Jack in the Box Toulouse

Teachers

Tracy Johnson (BA Hons, MA, PGCE)

I am very excited to be part of the JitB team as the secondary section teacher.

I am an experienced teacher of English and the Humanities. Since completing my PGCE in 2005 I have taught in secondary and SEN schools in Bristol, UK and the surrounding areas and have gained a wealth of experience, not just in the academic aspects of education, but also in the pastoral.

I am an enthusiastic and reflective practitioner and am hoping to bring my love of literature and language to the students of JitB. The experience I have had as both a teacher and parent of teenagers has enabled me to develop a variety of strategies which promote an enjoyable, safe and respectful learning environment.

I also have seven cats who regularly join the Zoom lessons! :)

Ruth Marx (BA Hons, PGCE)

Ruth Marx is a secondary school teacher with over 20 years experience teaching in County Durham, London, the Middle East and East Africa.

Originally trained as an English and Religious Studies teacher she now works remotely with schools in the UK, and tutors students online. As a GCSE examiner for Religious Studies she is also publishing revision materials and a Philosophy of Religion Text book this summer.

Her teaching style is warm, creative and thought provoking. Her lessons will prepare students for the IGCSE in English as well as laying the groundwork for philosophical and ethical discussions which will aid with Le Philo paper (France); as well as all of the other humanities disciplines.

Ruth has always been a keen traveller, spending time with her family in Uganda as a teenager building a community library and teaching English as well as travels around the Middle East during her teacher summer holidays, teaching English in The West Bank as well as travelling around Jordan, Israel and Egypt. Three years ago, after sixteen years in London, she decided to make the move to France with her family, a decision that has more than exceeded her expectations.

Crystal Menninga (BA Hons, MFA, MA)

I am a native Texan who moved to Toulouse in 2018. Despite spending my entire childhood living in the same town in Texas, I was fortunate that my parents valued letting me experience other cultures, especially through world travel. I fell in love with France during high school French class and knew I wanted to live there someday.

While double majoring at Mount Holyoke College, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Montpellier and interned at the French-American Center, teaching English to young children. After finishing graduate school (the first time) with a MFA from Oklahoma City University, I worked as a licensed language teacher at a high school in Massachusetts while also teaching piano, tap, ballet, and circus arts to children and adults. Eventually, I decided to go back to school for a second master’s at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and, through a highly unpredictable series of events, I landed in Toulouse and won’t be leaving any time soon!

I’ve been teaching English to children and adults at several language schools and universities throughout the city and continue to teach circus arts and piano and perform with two tap companies.

I love the Jack in the Box emphasis on active learning, and I am thrilled to be working with such a fantastic team of teachers, students, and their families. It is truly exciting to see students take an interest in their own education and to see their progress not only in speaking, reading, and writing, but also through games, songs, and other forms of creative expression. Everyone at JitB works together to achieve our goals while having a terrific time!

Magali Banquet (TEFL Cert, TEYL Cert)

I have loved the English language as well as the English culture ever since I was introduced to it at school, and I had the privilege to live and work in England for ten years after my studies.

I love children for their spontaneity, their joyfulness and their enthusiasm for exploring the world around them. They have a wonderful ability to enjoy the 'simple things' and love to experiment, when encouraged to do so. I understand how important it is for children to feel safe in the environment they develop in, so they become confident and ready to turn obstacles into opportunities!

When teaching children, I make sure they feel relaxed and ready to learn. Learning has to be enjoyable for them and bringing in physical activities (drama, games) helps with this and is something I enjoy as much as the children! I love that JitB puts a focus on this.

Reassurance, encouragement and fun are key to my teaching, along with clear classroom rules to keep everyone happy and feeling respected. I’m thoroughly looking forward to joining the Jack in the Box team in September!

I will also be teaching the French classes on Wednesday afternoons, and cannot wait to help the children gain confidence in my mother tongue!

Lysiane Dixte (BA Hons)

My father is French, and my mother is Irish. Growing up, I spent many years overseas due to my father’s professional commitments. French, English, and Chinese are part of my culture. I spent the first nine years of my life in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where I attended a Chinese pre-school and the Kaohsiung American School.

After obtaining my French Baccalaureate (L) with Honours in Malaysia, I studied for four years at the University of Stirling, Scotland, where I graduated with a 1st in Modern Languages, French, and Spanish with translation. Following university, I attended Wen Zao University in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, to improve my level of Mandarin.

While I was in Kaohsiung, I had the opportunity to teach English and French to children in 'cram schools', business people and to young offenders through the Rotary Club, as a volunteer.

After this experience in Taiwan, I realised teaching was the path I wanted to take. I was given the possibility of returning to France, where I opened a French, English, Spanish, and Chinese language centre with my sister. The centre gave me the experience of working with people of all ages (from 3 to 75 years old). It allowed me to discover the different approaches necessary while teaching a language.

I decided to take a TEFL course online to understand the pedagogy of teaching. This gave me the expertise and teaching methods to effectively help students to feel comfortable and confident when communicating.

I am delighted to be a part of the 'Jack in the Box' team and to share my passion for teaching. I love seeing the joy and enthusiasm of the children who attend the school. They come to class with vivid imaginations and as avid readers. It is wonderful to get them involved in fun activities and watch them grow as young learners and individuals.

Children have so much energy and being in the midst of their constant cheeriness and laughter is what I enjoy most about being a teacher, and is why I love the profession.