Foreign Language teacher brings a little bit of France to TJ every day.
Photo by Hanna Kazlouskya
Foreign Language extraordinaire Paul Kirschling has 16 years of teaching knowledge under his belt, which he uses everyday to broaden his students’ French cultural experience.
Kirschling was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He attended the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin; however, he graduated from the University of Colorado in Denver with a degree in French and minors in both Spanish and History in 1992.
Kirschling’s desire to become a teacher didn’t develop early on in his college days. He was instead fascinated with the outdoors so much that he wanted to major in forestry. As a young man in his early 20s, not sure of what he really wanted to become, he dropped out of college and decided to travel to Africa, India, and Europe in search of a life in poetry. “This was a time in my life when I took un-seriousness very seriously, I understood that uncertainty was certain, and I didn’t want to go to school if I wasn’t sure about what I wanted to do, especially since I was paying my own way through school,” said Kirschling. Traveling seemed to be the answer for Kirschling.
In his travels Kirschling visited countless locations including Morocco, Algeria, Mali, Niger, the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Togo, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central Africa, Zaire, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, England, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, Greece, Portugal, and (of course) France. His traveling also brought him to West Africa where he helped others working as a volunteer at a medical center Burkina Faso. Along the way, he improved his French, with the help of his good friend Marie De Walque, whom he met in Spain, and whom he also credits for the perfection of his French linguistic skills.
At 25 years old, however, Kirschling knew it was now or never and decided to return to school at the University of Colorado Denver after his travels. He continued his schooling and wanted to teach English in Japan, because he heard they hired many educated Americans. “My idea was I’d go there, get a teaching job, get paid, make good money, and then continue on with my travels around the world, which was what I really wanted to do,” said Kirschling. However, circumstances kept him in Denver and, Kirschling decided to stay in school and get his Masters in Bilingual Education and Foundations, Philosophy, and the History of Education. “I was working on my masters in bilingual education, but I had an excellent philosophy professor, so I decided to get my Masters in Philosophy and the History of Education as well,” said Kirschling.
Kirschling decided to move to Colorado because it became his home in between his travels. “I had a friend who lived here and I stayed with him one summer, and I just really liked it here; I got a job and made friends,” he said. While in Colorado he also earned his teaching certificate, which led him to his long and successful career as the French teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School.
Kirschling began his student teaching with Computer Magnet Teacher Jeff Coleman (who was the French Teacher at the time) in the spring of ’95. “As a student teacher he was capable linguistically and confident in moving into the teacher’s role,” said Coleman. That same year in the fall, Kirschling received a job at TJ teaching Spanish (which he studied in Guadalajara, Mexico) and a year and a half later, took over as the new French teacher when Coleman moved on to teach photography and journalism.
Although Kirschling journeyed through many countries, and spoke and taught different languages, it was through teaching French that he really found his passion.
The French language, lifestyle, people, culture, history, art, architecture, literature, and everything French embodies what Kirschling sees as dynamic. Kirschling says he enjoys, respects, and truly admires the work ethic and way of life of the unique blend of Mediterranean and Northern Europeans. “They live a lifestyle of joie de vivre (enjoy life); they work hard and are very serious, but they make sure they enjoy their lives,” said Kirschling.
Kirschling has been to France numerous times and says he will never get tired of going. “I really just like French culture and civilization; their history, architecture, food, art, and cinema,” he said. Kirschling feels that every department and region of France has some type of rich history, structure, and literature to offer. He also adds that his fondness with the French culture is greatly influenced by the French people. “The French people are so dedicated and have strong beliefs and will stand up for their beliefs against others in society who want to suppress their beliefs,” he says.
He supports his observations by explaining the recent protests that have been going on for seven weeks in France over the raising of the retirement age from 60 to 62. “These people have shut down gas stations, train stations, subways, etc. for seven weeks because they’re not going to put up with the government making such decisions, and they’re very committed to this cause” he said.
After many years of traveling and learning Kirschling has been able to take what he has learned and has applied it to his teaching style. Not only does he teach his students how to speak French, he also teaches them of the French Revolution, and about the historical edifices such as the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe. He also shows them French films so they learn the style of French cinema as well as big successful French actors, most notably Gerard Depardieu. He even gives them the opportunity to taste real French food when he takes his French 2, 3, and 4 students to Le Central – a well known French restaurant in Denver – every year. “Mr. Kirschling goes beyond the traditional classroom setting. We learn of the French culture and everything that creates it, along with the French language,” said Senior and former third-year French Student Maria Sanchez-Martinez.
Kirschling also takes the time to travel to France with his students where they get to experience the real French lifestyle. The two-week long trip allows students to live with a French host family during the first week. Then students reunite with Kirschling once again where they get to travel to different historical sites including Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower.
“The thing that makes him a great teacher is his endless curiosity about the world. He knows that teaching a language is not just about the language itself, but also about the history, culture, art, cuisine, and everything in between,” adds colleague Jeff Coleman.
Outside of his teaching life Kirschling enjoys spending time with his family, his wife Mollie and his two children Jack a hockey player and Addy a gymnast. “Being a parent of two young kids you’re cooking and cleaning, and taking them here and there all the time. It’s a great life,” Kirschling said. He also enjoys reading, cooking, painting, politics (both current and past), listening to music (most notably jazz), and he especially loves to travel.
Paul Kirschling is not just another Foreign Language Teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School, he is the French expert who students and faculty will find using puppets, posters, maps, and many other props to make the French learning experience for his students that much more captivating and enriching.
