Soup weather

Vacances are still going and I'm back chez moi. It's definitely been soup weather so today I made soup. It turned out rather well with onion, leek ("first you take a leek"), garlic, carrot, radish, cabbage, peas, chicken bouillon, shreds of chicken deli meat and of course noodles.

Earlier in the week I had my lunch in Paris and checked out Bordeaux with some great people. Unfortunately about five minutes after leaving my room I sprained my ankle so I cut my trip short, BUT I had a great time. Anyway, it's been a little rainy and wet across France, a good time for reflection. And soup. And going to the movies. And reading books.

Bordeaux post coming Friday when I can post multiple pictures. :)

Bisous

MCJ

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Vacances

It is officially les vacances de Toussaint (All Saints). This morning I slept in (until 9 haha) and ran errands. I finally sent off my paperwork to OFII so that in a couple months I won't become an illegal worker despite the visa in my passport. I have also finally gotten international stamps for post cards. I had been relying on the prestamped envelopes I got five years ago....

Then I stopped by my Leclerc where I discovered... red pepper pesto. Holy shit. I am just one chipotle mayo short of a California Connection. So that is what I had for lunch today (minus a tomato as well). Yum yum.

So vacation.... Monday I am leaving very early for lunch in Paris. Following that my plans are pretty open with only the stipulation that I spend some time in the sunny south. I will try and send updates along the way.

Bonnes vacances!

MCJ

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I have a French social security number

Working at the primaire is definitely making me rethink what age group I want to work with after France. I am so so in love with my primaire kids. Of course, here in France, I'm exotic and fun and only see them twice a week. As a speech language pathologist, my role would be somewhat different. It's something I'm definitely thinking about right now heading into application time.

Today was day 2 of teaching Halloween. It was a definite homerun. The six box game took the kids a bit of time to figure out, but hopefully later on they will remember and it will be a bit easier. We shall see. "Lazy" bingo was a success, like last time. Yesterday, I was at the collège and it went like -- pardon my French -- complete merde. Well, the first class anyway, the others were just meh. Yesterday, I worked with a class that has specifically been identified as learners with challenges. I won't describe it too much more because I don't want to inadvertantly harm any of my students or the school. If you work in a French school, you probably know who I'm talking about. Anyway, before yesterday morning I did not know that that would be the class that I'd be working with. I took half the class on my own. It went... okay? ish from my perspective. They stayed calm and in their seats. The only loud outbursts were from one that possibly can't help it. Anyway one of the students had forgotten something and had to go to the administrative offices to find it. I allowed a different student to go get it. Evidently, some of the things that had been muttered in the back of the class where less than savory and the student told one of the administrators. So, said administrator came and gave a talking-to to the class (NOT yelling and it was a very productive/positive-oriented talking-to). The final point here is that I will not be left alone with such a class again. A couple of the students in that class, I really feel for. For various reasons that I don't know, they are in that class and the unfortunate truth is that their peers won't allow them to get their full potential. Yesterday made me really sad.

The other classes yesterday were with older students. It seems that the older the students get, the less willing they are to go out on a limb and attempt English. I was asked to teach about cliques. I've got to say I don't know a whole lot about them, but I managed to put together a lesson on them. Unfortunately, the projector in my room didn't work so I wasn't able to show them Jena Lee's US Boy to start off the discussion. Luckily, enough of the classes watch/have seen Glee/High School Musical/Mean Girls so they had some sort of base to go on. I taught the word hierarchy. I think I also have made them all think that American high schools are the worst.... I tried, but I'm not sure I managed to convey that they were exaggerations of reality and not necessarily typical.

Today, however, today was just awesome. One of the teachers at the primaire had been an assistant in the UK and he said that I did a great job. It also just felt really right and good. Before leaving for France, a veteran teacher I know told me the secret to teaching children is to always have enough material for an entire class. I've been striving for that. I try to have a few activities during the time I have with them and switch them up enough that kids don't get bored. We'll see how it goes after Toussaint when I'm talking about non-Halloween words. Monsters are really easy to imitate, mothers less so (hi Mom!). Oh man... we are going to have a field day with the interdental fricatives oh yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Muzzer, fahzzer, bruhzzer and then of course we shall return to the problem of the short i with seeeester.

Also today, one of my students (now not so secretly my favorite) gave me Breton caramels (see start of post). My heart melted oh so so cute. I wanted to give him some extra stickers in return but unfortunately (or fortunately?) the students have a VERY strong sense of justice. If you give a sticker/candy/whatever to one student, you sure as hell had better have enough for all of them. I gave out candy corn during all of the Halloween classes. In the first one, I accidentally missed one kid and he was about near tears. Today, seeing as I had only used three quarters of one of my two bags, I decided to tell one class to take two candy corns. This was as they were exiting for recess. The kids from the prior class got wind that they were getting more candy corns and I began to hear little exclamations "mais POURQUOI are they getting TWO? We only got one!!" I decided to be gentille and give them more, because really I had more and it's better to give them away. I have discovered that I actually like candy corn. I never did before. Perhaps it's nostalgia?

