New school, same cute kids, really different experience

This morning I hopped on the tram to Le Signoret, Pierre's school. Unfortunately, my enthusiastic director was not at school today, so I was on my own to meet and greet the teachers. I didn't see any sort of main entrance or secretary to introduce myself to, so I just walked into a classroom and said, Hello, I'm the English Assistant. It so happened I walked into a CP class (the youngest grade, 6 year olds) and the teacher said oh yes, I think you're supposed to be with the CP and CE1 (the 2 youngest grades). She was nice, but older, and didn't really give me much more to go off of than that. So I sat in the back of her room while her kids came in... watched as a little boy (Alox-pronounced Aloe-eex) wrote "Putun" on the board (a very bad word, albeit spelled incorrectly), and then sort of looked at him sternly until the teacher noticed what was going on.

The kids were pretty much adorable though. One little girl said, "T'es belle," (You're pretty) and another told me a story about a turtle. I was a little shocked at how "old school" the teacher's teaching style was. Once she had taken attendance, she pointed at me and said this is our English assistant, and then moved right into her French grammar lesson. For being a class of 6 year olds, it wasn't very colorful and the only posters up on the wall were the letters in print and cursive script (which they learn to use much earlier than in the US). The teacher did a lot of 'shhshing', used a long ruler to point to words, and the kids sat in rows of 2. The children were memorizing lines and words from a story. The teacher would read it, then she'd call on a student to read the same line, and then they'd work on pronunciation/letter combinations... a very different approach to learning to read than how I've been taught to teach children how to read... but then again, I was only observing one lesson...

About 30 minutes into the lesson, I got bored and decided I'd move along to another classroom. This was a different CP class, with a teacher who had a little more color on the walls and a little less old school instruction. She at least showed me the 3 books in English she owned (as opposed to the shelves of books in English they showed me yesterday at the other school) and where to go next... out the building and up an outdoor staircase to the CE1 class (7-8 year olds).

This next teacher had an interesting predicament. She taught in this CE1 class once a week, every Tuesday, when I'll be there. But, she also rotated and taught one day in 3 other classes (of different levels). Because she is a new teacher, her job position is to fill in for the teachers when they only teach part-time (something that is apparently very common in France when Mommies have babies.) When she's been teaching longer, her odds increase for a better job. Actually, this is how all the teaching posts work. Candidates wanting to be teachers take a test to become "certified" teachers, and then they are placed by the State anywhere in a region of their choice (so not exact cities or districts). Then, once the teacher has taught for a few years, they can swap up to better cities and better jobs (like teaching one class, instead of 4).

As you can imagine, this doesn't allow this teacher much continuity in discipline, so the kids aren't as respectful to her, but they were still pretty cute... and she was still pretty with it. I got to sing the alphabet (in English) with them and help walk around correcting one of their French grammar assignments. So even though I wasn't answering a million questions today, I was doing a lot of French speaking! This teacher helped explain the school a little better and then showed me to the coffee/tea room during the recreation break. After the break, I stayed in her room a little longer and then switched to another CE1 class across the hall.

I was the most impressed with this next teacher's classroom style. She was differentiating the instruction for varying levels of readers, the kids were drawing and writing to assess comprehension of a story, and she's been the only teacher I've seen get down on the floor with the kids in a sort of circle time. She also had hand-made posters and drawings for different activities and she always had something up on the board for when the students were done with their activity... so I found her to be a pretty good teacher! She didn't have me do much but observe, so we'll see how it goes later on...

Then, it was lunch time, and I skidaddled with the kids and teachers. (They invited me to eat with them at a restaurant, but I had other plans). I had received an email saying my Neufbox (my DSL box) had come into the store that I was supposed to pick it up from. So I hopped on a bus (my new favorite way to go places, much faster in some cases), and went to the TABAC (a type of corner store, selling all types of cigarettes, cards, and lottery tickets).

I got home, ripped open the box, rearranged my apartment so all the wires sort of fit into the DSL box, and realized... oh don't think this thing works without a phone line (which is being installed on Thursday afternoon). I just read online that once the guy comes to install my phone line, it will take 48hours for the number to be activated. Then, 48 hours after my line has been activated, I can get the login and password needed to complete the installation process. AH. So, I still have until at least the beginning of next week before my tv/internet/and unlimited international calling can commence.

