continues to evolve

10. Tips for successful classes
Be open to expanding beyond your core mission/activity
For successful themes create proprietary resources that can easily be used by other instructors

11. Merci!