I just spent the weekend with a childhood friend from when I lived near Heidelberg. Steffanie lives near Münster now. Everytime I see one of my friends from Germany, I feel shocked that we're grownups. Steffanie and I didn't do anything touristy. We enjoyed eachothers company, talked about her visit to St. Louis, and hung out with her friends. It was really wonderful!
My weekend with Steffanie was the first stop on a two week vacation. Currently I'm sitting in an internet cafe in Berlin. A friend of mine arrives soon and then we're going to ber really touristy. Thursday I head to Stockholm. I'm going to try to update my blog again before I leave Berlin.
These next two weeks are an opportunity to practice spontinaity and minimalism. I'm traveling with a school back pack, and some over-night accommodations are yet to be determined.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
I'm a Pseudo Teacher
I teach 12 hours a week to 6-12 students at a time. I have taught normal classes, special education classes, and honors classes. Since I only take part of the class at a time I only see my students once every two or three weeks. This makes it really hard to learn names and establish relationships. It’s also hard to see what, if any, progress I might be contributing.
Preparation for class isn’t too difficult. Once I have a good lesson plan I can use it in several classes for several weeks. I think preparation takes me longer than a real teacher because I have no experience planning. Using the same lesson several times is always interesting. I love to see what different classes come up with. Also, the same lesson might be a complete failure with one class and a total success with another.
Students at my school are known for being difficult, although I don’t usually have any trouble with them. If I do, then I send the student back to the real teacher. I have a quasi teacher status but the students don’t seem to perceive me as a teacher. I’m five years younger than the youngest teacher at the school, students use my first name, I don’t give grades, and some students have cussed in front of me. I don’t think they know that I know French cuss words. As long as the student isn’t being mean or directing their cuss words at someone particular, I don’t run interference. Prior to winter break I felt like a rock star. Every time I walked down the hall I would hear “Hello Miss!” “How are you Miss?” “Jamie! I love you” “You are beautiful” etc. etc… At first this was a little overwhelming.
Because the students don’t see me as a real teacher, sometimes they can get a little chatty in class. I encourage students to talk, in a structured English environment. However, when they are chatty it is with each other and in French. When the students are chatty I ask them to stop, refuse to go on, move the student, and if it comes to it give my “it’s hard to learn a language” talk.
I give this talk in French which usually gets their attention. I explain to them that I practice French every day yet I still make mistakes. I ask them if they think 4 hours of English a week is really enough to learn a language. Then I tell them they need to profit from every second of class time which is why I use gestures and other English words to explain things they don’t understand. I also tell them that their chattiness is unfair and has a negative effect on the students who are interested in learning. I tell chatty students that if they are not interested they shouldn’t ask to come with me again. Finally I make it clear that if the chatty students don’t sit quietly for the time being they will be sent immediately back to class. I move on after I look the chattiest students in they eye and ask them if they understand.
Preparation for class isn’t too difficult. Once I have a good lesson plan I can use it in several classes for several weeks. I think preparation takes me longer than a real teacher because I have no experience planning. Using the same lesson several times is always interesting. I love to see what different classes come up with. Also, the same lesson might be a complete failure with one class and a total success with another.
Students at my school are known for being difficult, although I don’t usually have any trouble with them. If I do, then I send the student back to the real teacher. I have a quasi teacher status but the students don’t seem to perceive me as a teacher. I’m five years younger than the youngest teacher at the school, students use my first name, I don’t give grades, and some students have cussed in front of me. I don’t think they know that I know French cuss words. As long as the student isn’t being mean or directing their cuss words at someone particular, I don’t run interference. Prior to winter break I felt like a rock star. Every time I walked down the hall I would hear “Hello Miss!” “How are you Miss?” “Jamie! I love you” “You are beautiful” etc. etc… At first this was a little overwhelming.
Because the students don’t see me as a real teacher, sometimes they can get a little chatty in class. I encourage students to talk, in a structured English environment. However, when they are chatty it is with each other and in French. When the students are chatty I ask them to stop, refuse to go on, move the student, and if it comes to it give my “it’s hard to learn a language” talk.
