Students spill into the classroom of French teacher Ms. Marie-Francoise Dao Hodang, where miniature flags of francophone countries decorate the front of the classroom and the images of the fleur-de-lis proudly embellish the walls.
Ms. Dao Hodang, more commonly and affectionately known as Madame, hails from both a European and Asian background. She was born in Paris, France.
“I come from two backgrounds–the East and the West,” Ms. Dao Hodang said. “My mother is French and my father was Vietnamese.”
In her childhood, she traveled in between France and Vietnam every two or three years to be with her respective families. She originally did not enjoy going between the two countries, but she eventually got used to it. In France, Madame often taught her French friends how to say things in Vietnamese and vice versa when she was in Vietnam.
Madame grew up Catholic, which stemmed from her mother’s side of the family, so she observes Lent. Every year, she also partakes in Christian traditions such as celebrating Christmas and Easter.
“On Lent, we have to give up something like eating meat,” Ms. Dao Hodang said. “And for Christmas, we go to church on the 24th and open gifts for the 25th.”
On the other hand, her father was Buddhist and she used to go to pagodas with him to pray. She often visits her grandmother in Vietnam to celebrate the Lunar New Year there.
Her mother originally studied medicine in her youth; however, when she had children, she settled down and became a teacher. She then went on to work for Air France, and the family traveled to places such as Hong Kong, India and Taiwan. This exposure to different cultures, coupled with her interest in linguistics, inspired Madame to become an educator herself.
“I originally worked as a substitute at another school in Orange County,” Madame said. “I started working here in 2008.”
Madame had other professions in France before she came to America and started working as a teacher.
Due to her own experiences as a student, she understands how it is to be pushed to do well in school, and the expectations parents have for their children. Madame also sympathizes with the pressures and stress of common students, particularly their lack of sleep.
Ms. Dao Hodang tries her best to be fair to her students and often encourages them to try their best to reach their potential.
“I feel very close to my students,” Ms. Dao Hodang said. “Whatever you do, I did too. A lot of students say they understand me because I understand them.”