Alexandre de Backer

Background

About Alexandre de Backer

Teaching is not merely a job and a paycheck. Instead, teaching constitutes an expression of what I value: community, collaboration, and commitment to life-long learning. When you are working with people, you cannot speak only about financial or material rewards. With teaching, rewards are more often measured by recognizing in students’ faces the possibilities for the same love of learning that motivates a good teacher. As a father, a man, and a teacher, the way I can help create a better world for our children is by providing for them the highest level of education possible. To this end, I will ensure that I am prepared to undertake the responsibility of developing for students, the future for our community, the innovative and intellectually sound education they deserve. I believe that the best thing I can offer is my experience and skills in the field of foreign language education. My former career was teaching French to non-native speakers in many European countries. Because my work took place in many settings with a wide variation in pupil ages and abilities, I had to continuously adapt to the demands of the particular needs of my students. I developed specialized techniques and sought out new materials that responded to the changing variables I faced in order to maximize the learning experience for all students. In the end, I found that interactive and collaborative learning environments that address multiple needs can be designed, with notable success for student achievement. I am committed to the ideals of multiculturalism. To that end, I place high personal value on expanding students’ exposure to multiple languages and cultural traditions, which is a fundamental aim of foreign language teaching. My teaching experience in many European countries and here Arizona among a diverse population of students has reinforced in me a respect for multiple educational systems and their value within the communities they serve.