On August 1st, thousands of students eagerly opened Skyward to observe their schedules for the new school year. Those enrolled in French expected to see the name Huffman, but were instead greeted with a surprise when they saw that there would be a new teacher, Miranda Masoud.

This year, Masoud assumed the role of Oviedo High School’s one and only French teacher, taking over French 1-3 as well as AP French. Despite not being here for long, she has already made a lasting impact on many students. 

“She is an awesome teacher. She takes time out of the day to help us,” said senior and AP French student Kenzy Ibrahim.

After being offered the job to teach at Oviedo High School, Masoud found herself adapting quickly to the new environment. She loves the sense of community and has nothing but good things to say. Her fellow language teachers have welcomed her with open arms, adding to the sense of belonging she feels.

“I love the school, and I love the spirit of the school,” said Masoud. “I love being here, and I love being in this department… we [the OHS World Languages teachers] are very close to each other.”

Masoud’s qualifications include a master’s degree in French Language and Culture, as well as teaching French at a variety of levels, from French 1 all the way up to college-level French.

“I have a specialty in teaching French as a second language so I know how to transfer my knowledge,” said Masoud. “[I can] help my students to think that they are able and they are capable of acquiring another language.”

Students just beginning their French journey have found that Masoud’s style of teaching allows them to easily remember new words. This is especially helpful in the first two years of French, when students are still trying to memorize the foreign vocabulary.

“She [teaches] in a fun way that makes it pretty memorable… she has us all say [a word] aloud in class,” said freshman Evan Elwell. “That helps me remember.”

Experienced French students are also appreciative of Masoud’s methods and value her teaching. They believe that a new teaching style will improve their understanding of the language in a way they had not before. A different teacher, and therefore different classroom experience, reinvigorates a passion that students may have lost. 

“I do love her teaching style, it is different and new,” Ibrahim said. “I was scared at first [to take] AP French, but… she has really helped us.”

Masoud strives to blend authenticity with fun in her classroom in order to keep students motivated. She genuinely cares about her students and wants them to enjoy the class and the language itself instead of taking it just for the language credit. 

“I love to make it authentic… it is not absurd or something that is very dry,” Masoud said. “It is fun to learn… I love for my students to feel like ‘I like that, I am enjoying what I am doing.’”

She combines her evident passion for both teaching and French in order to create unique lessons for the students. She values the students’ enjoyment of her class above any other part of teaching. This combination has helped keep students engaged and enjoying the class, a feeling of joy that spreads from student to teacher.

“I love teaching, that is my thing… I love French culture too,” Masoud said. “My favorite part [of teaching] is my students. I am really happy when I see them enjoying [the lessons] and I am really happy to see them using what I am teaching, and they come [into class] with a smile.”

Building 13’s open environment has not hesitated to welcome Masoud, which has helped her create an enjoyable class that students look forward to. Although she may be new to the school, she has made a significant impact on the student’s lives and passion for learning.