Greer Allegra Patterson
Founder, Madame Allegra, LLC
Educational consultant
specializing in
Bilingual education
Classical music for kids
Teaching life
September 2008 - June 2023: full-time French/English bilingual elementary teacher
PS 58 The Carroll School in Brooklyn, New York, for Kindergarten through 3rd Grade
Taught NYS/Common Core curriculum in French and English to students of French/American/other backgrounds
Differentiated instruction for students of varied learning styles, language abilities, and academic proficiency levels
Developed, translated, and implemented curriculum & assessments in French to suit needs of learners in the DLP
Met with families individually to make a plan of how best to support their child academically, socially, and emotionally, in and out of school
2nd Grade Self-Contained Dual-Language Teacher (teaching 50/50 in French and English to one class), 2022-2023
3rd Grade Side-By-Side Dual-Language Teacher (teaching in French exclusively to two classes with English-speaking co-teacher), 2013-2014
Kindergarten Self-Contained Dual-Language Teacher (teaching 50/50 in French and English to one class), 2012-2013, 2014-2016, 2020-2021
1st Grade Self-Contained Dual-Language Teacher (teaching 50/50 in French and English to one class), 2008-2012
September 2016 - June 2022: Language Workshop & Language Support teacher
PS 58 The Carroll School in Brooklyn, New York, for Pre-K through 5th Grade
Taught French as a foreign language to students in grades PK-2 outside of French/English dual-language program (DLP)
Taught differentiated French-literacy lessons to anglophone & francophone students in grades K-2 in French/English DLP
Developed original, engaging curriculum using creative methods and resources: songs, role-plays, puppets, games, movement, books
Provided academic intervention to DLP K-5 students (ENL students, French language learners, French native speakers)
Collaborated with and offered support to DLP teachers with, e.g., student assessments, curricular development, mentoring
Introduced other foreign languages & cultures to students in LW with bilingual community members & audio/visual resources
Maintained LW Blog for students and community with resources from lessons and other ideas/methods to explore languages
September 2007 - June 2008 : Kindergarten classroom assistant for the launch of the first French/English dual-language program in New York City at PS 58 The Carroll School in Brooklyn, New York, supporting instruction and development of the program
Special skills
Immersive language techniques
modeling, gestures, repetition, visuals, etc.
creating a comfortable space to explore for all levels, from beginners to advanced students
Mentoring new teachers:
encouraging reflective practice
Meeting a learner where s/he is
Curriculum design:
from initial planning,
to goal setting,
to instructional delivery
Reflective and responsive:
designing lessons for diverse backgrounds and various age levels
incorporating students’ interests and learning styles into development
Classroom management
kind but firm
positive reinforcement
Languages:
English native language
fluent French
basic Spanish
basic Italian
German diction
excellent mimic of sounds and accents
Classical singing
Improvisational dramatic play
and basics of puppetry:
to make students feel at ease and find motivation when facing a challenge
Leadership roles
Chair of P.S. 58 Dual-Language Program Liaison Committee, 2019-2023
led bi-monthly meetings of teachers, administrators, and parents
set agendas, assigned roles, and tracked progress of goals
maintained relationships with community members to support continued development of program through new projects and events
presented basic structures and updates of the program to large groups of incoming and current families
Leader of P.S. 58 Dual-Language Program team of teachers, 2016-2023
facilitated meetings of teachers and administrators to share best practices and set successful program structures
led special projects, such as:
inventory of French series books in classroom libraries to assess how much diversity was present in titles, and where we could go from there
researching and ordering new French series books with more inclusive characters and stories for multiple grade levels, taking students’ interests, backgrounds, and reading levels into account
writing a new “French Language Report,” to track and share French language learners’ progress from grades K through 5th grade with families
Chair of Village Light Opera Group Artistic Direction Committee, 2017-2022
led a series of meetings every year to create a curated list of possible musicals and operettas to produce for the upcoming season
kept a timely pace and implemented effective organization to use time efficiently
applied for licenses for titles and maintained contacts with licensing organizations, board members, and artistic leaders
Producer of staged readings and concerts, 2010-2015
led a team of performers from initial planning, through rehearsals, and culminating in performances
Qualifications
Professional Development
BELC: professional-development workshop for international French teachers at French Education International in Sèvres, France, 2023
French Dual-Language Immersion PD Summer Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah, July 2019
Continued coursework in education and music at New York University and Columbia University, 2013-2016
SPCD in Besançon, France, 2014 & Strasbourg, France, 2008: professional-development workshop for international French DL teachers
Education
Teachers College of Columbia University, New York, NY: Master of Arts in Bilingual and Bicultural Education, 2010
New York University, New York, NY: Bachelor of Science in Foreign Language Education (French), Music Minor, magna cum laude, 2007
Semester of study at NYU/Paris and the Sorbonne (Paris VII, Paris X Nanterre), 2005
New York State Professional Teaching Certification:
Childhood Education, grades 1-6, with Bilingual Extension (French)
French as a Foreign Language, grades K-12
Artistic life
Soloist, performer, and producer of various operas, operettas, musicals, concerts, choirs, and other performances in New York & New Jersey
Private training, classical singing technique for 20+ years, currently in studio of Susan Eichhorn Young of New York, NY
Other private training: Alexander Technique, piano, cello, speech with New York Speech Coaching
Undergraduate NYU studies: Music minor, including Opera Workshop, Music History & Theory