{"id":954,"date":"2025-03-06T06:45:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T06:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/?p=954"},"modified":"2025-02-22T02:43:26","modified_gmt":"2025-02-22T02:43:26","slug":"5-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-teaching-in-a-bilingual-classroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/?p=954","title":{"rendered":"5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Teaching in a Bilingual Classroom"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"954\" class=\"elementor elementor-954\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bda32f9 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"bda32f9\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-db5b3d0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"db5b3d0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Teaching in a bilingual classroom is such a rewarding experience, but it also comes with its own unique challenges. When I first started, I quickly realized that what worked in an English classroom didn\u2019t always translate (literally and figuratively) into French. There was a lot of trial and error, a lot of adapting, and honestly\u2014a lot of creating my own resources! Looking back, here are five things I wish I had known before stepping into a bilingual classroom.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a725265 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"a725265\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-712fdfb elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"712fdfb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Not Every Resource Works in Both Languages<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8468ac7 e-grid e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"8468ac7\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6b9b9a3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"6b9b9a3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/1-1024x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-957\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/1-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/1-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/1.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-48d49ef elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"48d49ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/6-1024x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-962\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/6-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/6-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/6-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/6-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/6.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84d78a7 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"84d78a7\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68678e8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"68678e8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">I learned this one fast. Some activities that are perfect in English just don\u2019t work the same way in French, especially when it comes to phonics, sentence structure, or word patterns. Many \u201cprint and go\u201d resources are designed with English learners in mind, which can make things tricky when teaching French Immersion. That\u2019s why I started creating my own resources\u2014ones that work seamlessly in both languages and take the guesswork out of adapting everything.<\/p><p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\ud83d\udc49 <strong data-prosemirror-content-type=\"mark\" data-prosemirror-mark-name=\"strong\">Want ready-to-go bilingual resources?<\/strong> Check out my <strong data-prosemirror-content-type=\"mark\" data-prosemirror-mark-name=\"strong\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teacherspayteachers.com\/Product\/Math-Chain-Links-Counting-1-30-French-and-English-11130626\">Math Chain Links &#8211; Counting 1-30<\/a><\/strong>, <strong data-prosemirror-content-type=\"mark\" data-prosemirror-mark-name=\"strong\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teacherspayteachers.com\/Product\/Alphabet-Roll-Clip-Clothespin-Centre-French-and-English-10918944\">Alphabet Roll &amp; Clip Clothespin Centre<\/a><\/strong>, and <strong data-prosemirror-content-type=\"mark\" data-prosemirror-mark-name=\"strong\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teacherspayteachers.com\/Product\/Valentine-Cards-from-Teacher-to-Student-French-and-English-10879017\">Valentine Cards from Teacher to Student<\/a><\/strong>\u2014all available in both <strong data-prosemirror-content-type=\"mark\" data-prosemirror-mark-name=\"strong\">French and English<\/strong>!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5bbe45a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5bbe45a\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c9d1204 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c9d1204\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2. Hands-On Materials Always Win with Little Learners<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-508f7af e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"508f7af\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-600e8da elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"600e8da\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2-300x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-958\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-52c5568 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"52c5568\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c308015 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c308015\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">No matter the language, hands-on activities <strong data-prosemirror-content-type=\"mark\" data-prosemirror-mark-name=\"strong\">always<\/strong> keep students engaged. When young learners can touch, move, and manipulate materials, they build deeper connections to what they\u2019re learning. This is especially true in a bilingual setting where students might still be developing vocabulary\u2014having visual and tactile experiences helps bridge that gap.<\/p><p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">Some of my favourite hands-on activities include:<\/p><p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\u2705 Clip cards (great for letter\/sound matching!)<br data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"hardBreak\" data-prosemirror-node-inline=\"true\" \/>\u2705 Chain link counting activities<br data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"hardBreak\" data-prosemirror-node-inline=\"true\" \/>\u2705 Playdough-based letter and number formation<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-659dfc9 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"659dfc9\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-83542d4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"83542d4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">3. Fine Motor Skills Are Just as Important as Literacy and Math<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d2323bf e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"d2323bf\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-24dc8cb elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"24dc8cb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/3-300x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-959\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/3-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/3-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/3-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/3-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/3.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-15cb1fd e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"15cb1fd\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-78ef1a0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"78ef1a0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">It\u2019s easy to focus on letters, sounds, and numbers, but <strong data-prosemirror-content-type=\"mark\" data-prosemirror-mark-name=\"strong\">fine motor skills<\/strong> are just as critical\u2014especially for bilingual learners! Many students are still developing their pencil grip, scissor skills, and hand strength, which directly impacts their ability to write in either language. Activities like tearing paper, using tweezers, and working with clothespins can make a huge difference in building those muscles.<\/p><p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\ud83d\udca1 <strong data-prosemirror-content-type=\"mark\" data-prosemirror-mark-name=\"strong\">Need ideas?