TEACHER TUESDAY: RHONDA HEARON

Rhonda Hearon has taught at Worthington Christian since 2008. She taught 11th grade English for ten years and became the Upper School’s French teacher two years ago. She currently teaches Introduction to World Languages and French 1-4.

How would you describe your teaching style? “I bring a lot of energy to my classroom and I prefer to create together with my students rather than a traditional top-down lecturing approach. My classes have a reputation for being rigorous, but I don’t make my classes hard for the sake of being hard…I simply require my students to think critically.”

What is the most challenging aspect of your role? “I always want more time together with my students in class. Also, there is so much to learn and there are always ways to become a better teacher–finding the right work-life balance is a challenge. This year in particular, I am diving into a new foreign language teaching methodology called Comprehensible Input. It is yielding incredible results in student involvement and language growth but requires a significant amount of research and planning for me as it is completely new.”

What is the most rewarding aspect of your role? “I love watching students get excited about learning. This year, with my new instructional model, students are frequently speaking out in French as they participate in class–that’s really fun for me as a teacher. I also enjoy developing relationships with my students that facilitate a strong basis for learning.”

How do you incorporate faith and learning? “I place a strong emphasis on language acquisition because language is part of being made in the image of God. Jesus is called the Word of God. Words matter to God. Being able to use words to communicate is a gift.”