I give this talk in French which usually gets their attention. I explain to them that I practice French every day yet I still make mistakes. I ask them if they think 4 hours of English a week is really enough to learn a language. Then I tell them they need to profit from every second of class time which is why I use gestures and other English words to explain things they don’t understand. I also tell them that their chattiness is unfair and has a negative effect on the students who are interested in learning. I tell chatty students that if they are not interested they shouldn’t ask to come with me again. Finally I make it clear that if the chatty students don’t sit quietly for the time being they will be sent immediately back to class. I move on after I look the chattiest students in they eye and ask them if they understand.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Middle School
I teach at a middle school called Louis Pasture. The students range from 11 -15 years old. French middle schoolers are every bit as awkward and angsty as American middle schoolers. Middle schoolers in France are generally regarded with suspicion. All new schools have a locked gate to prevent unauthorized entering and exiting. Students are required to carry around a note book where they keep their schedule, write down homework, and keep track of appointments. Should the need arise; there is also a section in the notebook to communicate with parents.
School starts at 8am and ends at 5pm. Most students have a two hour lunch break starting at 12pm, but kids who have chosen to take 2 foreign languages only have a one hour lunch break. Students have the option to eat in the school cafeteria, but many go home. The students schedule is different every day. Students have 10 subjects and they don’t have every class every day. Students are organized into years and classes. For example there are six classes of the third year. The class stays together for nearly every subject. In their last year of middle school every student takes a one week internship in order to explore career possibilities.
In addition to the administration and teachers there are a few staff at the school who work entirely on discipline. They monitor the kids in the court yard, monitor the halls, collect attendance, give late excuses, monitor detention, and handle unruly kids who get sent out of class. Detention and extra written assignments are common punishments for chatty or impolite students.
French schools are a bit more formal than American schools. The students are required to stay standing until the teacher invites them to sit down, and if an adult enters the room the students drop everything and stand. Many teachers also utilize an interrogation method of testing students’ knowledge. The student is invited to the front of class and answers various questions.
Teachers in France are a bit stricter, and there is more yelling than in the United States. Many teachers yell very little, if at all. However there are a very special two at my school who yell unscrupulously. I know this kind of yelling would not be allowed in American schools. I was shocked and afraid the first time I heard it. Literally afraid. I couldn’t imagine sitting in that class. It is so negative. Most teachers don’t support yelling of this nature, but they also have some compassion for the yellers because the students at Louis Pasture are notoriously challenging.
School starts at 8am and ends at 5pm. Most students have a two hour lunch break starting at 12pm, but kids who have chosen to take 2 foreign languages only have a one hour lunch break. Students have the option to eat in the school cafeteria, but many go home. The students schedule is different every day. Students have 10 subjects and they don’t have every class every day. Students are organized into years and classes. For example there are six classes of the third year. The class stays together for nearly every subject. In their last year of middle school every student takes a one week internship in order to explore career possibilities.
In addition to the administration and teachers there are a few staff at the school who work entirely on discipline. They monitor the kids in the court yard, monitor the halls, collect attendance, give late excuses, monitor detention, and handle unruly kids who get sent out of class. Detention and extra written assignments are common punishments for chatty or impolite students.
French schools are a bit more formal than American schools. The students are required to stay standing until the teacher invites them to sit down, and if an adult enters the room the students drop everything and stand. Many teachers also utilize an interrogation method of testing students’ knowledge. The student is invited to the front of class and answers various questions.
Teachers in France are a bit stricter, and there is more yelling than in the United States. Many teachers yell very little, if at all. However there are a very special two at my school who yell unscrupulously. I know this kind of yelling would not be allowed in American schools. I was shocked and afraid the first time I heard it. Literally afraid. I couldn’t imagine sitting in that class. It is so negative. Most teachers don’t support yelling of this nature, but they also have some compassion for the yellers because the students at Louis Pasture are notoriously challenging.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Smile and Nod
Anybody who has been in a situation where they don’t speak the language of the majority quickly becomes an expert in the “Smile and Nod School of Communication”.
The “Smile and Nod” is a method of communication using universally acknowledged; facial expressions, shoulder shrugs, eye darting, and head nodding. Using this style of communication requires absolutely no study. Social scientists everywhere are engaged in a hot d debate about whether “Smile and Nod” is in fact an innate survival mechanism.
