Bonjour et Bienvenue!

I was born and raised in Guinea, West Africa.  After graduating from the University of Conakry with a BA in English, I went back to my former high school where I taught English to French speakers. During this time, I was very fortunate to teach students with diverse ethnic, religious, economic, and social backgrounds, with an average of 140 students per class. After 4 years of teaching English at Ley-Wendou High School, I moved to the United States with my wife, who I met while teaching in my hometown.  I attended California State University, Los Angeles, and obtained a California teaching credential in French. After 4 years of teaching French in the Los Angeles area, I moved to Northern California and currently live in Roseville with my family.  I have been teaching French at Oakmont since 2015.

When I am not teaching, I love hanging out with my family and friends.  I also like hiking, biking, reading, traveling, watching TV, and playing soccer.  I was born in a multicultural country, so I speak three languages, in addition to French, my native language, and English, which I started learning when I was in high school in my rural hometown of Telimele, Guinea.  I have been very fortunate to travel to many French and non-French-speaking countries, which has allowed me to experience the value of learning languages and learning in general.

Philosophy

Teaching is more than a career, it is a passion for me.  Education is more than learning skills and strategies to be successful in education.  It is learning to respect others and promoting tolerance and acceptance for those who are different.  It is encouraged that all students try their best, develop confidence and self-esteem, and be enthusiastic about what they do.  I strongly believe that every child can learn, but all children learn differently.  As a world language teacher, I am aware that not all students will achieve the learning process at the same speed, but every student can gain new knowledge and skills that will be useful to them and to the community where they live.