From inspiring Claude Monet’s Water Lilies to serving as the site of the D-Day landings in 1944, Normandy, France has played a significant role in modern history. This year, the region is also represented at Montrose through our new upper school French teacher, Madame Browne, who grew up there.

  Although born and raised in Normandy, Madame Browne has lived in the United States for twenty years. Ever since middle school, she had always wanted to be a foreign language teacher, more specifically, an English teacher in France. However, after coming to the United States in her twenties, Madame Browne’s plans shifted. Realizing it would be more practical to teach her native language in America, she decided to teach French instead. When asked what she misses most about France, her answer was simple: everything. The landscape, food, culture, and of course, her friends and family. Still, Madame Browne’s transition from France to America was fairly smooth compared to most. She already spoke English fluently, and with the help of her husband, she quickly adapted to American culture. 

Before Montrose, she taught at a co-ed, college preparatory private school in Massachusetts. For Madame Browne, the most rewarding part of being a French teacher is sharing her love of the language and watching her students develop their own enthusiasm for it, while having fun along the way. The most challenging part for her, is adapting her lessons to students at different proficiency levels, but nonetheless, this doesn’t dampen her enthusiasm for teaching. 

In her free time, Madame Browne’s favorite things to do include spending time with her family, walking her dogs, reading, watching movies and sewing, a hobby she cultivated during Covid.  During my interview with Madame Browne I asked what advice she would give to her past self. She replied that she would tell herself to never give up. Which is a lesson that’s valuable to everyone, especially to us, the young women of Montrose. 

Madame Browne is always supportive, encouraging, and dedicated to making everyone in class feel comfortable and excited to learn. Hearing about her journey and experiences was truly inspiring, and I’m grateful for the chance to interview her and get to know her better, both as a teacher and a mentor!