I didn't do anything after my mad dash to pick up the Neufbox and figure the thing out because I was too tired and my mom says I still sound sick (I'm not...really, just hoarse). I did however get a call from the oven guy and they delivered my brand new oven/stove! Yay! No more hot plates!

But, tomorrow's a new day! I'm meeting up with the highschool assistant in Saint-Priest who lives on the Fourviere hill to explore the Roman Theaters! Pictures to come:)

Reste cool!

St. Jean (from yesterday's post)

Dance American, Dance!

My first day in a French école elementaire (elementary school) was so much fun, but equally exhausting! I began my day at 6:45am, which is much earlier than my most recent wake-up-whenever-I-feel-like kind of schedule. I got ready and went out to meet Sabine (pronounced Sa-bean), a teacher from the Les Marendiers school, who was giving me a ride for my first day. We got to school and she told me that I’d be in her class first, for 30 minutes, and then I would switch to another class for another 30 minutes and so on until my time was up. I met with 6 different classes today, so my initial idea that I’d only work with 3 classes a school went right out the window! There are 8 total classes at this school, so pretty tiny!

Sabine told me that she hadn’t told her class I would be her today, and that she wouldn’t say anything until a student asked. Then she would make it into a game of “Let’s Guess Who This Is and Why She’s Here.” So the student’s (a CE1 class… students who are about 7 years old and adorable in their little French clothes) came in, sat down, stared at me for awhile, commented amongst themselves about who I was, and then finally asked their teacher (Maitresse they say) who I was. She said, in French, “Well I don’t know! She was here when I came in and turned on the lights! Why don’t you ask her? Although I’ve already tried in French and she doesn’t understand ANY French, so you’ll have to try something else.” They caught on that I spoke English, and asked the 2 questions they knew how to say in varying forms (What is your name? Are you from England? Are you from South Africa? Are you from Australia? etc.). Finally, they guessed that I was from the United States, I showed them on the map, and then I helped them with a little matching exercise in their cahiers (notebooks). Then- on to the next class!

The next class was a CE2, or 8-9 year olds. They were supposed to know at least the English phrases that were being introduced in the CE1 class, but they didn’t seem to remember much other than, “What’s your name?” After that, the teacher pretty much allowed them to fire question after question at me, in French. I got everything from, “Do you eat nutella?” to “Do you ever see the stars?” This last question… I didn’t really get until later in the day after I had been asked by several other children if I had seen the “stars.” At first, I just said, yes, I’ve seen stars… but then later realized oh, they mean like movie stars…of course! That’s all they know when they think of America- big buildings and movie stars like they see on tv. Duh. So then my answer became, yes, I’ve seen Obama before… because I did once at a campaign rally… and I tried to explain that I was from Virginia near Washington, D.C…. so it was sort of relatable. I also got this question in this class, “Do you like to dance,” for which I responded, “Yes,” and the girl went a step further saying, “Well dance for us.” I kind of felt like a traveling circus performer, and I was the freak who could speak English. I did not do a dance, just in case you were wonderingJ

After this 30 minute segment, I went down the hall to a CM1 class of 9-10 year olds. This teacher had no idea I was coming at that time, and I later found out that she was actually a long term substitute for the director of the school, who is also the teacher of this class. It was her first day… so I was kind of thrown into the front and asked to introduce myself, and then because we had nothing planned for today (I was told I would just be observing all day), I asked the students if they had any questions for me… which of course started up a firing squad of questions. There were many similar ones from before, but this time they added in, “Does America have the biggest hamburgers in the world?” and “Do you watch the Simpson’s.” The students were henceforth very interested to know that I, in fact, not only watched the Simpson’s, but I just so happened to live in one of the many Springfield’s America has to offer. This class was a little overwhelming on the behavior front, but I assume it will only get better once the teacher has a better handle on her students.

Then, I was given a 15 minute break while the students were ushered outside for a 15 minute recess break (the whole school in fact). This was also a time for the teachers to make their tea and coffee in the lounge.

