Un Mélange

This post has been in the making for the last two weeks, but as with anything I write-- I'm a perfectionist. So that means, I write and rewrite about 10 times before I am absolutely satisfied with what I've said. But finally, I finished. I ended up making this post a bit of a mixture, un mélange, of three topics: Traveling, Au Pair-ing, and Teaching.

Travel:

We ate lunch next to this temple from 10 BC.

I love a good day trip: no need to pack a bag, just bring your camera and a bit of cash and you're good to go. My friend Christian, another au pair/assistant, and I had been talking about taking a day trip for a while, and we finally found a day and time to do one. We decided to go to Vienne, a small city not more than an hour and a half train ride away. I had heard about Vienne from my au pair family because it is known for its Roman ruins, which are somewhat rare to this region. When I lived in Montpellier, it seemed like every city had Roman ruins, but that was an entirely different region and the Roman history goes back much further there than in central France.


We spent all of four hours there, walking around, grabbing lunch, and of course, taking pictures. It was easy to walk and small enough to feel like we had seen it all within two or three hours.

       

Au Pair:

Things have gotten better on this front and as I have acclimated to the expectations and realities of this position, I have become significantly less stressed out, thankfully. Although, I still find myself much more homesick than I ever did in Montpellier and I haven't exactly pinpointed the reason yet.

To a large extent, I have become a mother's helper that speaks English with the kids, which is both a blessing and a curse. When there are big issues or tantrums, I have her there as back-up to help me. But when there are small issues, that I could handle on my own, I feel like I am often cut short of being able to handle them myself because the mom intervenes. I think this will ease up over time as I accumulate trust with her, but for now it poses some difficulties.

I start each day by getting the boys' breakfast ready (a bottle, some bread and jam) then help them get ready for school (brush teeth, bathroom, clothes). After that 7-8am shift, I have the rest of my day to either teach (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday) or do whatever (Wednesday, Friday). The kids get back close to 6:30pm and I help them with their dinner, baths, brushing teeth, getting ready for bed, and reading stories until 8:30pm. The schedule really isn't all that bad, but as another au pair friend and I were discussing, it can be stressful because you never leave work and are always "on".

I do have to say, the boys are listening to me much better and, just like with my students, I NEVER raise my voice. Ever. I really do swear by positive reinforcement and keeping calm but firm. It takes a lot more patience and deep-breathing, but there's a lot less crying, stress, and noise in the end and it's better for everyone involved.

We recently took a weekend family trip to Paris and I helped the mom with the boys at Disneyland the first day. Sadly, we went to Disney on a dreary, rainy, and cold day, so that dampened our moods a bit, but we still managed to make the most of it. The boys wanted to go on the Small World boat ride and Peter Pan ride twice, we did some go-carting, watched a Christmas parade and ended the day with a lights/water/fireworks show at the castle.

I had most of the second day to wander around on my own after going to the Sacre Coeur with la famille in the morning. I ended up walking from the Arc de Triumph, through the entire Champs Elysees, all the way to the Louvre, and then made my way towards Notre Dame to meet friends before heading to see the Eiffel tower at night. By the end of my day of touring, I had definitely walked at least 10 miles, but didn't feel tired by it at all.

Montpellier reunion in Paris!

Teaching:

It's still so great to be teaching again because it makes me feel absolutely alive. I am enjoying being able to create little activities and games each week for my students and they seem to love them in return. I don't do any sort of writing or reading with my little groups, only listening, speaking, and little games that help practice both.

My students. There's an interesting topic. Back in the States I worked with one classroom, all day, for all subjects and had a maximum of 30 students. I ended up getting to know the students really well and my class became like extended family for me. As a language assistant, I don't have that same opportunity to get to know my students really well. In fact, I am only at each of my schools once a week and only get to interact with each group of students in English once a week (some classes once every other week) for about 20 minutes, if not less.

This lead me to wonder two things: am I making a difference and how many students am I actually teaching? Well, the latter is easier to answer, so I sat down to do the math...

Skype Visio Comm (3 schools):

Morning: 6 groups, ~10 students each

Afternoon: 6 groups, ~10 students each

Saint Chamond (1 school):

Morning: 3 different classes, 6 groups, ~10 students each

Afternoon: 2 different classes, 5 groups, ~10 students each

Rive de Gier (1 school):

Morning: 2 different classes, 8 groups, ~10 students each

Afternoon: 2 different classes, 8 groups, ~10 students each 

The answer: Right around 400 students, give or take a few from each class.

400 students! The reality is, I am here less as an official teacher and more to offer some exposure to the American language, accent, and culture as a language assistant. I hope that I am making learning  English interesting and exciting for them, because if so that may allow them to develop a passion for learning it for years to come. The kids always seem genuinely excited to be interacting with me, both online and in person, so I take that as a positive sign that I have had some positive impact on them already!

As of November 19th I have been in France for two months. The more I think about it, the more I realize how much I have already learned in two months-- and I don't just mean about French language or culture, but about myself. The list could go on and on honestly, but here are the biggest realizations I have had so far:

1. I probably won't become an English teacher-- I love teaching all subjects way too much and I prefer not to teach the same things 100 times.
2. I am discovering more and more how I want to raise and discipline my future children and that I appreciate now more than ever the way I was raised. But also that I don't want kids for a long time just yet.
3. And here's a shocker... I probably won't end up in France for the rest of my life. I am pretty sure that I want Chicago to be my home. Ideally, I'd be able to visit France over summer/winter breaks each year and find ways to keep up with my French in the US. Maybe one day I'll be lucky enough to win the lottery and buy a vacation home in Southern France. A girl can dream, right?

Things I've Learned:

• The French version of saying cheers before taking a drink is "santé". You say it for the same occasions, but when you say "santé" you MUST look each person in the eye and say it each time.
• Bread fact: baguettes are thin and long, while flutes are thicker and a bit shorter. I've actually found I prefer flutes... especially with a little butter or nutella! Great breakfast. 
• The headmaster at one of my schools told me that no elementary schools in France have WiFi because people are afraid of how it may affect a child's developing brain.
• You have to complete 20 hours of driving with a driving school in France to be able to take the test for your license. However, each hour costs upwards of 37 euros and most people end up doing more than 20 hours. On top of that, most people end up having to retake the test-- and there is a waiting period to be able to retake it.
• The Hunger Games movie came out two days earlier in France than it did in the US. Movies get released on Wednesdays in France, instead of Fridays.
• While watching the French news, I heard that Grenoble (a city I recently visited in France)  will be the first city in Europe to eliminate large advertisements from their streets. They are apparently hoping to beautify the city, as well as save on upkeep.