To many students, Madame Abigail Worthington’s skills in teaching French might make her seem like an expert with plenty of experience. However, it wasn’t so long ago that Madame Worthington was a student herself, as this year is her first year as a teacher with North Penn. 

Worthington graduated from North Penn High School in 2019, then graduated from Arcadia University, where she double majored in English and then French and Francophone studies. She spent the following year in a French town called Le Puy-en-velay, teaching English to French students in a school named Lycée Simone Weil. Life in France was unlike anything in the United States for Madame Worthington.

 “It was so different. I lived in the middle of nowhere, but it was amazing,” Worthington recalled.

“I taught English in France before coming back to the US to find a teaching job. North Penn just happened to be looking for a French teacher, so I was like, why not?” Worthington said. “I graduated from North Penn and my mom’s [been] in the district for almost 30 years [teaching 3rd grade at AM Kulp,] so I know people. It seemed like the most natural fit.” 

Though the fit was natural and seemed like the only path to take, teaching was actually an unexpected route for Madame Worthington. 

“I actually resisted becoming a teacher for the longest time because almost everybody in my family has been a teacher at some point,” Worthington humorously reflected. “My mom is a teacher, my aunt and uncle on my mom’s side are teachers, my dad majored in education, my pop was a principal. So literally everybody in my family has been a teacher at one point or another, and I was like, ‘no, I’m going to be different.’ But, here I am.” 

Although she has just started her teaching career, Worthington has already found the aspects of teaching that she loves the most.

“I really like seeing students become more confident when they learn stuff. It’s just a really special moment when they finally understand something that they were struggling with for a while or they make connections,” Worthington said. “I feel like you don’t find that in other jobs, so that’s kind of why I wanted to pursue teaching. So I could help students have more of those ‘aha’ moments.”

For Madame Worthington, the most rewarding part of teaching is when her students show enthusiasm in class. 

“[I love] when students get excited about learning,” she expressed. “Like if we’re doing a game and they get really into it and they’re having fun and they don’t even realize they’re learning; they are just having a good time and engaging with the material. Or, when they come to me and they ask questions about the material, because then I know that they care, and they want to do well in my class.”

However, Worthington’s first year of teaching also has had its share of challenges. 

“I teach four different classes. I teach French 1, French 2, French 3 5.0, and French 3 6.0, so keeping up with lesson plans and keeping track of what I’m doing each class can be a little tricky,” Worthington explained.

Nevertheless, Worthington has found solace in her plethora of colleagues at North Penn High School. 

“Everyone in the language department has been really, really supportive. Eileen Burner [has] been a huge help, [and] Senora Condon has been amazing,” Worthington said. “Everyone in the language department has been super supportive, and anytime I have an issue with something, they will show up at my door [and say], ‘we’re going to help you.’”

Madame Worthington still has the full year ahead of her, but with her experience, friends, and strong passion for teaching, she is sure to excel in her first position as a teacher.