I tried to get the kids to actually apply "I'm scared." The kids understand It's raining/it's NOT raining, but they haven't begun extending that to I'm happy/I'm NOT happy. So I put up the pictures of the monster/witch/ghost and also the fireman/mailman and cowboy. And started with an example, "When I (point to self) see (point to eye) a monster (point at monster), I'm scared (mime being scared). When you (point to student/s) see (point to eye) a monster (point at monster), how are YOU? (put up hands in questioning position)" I did this a few times with the witch and ghost. The students began to catch on, then I tried the fireman. It took a bit of time, but eventually they figured out "I'm not scared." We'll see how much they remember after Toussaint.

The primaire school is set up around a courtyard. Most of the buildings are one story (all of the classrooms are on the groundlevel) and you can pass from one classroom to the next in one long stretch (for most of the classes, the itty bitties are in another building not connected). So when I walk from one class to the next or to go to the teacher lounge during recess/before class, the little kids will see me and follow me outside. Then I'll hear "Maryyyyyyyyyyyyyy Maryyyyyyyyyy Maaaaary HELLOOOOOOOOO Maryyyyyyyyy!"

Today during the recess, one of the teachers taught me how to laminate so I could protect the drawings I've made for the classes. I was working at this when I realized that it had suddenly gotten very quiet. Whoops. Recess was over and I was late. Heureusement, it was not a problème.

Basically, right now, I'm really enjoying working with the primaire and thinking of ways to help them with English. It's a fun little puzzle. AND I feel really proud because a couple of the students in the primaire that have studying problems are really getting my lessons. When they figure out/remember things before the rest of the class that melts my heart as much as getting the caramels. French kiddos ftw.

Bisous,

MCJ

I'm very very very very vewy vewy vewy 'appeeee

Teacher: How are you?
Students: I'm very happy.
I'm so-so.
I'm cold!
I'm sick!
I'm fine.
I'm really happy!
I'm very very happy.
Student Z: I'm very very very very very ... vewy happy!

Today was a primaire day. I love primary school days, the children are so 'appy and enthusiastic. I met two new classes today (a CM1 and a CE1) and met up with the class that I did professions with last time.

The first class, a CM1 went fine. I hadn't really hit my stride yet. My CE2 (the class I taught professions last week) was fantastic. For today, I planned and prepared materials on Halloween (as this week is the last I'll have before Halloween... next week is vacation, hollaaaa). The tricky thing with the primaires is that they can really only learn a few words at a time. By that, I mean six is pushing it. So for today, I chose: scared (as a new option to How are you?), witch, ghost, monster, pumpkin and CANDY (or, alternatively sweets... which I think is how I will say it Thursday).

After the English class ritual of How are you?/What's your name?/What's the weather like? I reviewed the professions from last week. Then I busted out the awesome drawings I made of the aforementioned six. I've taken to trying to portray sounds with my whole body. I think it's only semi-effective in improving accents, but it's hella-effective in making kids happy. Cowboy now has a jump (like a boiiiiing) at the end. We shall see if it helps them remember on Thursday.... For with I did a scrunched up face and tried to bare my teeth a bit to show them how to make the short I sound instead of weeeetch. Pumpkin gets two jumps for its two plosive ps! Scared comes along with mimed biting of hands and exagerrated s's. In presenting the words, I tried to jump back to the prior ones fairly frequently. Otherwise, they really don't remember.



After that, I drew a super basic Halloween story. And pointed to the objects/ideas they had just learned. What's that? Yes, PumPkin! very good! I wanted to show with the story how the kids go up in costumes to get candy without resorting to explain it in French. The first week at primaire, I spoke a lot in French. From here on out, I'm trying very hard not to. This will be a lot easier once they've learned how to play the different games I'll be using.

Speaking of games....


For the CM1s today I tried the game jeu à six caisses. The students are in pairs with the same six images. One student arranges their images from 1 to 6, the other asks "Number 1, what are you?" I made mine for if we had extra time I could quiz them on numbers. How many eyes (points to eyes) does the monster have? *I* have two eyes. How many does the mooonster have?

