MIDVALE, UT- At Hillcrest High School, Jordan Hulet has been teaching the French language for 10 years, as of 2025.
Hulet, known as “Madame Hulet” by many students, is the sole French teacher employed at Hillcrest High, teaching all of the “levels” of French classes- from French 1 all the way to the
most advanced French classes available.
Hulet, known as “Madame Hulet” by many students, is the sole French teacher employed at Hillcrest High, teaching all of the “levels” of French classes- from French 1 all the way to the
most advanced French classes available.
While Hulet is beloved by many students today for her French classes, she herself did not take French classes in school. According to Hulet, “I took Spanish and I was really bad at it… I moved to Belgium, and then France, had adventures, and kept learning… I got back home, and I was like ‘I’m not good enough yet, I need to be better,’ so I got a bachelors degree in it and then I went and got
a Masters degree in how to teach it.”
Hulet lived in Belgium and France for roughly a year and a half, as she had departed for those countries for her “mission” (a time when followers of a religion often leave their home
country in order to teach others about their beliefs,) but she has also returned to the country since then.
On the topic of her time in France, Hulet stated that “I was in Belgium for four or five months, and spent the rest of the time in Paris… I’ve gone back for teaching seminars and things, and I go every year to visit friends and family… I think when we tally it all up, I’ve spent 6 or 7 years- not all at the same time but over different periods of time.”
At Hillcrest, being the French teacher, Hulet also teaches the French classes involved with the IB and AP programs. While she does believe that the program has its flaws, she is also of the opinion that it can be beneficial to students looking to have both a deeper understanding of the language and the ability to express important topics to people around the world.
“I think it’s a wonderful experience, I love how it’s so well rounded,” said Hulet. “In IB, there are groups- group one is English, like your native language, group two is your second language- the whole thing is, if you can’t express yourself in your native language… if you can’t read, write, or speak in your native language, then how are you going to teach other people or discuss science with someone? And then you have to be fluent in a second language, because we’re talking about international, it’s a global organisation, so now you have to be able to talk about science and math and history in a second language… we kind of lose track of that… really the whole purpose is to have kids become leaders, and have a deeper understanding of things, and are able to share and make a difference in the world.”
The future of the French classes at Hillcrest also seem to be bright, as the teachers and faculty at Hillcrest are working on adding programs that would enrich the experience of a student
looking to learn French. Specifically, Hulet and Mr. Clief Castleton (a science and math teacher at Hillcrest High) are looking to introduce a new program. According to Hulet, the program will be specifically looking at French companies that have their headquarters in the United States located in Salt Lake City, saying that “we’re going to try to work on getting some tours, some mentorships and internships, to see how we can use French in real life… we hope to get at least one field trip in this year.”
looking to learn French. Specifically, Hulet and Mr. Clief Castleton (a science and math teacher at Hillcrest High) are looking to introduce a new program. According to Hulet, the program will be specifically looking at French companies that have their headquarters in the United States located in Salt Lake City, saying that “we’re going to try to work on getting some tours, some mentorships and internships, to see how we can use French in real life… we hope to get at least one field trip in this year.”
Outside of the French class itself, Hulet also had several methods with which an interested Students could engage themselves with the language. Hulet had many methods of engaging with the language, saying that “We have quite a few refugee programs where a lot of the people are from the Congo, Centre Afrique, Burkina Faso… they can volunteer for those organizations at these organisations they have a center, where you can go and volunteer to babysit kids and so the parents can go and try to find a job, and they need someone who speaks French, because the kids don’t speak anything else.”
Hulet also had another method of learning more about the language, saying that “there are so many movies, and books, and music that you can get involved with- the series Lupin on Netflix is a huge show in France, everyone is watching it.”
Ultimately, Madame Hulet’s French classes are beloved by many students throughout Hillcrest High School, and for good reason. Hulet engages the students in the lessons, showcasing how one might teach others about different subjects in another language. For those who want to learn French they can’t go wrong with her classes.