After the break, I was shown my next class, a CM2/CP class… which was odd. The CM2 level is like 11-12 year olds and the CP group is 6 year olds. For some reason this teacher had a mixture of both, but they were separated on different sides of the room and the little kids had smaller desks. It was actually quite interesting how the little kids listened and learned English through the older kids. This class presented me with little dramatizations of what happens when you meet someone for the first time. The CM2’s would go up in pairs and go through the same dialogue: “Hello. Good morning. What’s your name? My name is… How old are you? I am…? Where do you live? I live in… Nice to meet you. Goodbye.” We’d clap and the next set would go up. They were so cute… they had the hardest time saying “How old are you?” because the “How-old” part would sort of run together.

After their little dialogues, they sang me a “Hello” song (both CM2 and CP). Then, the firing squad…fired up. The most interesting question from this class was, “Do you have black and white tv?” And I was most impressed that some of the CP’s were asking intelligent-ish questions… like “How did you get here, in a boat or a plane?”

Next, Sophie (the last teacher) followed me to a CM1/CM2 combo class of 9-11 year olds because she and the other teacher switch for English. The other teacher teaches the students German at the switch. With this class, there were no dialogues, but they did sing me a song. Then- yep you guessed it, more questions. Pretty much everything they asked had already been asked in one of the other 3 classes so I was ready. A few times I’d have to look to Sophie because I didn’t understand what they were saying… especially a little boy who went on and on about something before he actually got to his question. But, these kids were so cute. As I left the room they were still yelling out questions.

Finally, I met with a CP class (all 6 year olds). These students pretty much only get to the “Hello/Good morning/Goodbye” stage of English… so I only meet with them for 15 minutes before lunch. They were by far the most adorable… looking up at me with their big eyes, dressed in their little mini-me French people clothes. The teacher said with this class I’ll usually read a book in English and then explain it in French afterwards.

And then it was lunch time! The teachers invited me to stay for lunch (and I said yes only because I had intended on being there until 12:15 to fulfill my 4 hours at this school). I didn’t bring a lunch, so I went to the cantine (cafeteria) with the students. Let me just say, I will be forgetting my lunch every time I go to school. I got a baguette slice, cheese, apple, fish (like nice white fish with a sauce), green beans, and a tart for desert. Yumz. And! The teachers apologized because the lunch is usually much better! HAH!

By that time, I had reached my French speaking abilities. I felt like I did a pretty awesome job communicating with the students, they understood me, I understood them for the most part. I even had one kid at lunch tell me that I had excellent French skills for someone who doesn’t speak French, hehe. But now, I was with the teachers, as they spoke fast and about more complicated things than what I do for fun in the United States… so I mostly listened and nodded. After the big lunch, I was also just ready for a nap. So I asked if they could help me find the bus stop, and I was on my way home.

So- it was pretty much an awesome day. The kids were great, the teachers were very nice, and I’ll see them again in 2 weeks after my in-service next week.

After a nap and some video chatting with Vic, I went on my way to find St. Jean (the church) again in old Lyon. I had seen the outside, but never the inside. It’s actually a pretty interesting church… it’s a very central landmark in the old Lyon quarter, with the Basilica almost watching over it on the hill. It has a medieval feel on the inside and outside, but also had a modern art exhibit up around the walls on the inside. I was there for the beginning of an evening mass, and felt a little out of place with my camera, but you could tell this was definitely still a place of active worship. The singing was beautiful and just soared up through the high ceilings. And at the front of the church was this old horlage, or clock/calendar thing. The plaque said that it could have been from the 1300’s! It ticked away and showed the time, but it also showed the date and the year which I thought was kind of amazing. The plaque said that it goes up to 2019… so I don’t know what happens after 2019, but I’m glad I saw it before then I guessJ After my exploring, I sat and drank a nice yummy cup of hot chocolate at a café overlooking St. Jean.

Now I’m home, while it pours down rain. My voice is sore from all the French I spoke today and my brain is tired… so it will be an early night for sure!

Reste coolJ

Sundays in France

Bonjour tout le monde!

Today hasn't been a particularly exciting day of adventures, but just a regular old Sunday (full of laundry, cleaning, and getting ready for the week ahead). However, I thought I'd comment on a few interesting French Sunday habits... (and show you a picture of the laundry-carrying contraption I've created. It's quite nice not to have to lug laundry down the street on my shoulder, but I still haven't worked out how best to get this thing up and down my 5 flights of stairs...).