With my CE2s (who studied professions last week), I brought together the professions vocab and some of their new words from today for a modified bingo. Each kid chose three images and then I called out different images. The first to have all three called wins! Then they can either be they one to call out professions or whatever you like. Each student got one candy corn. I would have given them more but they all only took one. Mysterious kids. They were also all super well behaved and waited until the end of class to have their one candy corn. They also each got at least one sticker. Some that responded well got even more. Whoawhoaa. Even more mysterious, the kids *liked* the candy corn. I'm glad I brought it. Haha

My last class of the day was with the CE1s. This was literally their first English class EVER. Luckily, the extremely talented teacher did the lesson that day and I was more of a prop. It was so great to watch. Unfortunately, I've got to get off the computer/leave the school now, but I'll update more on that in the future.

Coming soon... la plage. Ah, the beach.

Rebonjour!

Three pictures, because I care:

At first I was not so happy about walking to work this morning in the dark, then I saw the sunrise and decided it was okay.

This house/these houses are behind chez moi and I really love them. Especially on this day when there was smoke coming out of the chimney and it was a super gray day.

I drew uniforms of different professions for the elementary kids. They are currently preparing a project for the mediatheque (library, more or less) in which they dress up in their parents' occupations' clothing. So I drew these to show some American uniforms and teaching them police officer/doctor/firefighter/cowboy and mailman (not pictured). Next week, when I cover Halloween I'll use them again. Perfect!

Oh hey didn't see you there

Today I bring to you a random assortment of thoughts:

1. Just about everything is cheaper for students/young people/people with small salaries. This includes everything from lunches for faculty to Breton lessons. When I arrived for my first Breton class (a group class) the teacher was like oh well... since you are a student (I'm not...), we will something out for you. Well, okay.... Pas mal.
2. Speaking of my Breton lessons, I love them. I've only had one so far, but the group is super amusing and even if I don't learn to speak Breton I'm going to have an excellent time linguistics-nerding-it-up.
3. I love French kids. Aside from half of one class (out of 30 classes at the middle school... so I won't see them often), the students are really lovely and wonderful. They're inquisitive and excited to meet a foreigner. They don't always like to speak English (they can be really shy about it), but sometimes they surprise me with their enthusiasm.
4. The primary school students... oh my goodness... they are so precious. Now that they all recognize me when I come into the school courtyard, a crowd of ten to twenty will run up and start asking me questions. Or just staring at me. I've gotten very used to being stared at. One little girl (a 6 year old, so she hasn't started English yet/won't have me in class) ran up to me today and asked if I was the one she saw at Leclerc yesterday. Well, little girl, I don't know what to tell you. I was at Leclerc yesterday, so maybe yes. Girl: huh? Me: It could have been me. I didn't see you, but maybe it was me. Girl: huh? Me: ... it was me. Girl: yayyyyyy! (runs off to friends)
5. The elem kids LOVE language games. I will describe some of them in an upcoming post.
6. When I mess up in French life, I don't mind too much because they lead me to Unique Speaking Opportunities (which I will now call USOs). Thus far, these have included a really nice chat with a taxi driver when I missed the last bus back to Quéven, asking a stranger about getting a taxi, talking on the phone with all sorts of people about bureaucratic paper-y French business. I like USOs. Because of USOs, I now say oui to surveys and don't get upset when I do stupid stuff like miss the bus because it came a minute early and wasn't marked the normal way. Who cares, I got back earlier than the bus anyway.
7. I now have a Tabac where the people know me, but no boulangerie. There are two and they seem to alternate being open late afternoons. As such, I have not succeeded in claiming one as my own and I feel super guilty for cheating on both of them. I'm sorry boulangeries, I've tried.

Okay, that's all for now. France is awesome, as always. I've finally met the other language assistants in the department and they're wonderful. I'm sure you'll hear more about them soon.

Bisous

MCJ

Chaque chose a sa place et chaque place a sa chose.

Every thing has its place and every place has its thing.

I was thinking about this phrase today when thinking about where to
get rechargements for my mobicarte (a SIM card that is pay as you go
from the carrier Orange). There are many differences between France
and US and one of the places this is clearest is in the day-to-day
shopping experience. In the US, I would go to a place like Kroger or
occasionally one of the giant-has-everything Targets. At both of these
places, I could buy, in addition to food and drink and bath stuff,
newspapers, magazines, make-up, drugs (haha), gift cards, trashy
novels, sometimes things like phones and if we really consider the
Target then... well... everything short of a car. Even in the giant
Leclerc near me, it's pretty exclusively food and "parfumerie"
(shampoo, soap) with a small section of pens and paper with four
random books. If you want your newspaper, magazine or tobacco, you
have to go to your local Tabac/Presse/Tabac-Presse. If you want drugs,
you first need to go to the doctor (or have him come to you), get a
prescription then mosey on over to the pharmacy, which does not sell
makeup or snacks. If you want a phone, better find a FNAC or a carrier
store. I hear that more and more the PAYG phones can be found in
Carrefours (a Target-esque store). Supposedly there is a Carrefour
near me but I'm not totally sure where it is.

