On apprend à parler en parlant (one learns to speak by speaking)



Lycee/College Blaise Vigenere, the school where I teach

 "Being in a foreign country means walking a tightrope high above the ground without the net afforded a person by the country where he has family, colleagues, and friends, and where he can easily say what he has to say in a language he has known from childhood."
-Milan Kundera

I love Kundera. I have read The Unbearable Lightness of Being probably a million times, but each time I take away something new. I sympathize with a different character; I make different parallels to my own life. It's as if he wrote the novel 100 times and then somehow fused all the versions together.

Thus begins my second week in Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule. I survived a very quiet weekend, devoting myself to learning everything about the French language and education system, making lesson plans, and basking in the beauty of internet access in my apartment. Ah, the simple things.

So far I have observed four classes, and I have four more to go before I officially start teaching on October 10th. I have my orientation in Clermont-Ferrand this Wednesday, where I can't wait to meet other assistants (from the states and other countries). All of the students seem very nice, and anxious to speak/learn English. They treat me like a celebrity, which is amusing. During a Q&A today:

Student: Are you American?
Me: Yes.
Student: Are you funny?
Me: Yes, people tell me that.
Student: Well, can I have your number?

Being that most of these kids are taller than me (what are they eating?) and that I've been told I have a "baby face" I really hope that I will be taken seriously in the classroom. I want to have fun and be myself but also be respected and have control of the classroom. It's a balance that will probably take time and practice. But I am really excited about teaching--I truly feel like I'm at the right place at the right time.

There are many differences in the classroom here, for instance the students must enter the classroom one at a time, and stand at their desks until the teacher tells them they can sit down. It feels a bit rigid, but honestly it immediately sets the tone for who's in charge and calling the shots, which is a good thing. I am excited because the program is designed so that I will have small groups--no more than 12 or 13 at one time. This gives more time for individual participation, more time to talk. I teach three age groups troisième, seconde, and terminale (essentially 8th grade, 9th grade and 12 grade). I am beginning to set up lesson plans that work to generate discussions. If anyone is reading who has teaching/lesson planning advice, please don't hesitate to share.