Soul of 78: Karen Lloyd
Retired French Teacher, Walker High School
Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Image by Ryan McGill
The French language is beautiful. It embodies all that is charming and classy about food and fashion and romance. It can make even the strangest statements sound profound. Just ask Karen Lloyd, as she's heard some humorous examples over her 36 years as a French teacher.
"I used to tell the boys in my classes that they could really allure the young women they wanted to pursue with a little French, and they took it to heart. One of them in particular just didn't pay close attention to his vocabulary and told the girl 'j'aime le jambon' - which sounds lovely, but translates to 'I like ham.' I don't remember if he was successful in getting the girl, but that's one of many stories that will always stick with me," she laughs.
Karen decided to become a French teacher after falling in love with the language and culture during her time as a student at Walker High School. She retired from teaching full-time in 2014—the majority of her career spent at her alma mater—but has continued teaching ACCESS French courses ever since.
From the onset of her teaching career in 1977 as a 7th-grade math teacher at Dora Jr. High School through her present-day online classes, she has carried one prominent goal: creating an environment in which students want to learn. Admittedly, this isn't always the easiest to achieve in a class set aside for learning a second language, but Karen has her ways.
"Teenagers are this perfect mix of childlike spirits in adultlike bodies, and you wouldn't believe how something as simple as a sticker from a prize box can motivate them to learn,” she says. “Showing them that you care about them and want them to succeed beyond the four walls of your classroom is equally as motivating.”
Karen knows that one day in the not-too-distant future, she'll finally commit to a full retirement and enjoy life away from instruction, but until then, she plans to continue inspiring a love for French language and culture in her students the way her teachers did for her. She summarizes her teaching career thusly:
"I wanted every student that came through my class to leave with three facts in their minds: first, learning another language is fun—French is especially fun. Second, nothing changes your perspective on life and helps you learn more about yourself than learning about other cultures. And third, Ms. Lloyd really cares about me. If they left with those three takeaways, I succeeded as their teacher." 78