As such, I went into Lorient to get my phone. I wasn't sure if I had
actually managed to unlock my iPhone and didn't fancy buying a SIM
card only to cut it up and find otherwise. I went into a FNAC to
browse what they had. All of their options were with "avec engagement"
(with a contract, usually 12 or 24 months). Non merci. I went to the
Orange store next door since I knew a bit about the mobicarte and
figured I might as well go with what I know. I went in and no helpful
but persistent Orange employee descended on me, only some guy trying
to choose a picture to put as his background. He kept taking really
crappy pictures of the picture in his keychain that were completely
blurry and asking if they were okay. Ummmm non. After a while of
staring at phones, I decided to go up and find an orange employee. My
name was taken down and I waited some more. After a while, "Madame ou
Mademoiseille Goam-sõn?" "Je pense que c'est moi?" I always mess up G
(pronounced in a way that rhymes with jay) and J (pronounced in a way
that rhymes with gee). Luckily, it was me. I am going to call this guy
Miguel because I'm not sure what his name was and he was tan. Ça vous
va? Bon, d'accord. I explained to Miguel that I wanted to get a
Mobicarte microSIM for my iPhone but I wasn't sure if it was unlocked.
Miguel went and got such a Mobicarte. Malheureusement, after a long
wait for the iPhone to start back up it was clear that I had not
succeeded in unlocking the phone. Tant pis. I said, it's okay, I'll
just buy another phone. You get a decent discount on phones with a
mobicarte. I ended up selecting an HTC Wildfire. Apparently there were
two different versions of this, one slightly more expensive. Miguel
accidentally brought me the wrong (more expensive) one. Since I said
it was okay, he said the store would give me a case for the phone. Pas
mal du tout. Not bad at all. So, he rang me up as I prayed that my
card would work (it did). Then I skipped off to a park with my pretty
new HTC to try it out. I desperately need to get rechargements for the
Mobicarte so I can add plans for internet, etc. Also so I can call
people... right now I only have 3 minutes or 15 texts. Whoopses. When
I do get internet though, I can use my phone to create a wifi hotspot
for my computer. Success. Other awesome things about my phone: it came
with tetris, it's pretty and light, it has an FM radio (finally I can
listen to the news!). I like it mucho.

When I was in the park, a train of cars from a wedding also came by
honking their horns and I had another DNC-style conversation with an
old lady. I said "c'est bizarre quoi." but secretly I wanted to say
"comme c'est bizarre, comme c'est curieux et quelle coincidence!" but
I didn't. Lorient seems very nice. I found a Tex-Mex place. I will
have to go check it out and see if it's actually Tex-Mex.... I have my
doubts. I also found the (tiiiny) ethnic section of LeClerc. I have
access to Asian-style noodles and pre-made tortillas! Though,
admittedly, I have to imagine I would make them better.... Sigh. So
much effort.

Today, I'll be checking out Quéven's market and hoping the Tabac (1)
is open on a Sunday and (2) sells Mobicarte rechargements. Otherwise I
am SOL until Friday afternoon.

Bisous,

MCJ

Monday morning

The Tabac is very open on Sundays and the cashier remembered me from
last week when C and I came in to ask about bus passes. I asked to buy
thirty euros of Mobicarte and she asked if I wanted 25 or 35, because
they come with 5 euros free. I like France. She showed me the numbers
to call and told me to come back in if I had any trouble. So nice. I
also bought a Tatiana de Rosnay book, "Le Voisin" (she wrote Elle
s'appelait Sarah/Sarah's Key). It was a good, relaxed Sunday and I
went on my first run since having mono this summer. I probably
should've gone earlier than sunset or at least wearing brighter
clothing than dark green. Oh well, I survived and the countryside was
beautiful.

Last week, I had the pleasure of having dinner at a French family's
home. Thursday afternoon I had a meeting at the elementary school to
meet the people I'll be working with there. I was definitely left
feeling a lot more intimidated about that than the work with the
collège. Luckily, one of the people at the meeting is an education
Inspector in charge of helping me (and new teachers and old ones...
basically any teacher in need of help) throughout the year. She will
be at the elementary school this afternoon while I begin to prepare
for being in the elementary school classroom. After the meeting, we
chatted a bit and she invited me to her house for dinner. Because
there was lots of time beforehand, we went over to her grandmother's
house. I really enjoyed all of her family and my time there. Many
bisous were exchanged. Ten points to me.

Also on the menu today: getting a phoneline installed chez moi for
reasons not immediately clear to myself.

Anyway, France is great.

Bisous,

MCJ