In the United States, if you are up early on a Sunday, you are probably going to church, or at least you see cars of people dressed up on their way to church. In France, although the majority of people would categorize themselves as Catholic (if anything), most people do not attend Church every Sunday, and usually just on major holidays. (There is also a large population of North Africans and Turkish in this area who are Muslim.) Instead, on Sunday mornings, there are tons of people up, bright and early, for the open-air markets located around the city. There is one (well, at least one that I know of) in Saint-Priest on Sunday mornings, there are huge "creation" markets along one of the quais or riverbanks in Lyon (I'm guessing kind of like a craft-fair, but with more professional looking crafts), and even larger open-air markets in La Croix-Rousse part of the Lyon. Everyone you see is carrying a big bag full of fresh produce and a baguette (or 2 or 3) under their arm.

This is probably because later in the day, the French have large Sunday meals. Some families continue the very French tradition of having 7 course meals, others I'm sure are a little less traditional. I have yet to experience this first hand, but hopefully I'll be invited some day to the more traditional Sunday feast by one of my new French pallies.

Between the big French meals and the mornings at the markets, you often see families going for bike rides, old men playing the bocci-ball like game boules, and hear screams from the local bars (or even from the apartments below mine) with people watching a football match (soccer games).

This is a little off the topic, but I've also decided that the French love Americans (or at least like us a whole lot more than we think they do). Maybe I've had such a positive experience because I genuinely try to speak, dress, and act French while I'm here... but there are always moments when I have to fess up to being American, and I always get the "Oh really!... I know so-and-so who is from Las Vegas... or my son-in-law is in New York studying finance... or I've always wanted to visit America... or I know some English" kind of response.

For example, today when I was at the laundromat, the woman who must own the shop asked me if I had set the temperature on the machine before inserting my money. Of course, I kind of looked at her funny while I was processing all the laundromat vocabulary in French, and so she looked at me like I was an idiot. I said, I'm sorry, I'm American, so I'm not sure I understand. And she immediately said, "Oh really! Well, my nephew just married a woman from Pittsburgh. I know some English. Let me try to explain." We got through with the washing machine conversation and she asked the particulars of why I am here. Everyone always asks, "Are you studying here?" And I respond, that no, I'm an English Assistant, which amazingly needs no further explanation. They ask how long I'm here for, if I'm here alone, do I teach younger children, etc. This woman asked all those questions and asked for my email address to give to her new American niece-in-law (named Liz), I guess so that we can be fellow-American-in-France kind of friends. The woman also told me that her husband owns the bar right next door and that she's often in their helping out, so if I ever needed anything I could come find her, or at the very least go in to swap bills out for change. Chouette!

Anywho- I hope you've enjoyed this little culture segment:) I'm off to spend the rest of the day making my own personal French feast (an omelet), video chatting with the fam, and getting ready for my first real day of being in a French elementary school:)

Stay tuned and reste cool:)

Hiya Mate!

Last night I had convinced myself that I didn't need to go to a gathering of assistants for a bring your-own-picnic lunch. I still wasn't feeling very well, I didn't know where I was going, and I didn't know anyone who would be there (both assistants for St. Priest are out of town). I went to bed with a different kind of schedule in mind for my Saturday. Of course, I woke up to beautiful picnic weather. I thought, what the heck, I have to eat lunch sometime... and I don't have to stick around if it's lame and if I get lost and can't find it, then tant pis, it wasn't meant to be.

Well, wouldn't you know it! I had a great time! I got off the metro to a beautiful neighborhood I

haven't explored yet. I found a boulangerie to buy a quick picnic lunch. I got a little side-tracked by a really pretty church and then asked a nice family for directions to the Parc de la Tete d'Or. I found the entrance way I was supposed to meet at, saw a beautiful park, took a few pictures, sucked it up, and went over to a few girls speaking English. Of course they were some other English teachingassistants... and they just all happened to be British. They were from different parts of Northern England and had excellent accents. They were also all really sweet. As time went on, more

and more assistants came. There were probably 30 or more of us by the time we found a spot to sit to eat our lunches.