One can express a great number of things using “Smile and Nod”. “Yes of course!” “I’m not sure I understand, but okay.” “I’m utterly confused” are a few of the most common. Context and subtlety of gestures allows for an infinite number of phrases expressed through “Smile and Nod”
While “Smile and Nod” serves many people well, it doesn’t come without danger. Smile and Nodders are at an extreme disadvantage. Misunderstandings and the risk of being taken advantage of are very real.
An innocent smile and nod of the “Yes of Course!” variety has recently caught up to me. I bought my plane ticket back to the States over two weeks ago, however the cost of my ticket had not been withdrawn from my account. I finally decided it was time to talk to the nice people at my bank. Whereupon I learned that when I opened my account (the second day I was in France) I agreed that bills bigger than 150 euro would be paid for in three installments starting the month after purchase.
“Oh! Okay! Wow! I agreed to that?”
All is good, my plane ticket is still reserved, and I changed my debit card so that all transactions will be immediately activated. Furthermore I’ve long passed the “Smile and Nod” phase in France. Phew! I’m traveling to Sweden and Norway for the February vacation, so I imagine I’ll be using it again soon.
The “Smile and Nod” is a method of communication using universally acknowledged; facial expressions, shoulder shrugs, eye darting, and head nodding. Using this style of communication requires absolutely no study. Social scientists everywhere are engaged in a hot d debate about whether “Smile and Nod” is in fact an innate survival mechanism.
One can express a great number of things using “Smile and Nod”. “Yes of course!” “I’m not sure I understand, but okay.” “I’m utterly confused” are a few of the most common. Context and subtlety of gestures allows for an infinite number of phrases expressed through “Smile and Nod”
While “Smile and Nod” serves many people well, it doesn’t come without danger. Smile and Nodders are at an extreme disadvantage. Misunderstandings and the risk of being taken advantage of are very real.
An innocent smile and nod of the “Yes of Course!” variety has recently caught up to me. I bought my plane ticket back to the States over two weeks ago, however the cost of my ticket had not been withdrawn from my account. I finally decided it was time to talk to the nice people at my bank. Whereupon I learned that when I opened my account (the second day I was in France) I agreed that bills bigger than 150 euro would be paid for in three installments starting the month after purchase.
“Oh! Okay! Wow! I agreed to that?”
All is good, my plane ticket is still reserved, and I changed my debit card so that all transactions will be immediately activated. Furthermore I’ve long passed the “Smile and Nod” phase in France. Phew! I’m traveling to Sweden and Norway for the February vacation, so I imagine I’ll be using it again soon.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Elementary School
In Elementary school French students memorize two or more poems by heart every month. A friend explained to me that the history of France can be found in poetry. She also told me that poetry is used as a tool to teach students French. It is an interactive way to think about conjugations, tenses, and spelling. A lot of words sound alike in French but they are written with different endings or with a different gender. My French friend was shocked when I told her, that I might have memorized two poems my entire school career.
I think the use of poetry at a young age is excellent. The memorization requires parents to get involved because a five year old who can barely read can’t learn a poem without help. Additionally these young students start to have analytical conversations at a very young age. Through poetry French kids start to learn much earlier that the world isn’t as simple as right and wrong.
All elementary schools are closed on Wednesday. It is thanks to this that I have a babysitting job on Wednesday. It is considered too much for a kid to go to school 5 days a week. Even Middles Schools are only open in the morning on Wednesdays. Here in France, closing school on Wednesday is an unquestioned cultural assumption about what kids need. Just as in the United States nobody questions 40 minute lunch breaks and 5 day school weeks. I’m realizing a lot about my own cultural assumptions about normalcy through French cultural assumptions.
I think the use of poetry at a young age is excellent. The memorization requires parents to get involved because a five year old who can barely read can’t learn a poem without help. Additionally these young students start to have analytical conversations at a very young age. Through poetry French kids start to learn much earlier that the world isn’t as simple as right and wrong.
All elementary schools are closed on Wednesday. It is thanks to this that I have a babysitting job on Wednesday. It is considered too much for a kid to go to school 5 days a week. Even Middles Schools are only open in the morning on Wednesdays. Here in France, closing school on Wednesday is an unquestioned cultural assumption about what kids need. Just as in the United States nobody questions 40 minute lunch breaks and 5 day school weeks. I’m realizing a lot about my own cultural assumptions about normalcy through French cultural assumptions.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Kindergarten in France
Despite teaching for nearly 4 months, it has been really hard for me to talk or write about it. I’m overwhelmed and I don’t feel like I have it all figured out yet. I’ve decided it’s time to broach the subject; ready or not. Here is the first of a few installations on the French School System and my teaching experience. Thanks for reading! Enjoy:):)
In France 84% of parents send their child to public kindergarten starting at age 3, although school isn’t compulsory until age 5. If the parents sign their child up for kindergarten at 3, they are obliged to keep sending them the following years. Three year olds go to school only in the morning.
