Madelynn Ruhter knows what makes her French classes at Capital High School special: the people.
It’s not just her students but the community that supports Ruhter, from her own high school French teacher to mentors, colleagues and local French speakers.
Ruhter, 26, is in her fifth year of teaching and was recently named the Idaho Language Teacher of the Year.
Ruhter grew up in the Wood River Valley, where she enjoyed her own high school French classes largely because of a passion for the French language and culture her teacher displayed. Ruhter then attended Boise State as a French major, where she felt welcomed and challenged by the faculty.
“I felt really supported by the world language department,” Ruhter said.
She looked forward to studying abroad in France for a full immersion experience, but the COVID-19 pandemic got in the way. In the meantime, Ruhter student taught at Capital, where the current French teacher was set to move on. She applied for the job before heading off to Brittany France, to spend two months working on a rural farm.
It was difficult at first for Ruhter to speak the language she had only studied academically, but after some encouragement from the farmer she worked for, Ruhter dove into the language.
“When I started talking, I felt like I couldn’t stop,” Ruhter said.
The experience helped Ruhter understand the culture and language she spent eight years studying.
“I was really inspired by how the small communities work together to support each other and keep going,” Ruhter said.
Creating community has become central to Ruhter’s teaching style.
Madame Ruhter’s French favorites:
- Book: Chanson Douce by Leïla Slimani (published as The Perfect Nanny in the U.S.)
- Movie: The Count of Monte Cristo (2024)
- Song: Princesse Chaos (Yoa)
Ruhter returned to Boise and started her first year of teaching, which was “kind of awful.”
“Your first year is probably not going to be your best year teaching,” Ruhter said.
She taught a combined class at language proficiency levels 3-5 and in Advanced Placement French. She only survived with the help of her support system. Her learning coach helped with lesson plans, the school’s Spanish teacher was her emotional support, and her friend who teaches special education helped her differentiate lessons.
“It’s just a really cool and collaborative community,” Ruhter said of Capital High.
Capital Principal Derek Gardner said Ruhter’s willingness to collaborate has been key to her success, but her love for the language has an even bigger impact. Ruhter’s ability to make French fun and engaging led to her becoming beloved by students, Gardner said.
Now in her fifth year, Ruhter loves her job and her students. As the only French teacher at the school, she enjoys watching her students grow over the course of four years. The long-term relationship allows for a deeper level of learning, she said.
“It really allows a level of frankness with them,” Ruhter said. “I know your work, and I know how you’ve developed. I feel like we can have honest conversations about where they are and where they can go.”
Ruhter teaches about 90% in French, pushing students to get out of their comfort zones and speak. She also focuses on activities like reading a novel in French or having students create comics.
Boise has a strong Francophone community with the large Basque presence, Congolese refugees, and a chapter of the French Alliance.
Her students must speak French in the community. Some read books to preschoolers at Le Soleil, Boise’s French school. Others visit bakeries and restaurants with French owners and employees. They also attend French Alliance’s book clubs and dinners.
Both the community and Ruhter’s fellow teachers, she said, contributed to her recognition as language teacher of the year.
Madelynn Ruhter
Years teaching: 5
Subjects taught: French
What advice would you give to new teachers?
“Network. I’m always telling pre-service foreign language teachers, part of the reason I got my job was because I networked.”
What do you wish parents understood about French class?