<\/strong> My <strong data-prosemirror-content-type=\"mark\" data-prosemirror-mark-name=\"strong\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teacherspayteachers.com\/Product\/Hands-On-Holiday-Activities-and-Centres-Kindergarten-French-and-English-12585599\">Hands-On Celebration Bundles<\/a><\/strong> include fine motor activities like torn paper art and pin art, which are fun and developmentally supportive.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff302b5 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"ff302b5\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-494fdb3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"494fdb3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">4. Keeping Materials Simple Makes Everything Easier<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dee4953 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"dee4953\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fe84085 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"fe84085\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/4-300x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-960\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/4-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/4-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/4-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/4-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/4.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1ea5acd e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"1ea5acd\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a403f5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5a403f5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">When I first started, I wanted my classroom to have all the things\u2014perfect anchor charts, colour-coded everything, tons of manipulatives. But I quickly realized that <strong data-prosemirror-content-type=\"mark\" data-prosemirror-mark-name=\"strong\">too much can be overwhelming<\/strong> (for both students and teachers!). The best thing I did? Simplified my materials. Now, I focus on resources that are:<\/p><p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\u2714\ufe0f Easy to prep<br data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"hardBreak\" data-prosemirror-node-inline=\"true\" \/>\u2714\ufe0f Reusable<br data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"hardBreak\" data-prosemirror-node-inline=\"true\" \/>\u2714\ufe0f Flexible for multiple learning levels<\/p><p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">If you\u2019re feeling overwhelmed, try cutting back and focusing on <strong data-prosemirror-content-type=\"mark\" data-prosemirror-mark-name=\"strong\">what truly supports student learning<\/strong>\u2014you\u2019ll feel the difference!<\/p><h3 data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"heading\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\u00a0<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-47bdd18 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"47bdd18\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4525400 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4525400\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">5. Sharing Resources and Ideas with Other Bilingual Teachers Is a Game-Changer<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0aa131d e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"0aa131d\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-66a9359 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"66a9359\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Teaching in a bilingual classroom can feel isolating, especially if you don\u2019t have many colleagues teaching in the same program. But finding other bilingual educators\u2014whether in your school, online, or in teacher communities\u2014makes all the difference. Sharing resources, strategies, and challenges helps lighten the load and brings fresh ideas into the classroom.<\/p><p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\ud83d\udce9 <strong data-prosemirror-content-type=\"mark\" data-prosemirror-mark-name=\"strong\">Want to stay connected?<\/strong> Join my email list for teaching tips, resources, and exclusive freebies designed just for bilingual educators!<\/p><p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\"><a href=\"_wp_link_placeholder\" data-wplink-edit=\"true\">Join here!<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-96a5049 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"96a5049\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-81777da elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"81777da\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/5-300x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-961\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/5-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/5-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/5-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/5-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/5.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2b70d6b e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"2b70d6b\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9312098 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9312098\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Teaching in a bilingual classroom has been such a learning journey, and I wouldn\u2019t trade it for anything. If you\u2019re in the same boat, I hope these tips help you feel more prepared and confident. What\u2019s something <em data-prosemirror-content-type=\"mark\" data-prosemirror-mark-name=\"em\">you<\/em> wish you knew before teaching in a bilingual classroom? Let\u2019s keep the conversation going in the comments!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Teaching in a bilingual classroom is such a rewarding experience, but it also comes with its own unique challenges. When I first started, I quickly realized that what worked in an English classroom didn\u2019t always translate (literally and figuratively) into French. There was a lot of trial and error, a lot of adapting, and honestly\u2014a lot of creating my own resources! Looking back, here are five things I wish I had known before stepping into a bilingual classroom. Not Every Resource Works in Both Languages I learned this one fast. Some activities that are perfect in English just don\u2019t work the same way in French, especially when it comes to phonics, sentence structure, or word patterns. Many \u201cprint and go\u201d resources are designed with English learners in mind, which can make things tricky when teaching French Immersion. That\u2019s why I started creating my own resources\u2014ones that work seamlessly in both&#8230;<\/p>\n<div class=\"more-link-wrapper\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/?p=954\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Teaching in a Bilingual Classroom<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":2,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Teaching in a Bilingual Classroom - La Petite Classe de Mme. Gibbons<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/?p=954\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Teaching in a Bilingual Classroom - La Petite Classe de Mme. Gibbons\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Teaching in a bilingual classroom is such a rewarding experience, but it also comes with its own unique challenges. When I first started, I quickly realized that what worked in an English classroom didn\u2019t always translate (literally and figuratively) into French. There was a lot of trial and error, a lot of adapting, and honestly\u2014a lot of creating my own resources! Looking back, here are five things I wish I had known before stepping into a bilingual classroom. Not Every Resource Works in Both Languages I learned this one fast. Some activities that are perfect in English just don\u2019t work the same way in French, especially when it comes to phonics, sentence structure, or word patterns. Many \u201cprint and go\u201d resources are designed with English learners in mind, which can make things tricky when teaching French Immersion. That\u2019s why I started creating my own resources\u2014ones that work seamlessly in both&#8230;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/?p=954\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"La Petite Classe de Mme. 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When I first started, I quickly realized that what worked in an English classroom didn\u2019t always translate (literally and figuratively) into French. There was a lot of trial and error, a lot of adapting, and honestly\u2014a&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=954"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/954\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":965,"href":"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/954\/revisions\/965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapetiteclassedemmeg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}