Pedagogy based on self-respect: Portrait of Margarita Sanchez Ovando

Portrait of Collège Nordique teacher Margarita Sanchez Ovando.  

For the past year, Margarita Sanchez Ovando, originally from Mexico, brings a wealth of experience and, above all, a contagious enthusiasm to her mission of teaching French and Spanish at Collège Nordique. Her academic and professional career, marked by challenges and successes, testifies to her commitment to education and intercultural sharing.  

An academic career dedicated to well-being in education. 

Margarita began her university career with a degree in education, obtained in 1997. Her dissertation, focusing on mutual aid between orphans and their peers in a children's home in Mexico, testifies to her compassion and ability to question social norms. She went on to complete a master's degree in health education for children with chronic illnesses, particularly ENT and asthma, in France. Her choice to use puppets as an assessment tool is a testament to her creativity and ability to innovate in her field. 

"Puppets are a fun and effective way of assessing children's adherence to their treatment. They create a comfortable environment where children can express themselves freely" she says. 

She then went on to complete a PhD in health education for children with chronic illnesses, where she mapped the resources used by caregivers to educate children and adolescents about their treatment and illness. This research, carried out on a national scale in France, has contributed, firstly, to highlighting the creative and pedagogical work of educator-caregivers keen on making specialized education accessible to this specific audience, and secondly, to providing a rich source of information for further research into therapeutic patient education.  

A passion for language teaching.

Alongside her university studies, Margarita trained as a teacher of French as a foreign language (français langue étrangère - FLE) and later as a translator and interpreter of French-Spanish/Spanish-French. From the start of her career, she was involved in language teaching, both in Mexico and in France, before joining Collège Nordique last year to teach French and Spanish.  

Diversity within the CNF student community.

At Collège Nordique, Margarita welcomes around thirty students every term from all over the world. Her passion for languages, multiculturalism and sharing professional experiences shines through in her teaching. She adapts with ease to the Collège's varied audiences, where learners often have learning objectives specifically linked to their work or personal growth. 

A pedagogy based on self-respect and patience. 

Her teaching philosophy is rooted in love, patience and an understanding of each learner's unique learning process. She strives to actively involve them in their learning, maintain their focus and create an environment conducive to learning and personal growth. 

"Every student is unique, with their own needs, their own experience of the language and their own challenges. My role is to support them by understanding their unique learning process and having patience throughout their journey of acquiring a foreign language - Spanish or French" she says. 

A challenging start in Yellowknife.

Margarita recounts her arrival in Yellowknife. Impressed by the snow-covered landscape from the plane, she also remembers the challenges of finding safe and suitable accommodation. "The only place I found, I was cheated and given a substandard apartment" she says. But her dismay turned to hope, thanks to the city's French-speaking network. 

''Luckily I soon met some wonderful people who helped me find accommodation where I now live, happy and where I feel balanced'' she gratefully shares.

Inspiring advice for the student community.

Margarita encourages the student community to practice languages outside the classroom, to persevere despite the obstacles you might encounter no matter how long it takes, and to seize every learning opportunity. Her aim is for language learning to be a positive and enriching experience in the lives of her students, whatever their learning pace.