After we ate and met a few more people, someone from the big

group suggested going to visit the zoo, also located inside the park. We all got up, decided to swap phone numbers (me and the Brits), and before we knew it, the entire group was pretty much gone. So me and the other girls headed off in a similar direction and eventually found our way to the zoo. We saw the giraffes first, which one of the girls (Hannah) thought were just statues... and they were really still, but then they moved and we all cracked up laughing. I'm sure that doesn't seem very funny to you now, it was

a "had to be there" kind of moment, but I realized that it was probably the first time I'd laughed with friends in person in at least a week and a half (well, besides laughing with Laura about Laurence's English skills).

So needless to say, I am so happy to have met such wonderful people. I was hesitant at first about meeting more English speakers... as I am here to hone my French, but I guess I'm still gaining an interesting cultural experience by hanging out with them! (Hiya mate is my new favorite British thing to say, with a bad British accent of course). And, one girl (Caroline) mentioned that once we make real French-people friends that maybe we can all get together to be friends with the Frenchies. (Side note- The girls, Caroline, Helen, and Hannah, are all here in their 3rd year of Uni., as they call it, for their mandatory year abroad. So they are trying to hone their French almost more than I am! And, second side note- they didn't know each other prior to today, so all new friends!).

Anyway, after the zoo, we kept walking and found the botanical gardens portion of the park (this park is huge!). After a few pictures, we decided we should probably head back to the metro.

Some of us were headed in the same direction for at least part of the way, so we rode together. I got off to take my tram back, and saw that my tram wouldn't be there for another 15 minutes... and that it would be disrupted halfway through the trip (due to, you guessed it, another strike). So I ran to get back on the metro heading a different direction to go around the part that would be disrupted and then back onto a tram stop closer to my apartment. It took me twice as long to get home, but I

got home eventually, just in time to make most of my video-chat date with Vic. Yay!

I also got to video chat with my family (all of them! Leslie was even home visiting), I got a postcard in the mail from Celeste (yay thanks Kelso!), and made dinner. I tried my best as making my salad aesthetically pleasing... what do you think?

Miss you all! Reste cool:)

SAINT-PRIEST: Nice place to live, work, and fun to say:)

Besides still being sick (I'm, gross, even worse today), I had an awesome day! I met with Laurence, early before our big meet-and-greet with the schools, to go over a bunch of administrative paperwork and make copies of all my documents 500 times (well not that many, but it sure felt like it). The French love making you provide copies and originals of several different documents for anything from getting a long-stay work visa, to social security, to acquiring telephone/internet, etc. I guess it's good that they are so thorough... but it's kind of a big headache for someone unfamiliar to the system. Laurence tried her best to help answer questions, but for some things she's just as confused as I am!

Then, Laurence showed Alexa (the other assistant) and I their collection of English teaching materials. There's some good stuff and some not-so-useful stuff, but the materials were a helpful starting point for brainstorming ideas for our first few lessons. I'm still a little confused about how much I plan for the classrooms I'm in, but I'm sure there isn't a straight answer as every teacher is different and each teacher has a varying level of English proficiency. I did gather, that

for at least the first week, I'll be mostly observing how a French classroom is run (cool!). The second week, I'll have to attend a formation, or some type of pedagogical in-service, and the third week of October I'll have my first "real" classroom interaction... Then, of course, I go on a week-long break :)

Around noon, we gathered for the meeting with the representatives of the 6 primary schools

chosen to have English assistants this year. Apparently, every few years it rotates and new schools in the district get to have an English assistant. Each of us will have 3 schools to go to, and at each school we work for about 4 hours, assisting maybe 3 classes with an English lesson. Which means, I'll have maybe 9 classes and 9 teachers to work with... it will be challenging to get to know the kids and teachers on a more personal level, but lesson planning won't be bad at all! In each school, I think I'll work with 1 of 3 grades, so at most, per week, I'll need to think of 3 lessons (nothing compared to the 20+ lessons/week in student

teaching).