All kindergarten’s are locked after school starts. Parents do not have the right to watch classes, pick up their child early or drop them off late. Ten years ago a man came into a kindergarten in Paris and murdered all the students with a gun. Since then the kindergarten doors have been locked for security reasons. The Kindergartens are open twice a year during school hours for parents to come look at their child’s work.
I thought closing the schools was an interesting reaction since almost nobody has a gun in France, and the probability of one of the rare gun holders doing a school shooting is pretty low. I think about how many school shootings their have been in the United States, and how the same discourse follows each time.
Currently there is legislation on the table to cut public education so that it starts at age 5. Everyone I have talked to is absolutely appalled by this. School is seen as an important part of socialization and 5 is considered way too late to start. School is also viewed as a social equalizer of sorts. Some kids don’t have parents that will start helping them learn to read and write at three, therefore school is considered pivotal to giving each child a similar educational opportunities.
Day cares are much rarer in France and they are not viewed with much respect. There is a lot of talk about how starting school at five would affect working mothers. The fact that the effect on women is being talked about is certainly a mark of progress in gender equality. However, why are women in question and not all parents? The answer is that; in France as in the United States, ‘parenting’ is frequently a thin disguise for ‘mothering’.
In France 84% of parents send their child to public kindergarten starting at age 3, although school isn’t compulsory until age 5. If the parents sign their child up for kindergarten at 3, they are obliged to keep sending them the following years. Three year olds go to school only in the morning.
All kindergarten’s are locked after school starts. Parents do not have the right to watch classes, pick up their child early or drop them off late. Ten years ago a man came into a kindergarten in Paris and murdered all the students with a gun. Since then the kindergarten doors have been locked for security reasons. The Kindergartens are open twice a year during school hours for parents to come look at their child’s work.
I thought closing the schools was an interesting reaction since almost nobody has a gun in France, and the probability of one of the rare gun holders doing a school shooting is pretty low. I think about how many school shootings their have been in the United States, and how the same discourse follows each time.
Currently there is legislation on the table to cut public education so that it starts at age 5. Everyone I have talked to is absolutely appalled by this. School is seen as an important part of socialization and 5 is considered way too late to start. School is also viewed as a social equalizer of sorts. Some kids don’t have parents that will start helping them learn to read and write at three, therefore school is considered pivotal to giving each child a similar educational opportunities.
Day cares are much rarer in France and they are not viewed with much respect. There is a lot of talk about how starting school at five would affect working mothers. The fact that the effect on women is being talked about is certainly a mark of progress in gender equality. However, why are women in question and not all parents? The answer is that; in France as in the United States, ‘parenting’ is frequently a thin disguise for ‘mothering’.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Adventures in Buying Floss
French people don’t love floss. I knew this before the need to purchase some arose, but the search brought me to a whole different level of understanding. After visiting three different grocery stores, in search of floss I finally asked someone where I could find some. I was surprised to learn that floss hangs out with all the medicine and herbs in the pharmacy. The medicinal status of floss wasn’t nearly as shocking as the price though. I paid 4 euro and 90 centime for floss! That is $ 6.70!
A friend explained that French dentists don’t usually recommend floss because they think it is hard on the gums. The status of floss is one of a few cultural differences I found in the accepted norms of health care. It’s been interesting to explore how health is also a product of culture, not just science. I don’t feel qualified to comment on the health benefits of floss but I’m willing to pay nearly $7 for floss because chunks become easily stuck in my teeth.
A friend explained that French dentists don’t usually recommend floss because they think it is hard on the gums. The status of floss is one of a few cultural differences I found in the accepted norms of health care. It’s been interesting to explore how health is also a product of culture, not just science. I don’t feel qualified to comment on the health benefits of floss but I’m willing to pay nearly $7 for floss because chunks become easily stuck in my teeth.
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