The 2018 OFLA Conference…Are you ready?

Posted on January 19, 2018 by

Beth Hanlon, 2017-2018 OFLA President
Spanish Teacher, Oberlin High School

The 2018 OFLA conference is taking shape and it is incredible to watch it all come together! The OFLA board is very excited to provide this professional development opportunity for our members! I would like to take this time to give you more details in regards to the conference. Please make sure to click on the links throughout this article for additional information!

The conference has spent many years at great locations in Columbus but this year it is traveling to Cleveland! The Cleveland Marriott is located at 127 Public Square (Entrance at 1360 West Mall Drive). Please plan for valet parking at the hotel. The hotel is $139/per night plus any applicable fees and taxes. Continue reading →

Posted in Conference, Executive News, Letter from the President, Uncategorized, Winter 2018 | Leave a comment

Upcoming Events

Posted on January 19, 2018 by

Milton Alan Turner, President Elect
French and Spanish Teacher, Saint Ignatius High School

2018 OFLA Elections
After working with the OFLA Nominations Committee, we will soon present the members that will be running for OFLA Board positions during the upcoming election! During this election cycle, as with each year’s election, a new member of the presidential track is elected to a four-year term to serve as Executive Vice-President, President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past President. This four-year term gives the person time to learn the function of the board and time to develop projects and ideas for the membership. In addition to the election of a new Executive Vice-President, the Executive Treasurer, the Public Relations and Advocacy Chair and the Parliamentarian and By-Laws Chair are also being elected on a three-year rotation. These positions will begin the 2018-2019 school year. The OFLA Board also voted to accept a slate of Committee Chairs for a one-year term, 2018-2019. These candidates are elected as a slate.
The biographies and vision statements of the executive position candidates will be available in late January and voting is planned to begin at the end of February. Please watch your email for details. Continue reading →

Posted in Executive News, General, Opportunities, Uncategorized, Winter 2018 | Leave a comment

The Columbus Museum of Art Provides Inspiration to Ohio’s French Teachers and Students

Posted on January 19, 2018 by

Lesley Chapman, Executive Vice President

French Teacher, Sycamore High School

I don’t know about you, but I am often on the lookout for meaningful, worthwhile cultural experiences for my students. I’m not much of a fan of going on a field trip with no real pedagogical reason. I have always believed that time out of the classroom should provide some growth opportunity that a student wouldn’t normally seek out on their own. Those experiences are not easy to come by. I was thrilled when I saw that the Columbus Museum of Art was hosting a French Impressionism exhibit (Beyond Impressionism – Paris, Fin de Siècle: Signac, Redon, Toulouse-Lautrec and Their Contemporaries, October 21, 2017 through January 21, 2018), and I jumped at the chance to take my students. This is truly a rare opportunity, as the Columbus Art Museum is the only art museum in the U.S. hosting. It is through a partnership with the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Winter 2018 | Leave a comment

AU SECOURS! Translation: HELP!

Posted on January 19, 2018 by

Julie Frye, OFLA Membership Chair

Lexington High School French Teacher

This may be repetitive, and I seem to make a similar plea each year in September and January, and maybe even a third time as the annual OFLA Conference approaches!

If you are reading this article, that means your member profile is current and includes a VALID email address. As I have been updating our membership roster, especially those members who are using the OEA payroll deduction method, I am finding so many of our colleagues whose email addresses are not correct. This means that any communication we send out to the Membership (you!) is not making it to all of our members. Some teachers are missing announcements from our Professional Development team, are unaware of Board openings and nominations, don’t have access to scholarship applications, are not receiving this newsletter, The Cardinal, and will not know when registration opens for the 2018 OFLA Conference in Cleveland, because every email we send gets returned as ‘unable to deliver.” Continue reading →

Posted in Membership, Uncategorized, Winter 2018 | Leave a comment

Why Write an Article for The Cardinal

Posted on January 19, 2018 by

Jonathan Harris

Executive Recorder and Editor of the Cardinal, OFLA

Spanish Teacher, St. Gabriel Consolidated School, Cincinnati, Ohio

“The art or craft of writing is a clumsy attempt to find symbols for the wordlessness,” said award-winning author John Steinbeck when he was asked about writing. I found this quote while writing this article for The Cardinal, with a topic of writing an article for The Cardinal. I’d like to take a moment as we start a new year to remind ourselves about The Cardinal and why we need authors and articles. This is not a shameless sales pitch. You won’t get paid, no eternal glory, but you will help other members of the world language Continue reading →

Posted in Cardinal, Uncategorized, Winter 2018 | Leave a comment

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Reflections from ACTFL

Posted on January 19, 2018 by

Dina Marsala, OFLA Editor of Electronic Media
French Teacher, Avon Lake City Schools

This past November I had the opportunity to attend my first ACTFL Convention in Nashville. Visiting Nashville was a dream come true with the live bands, country music history and I even got to meet Elvis! The Convention itself had so many learning opportunities even for a seasoned teacher. Many of the sessions that I attended focused on proficiency. I’d love to share with you my experience and a few take-a-ways.

I was lucky to be able to attend a workshop given by Linda Egnatz, 2014 ACTFL Teacher of the Year. Her session was titled Proficiency as a Tool to Focus Curriculum, Instruction and Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Winter 2018 | Leave a comment

WE BUILT THIS CITY ON ROCK AND ROLL: Cleveland welcomes you to the 2018 OFLA Annual Conference

Posted on January 19, 2018 by

Holly Haputa, Professional Development Chair

Spanish Teacher, Avon Lake High School

I am ecstatic that my hometown is hosting this year’s annual conference! The session line up has a fantastic variety of topics and we are in the heart of the city center. All we need is you, hopefully your plans are in full swing to attend.

Teacher-driven professional development tops my priority list. In an effort to assess and meet your needs as educators, I ask that you complete the following survey by February 19, 2018: https://tinyurl.com/2018OFLAPD​. Please be honest with your responses so we can design future professional development opportunities around you, your needs, and your preferences. Once the survey is complete, results will be posted. Continue reading →

Posted in Professional Development, Uncategorized, Winter 2018 | Leave a comment