Some of the representatives from the schools were principals and some were the teachers I'll be working with. They were so nice! One principal I have already talked with via email over the summer. He is a hoot. I gave everyone there my new cell number, and he immediately texted me saying: "Just a trial run. Pierre." So cute. At another school, all 3 of the teachers showed up and one asked if they could give me a ride Monday morning (of course I told her yes). And the last school was represented by their directrice (principal, but she also has a class) and a teacher (who also offered to give me a ride for Thursday morning). So my schedule is: Monday work 8:15-12:15, Tuesday work 8:15-12:15ish, and Thursday

work 8:15-12:15ish. How great is that!

In my free time, I can do many different things: work at the cafeteria serving and watching the kids who don't go home at the break for lunch, work at the after-school program, work at the non-school-related daycare program on Wednesdays (no school on Wednesdays!), babysit the children of the teachers I work with (who want their kids to speak English more often), give private English lessons, tour Lyon, go for long week-ends somewhere cool, entertain guests, read books from the Library (got my library card today!), learn how to cook a la francaise, write postcards, write really up-to-date blog posts, etc. Any further ideas on how to enjoy my time in France is much appreciated. Guests are always welcome.

After the meeting, I ran a few errands... picked up my French credit card, transferred money

into that account, mailed my first letter to the USA, bought a couronne (circular baguette, it looks like a C in the picture because I ate some), picked up my library card, tried out my new Lyon metro pass (it works!), and headed home. While walking the short distant from the tram to my apartment, I couldn't help but think, man, I was so lucky to land a position in Saint-Priest. Everyone from Laurence, to the teachers I met today, to the woman at the bank (who generously walked me through depositing money into their atm machine) to the woman at the post office to the woman in the bakery- they were all so gentils (nice). I don't think I could have asked for a better situation!

But, I know what you're all thinking.... she lives so close to that big, cool city called Lyon, why doesn't she go explore? Well, I would, but I am winded just walking downstairs from my apartment, much less to go out and about in Lyon. But, thankfully it's supposed to be an even more beautiful weekend (in the 70's oo la la!). So, for now, I'm drinking my fluids and resting from my busy day in my little, cute town, Saint-Priest. (zip code 69800... I'm excited I've memorized at least one combination of numbers that are new to me).

Reste cool:)

Bleh I'm sick:(

Welp, it's official, I have a cold. I woke up this morning and felt like my throat was the size of a watermelon. But thankfully, the tylenol cold medicine I packed is working its magic... and I can only hope I'll be better by this weekend! (There's an English assistant picnic on Saturday at a big park in Lyon). It would be even cooler if I was magically better by tomorrow, my first real day of work (more meetings... so not really real work, but closer).

I did manage to make my way to a SNCF ticket booth to buy myself a carte 12-25, a youth pass costing 50 euros, but cutting all train ticket prices in half, woohoo! I started looking online today for my train ticket to Paris. I'm picking Maggie and company up from the airport there at the end of October (I have a week vacation right after I work 3 full weeks, nice!). Instead of it costing me 120 euros, it will only cost me 60 euros:)

I asked the woman at the SNCF site if she could "recharge" my monthly Lyon metro pass (or put money on my card)... which she could not. So I had to go a different station, for a different ticket booth for metro tickets. Of course, as it is the day before October 1st, I was not the only one getting in line to put money on my telecity pass. Fortunately, there was a patisserie in the station, so before I got in line, I got myself a little snack, something new- a chausson citron (or a lemon bootee... aka a lemon turnover). It was delish. And it made me smile on the inside because I envisioned putting it on a little baby foot. A good way to kill 5 minutes of the 45 I waited in line...

Of course, the one day I didn't bring an umbrella (it wasn't supposed to rain), it started raining on my way back to the tram to go home. I decided to get off the tram and stop at the mall to buy myself a jacket with a hood. I found a store with tons of discounts (kiabi). France mandates sales twice a year in July and January, so there aren't always clothing stores with a sale rack. But this whole store was like a sale rack! I found a cute little hooded jacket (Victor says I look like Madeline with it on), a new sweater and a turtle neck. Can you tell I've been cold?

Currently, I'm waiting on my oven that was supposed to show today. I waaas supposed to call and confirm a meeting time, but the phone number I was given didn't work... so I waited all afternoon just in case. Not very exciting, but I probably should be laying low anyway with my cold. Going to go watch a movie and drink something warm!

Hope you're all doing well! Reste Cool:)

ps I will eventually get around to finding a post office, so if you want a postcard, give me your address!