I didn't go to school last Thursday because my schools were closed. No, it wasn't a holiday and we didn't have a snow day. My schools were closed because my teachers decided to strike. Many, though not all, teachers stayed at home on Thursday to express their discontent with the government's plan to eliminate some teaching positions. On Tuesday, teachers taped signs to the windows saying "For the future of our school, for the future of our students we're going on strike Thursday." A number of teachers staged a protest on Thursday afternoon to help bring awareness to their cause.
From an American perspective, this whole thing seems a little outrageous. Teachers very rarely go on strike in the States. A teachers' strike would leave working parents scrambling to find somewhere for their kids to spend the day. I don't think a teacher's strike would be received very sympathetically in the States. Rather, it's likely society and of the media would find the idea of striking - under the pretext of showing how much one cares about the future of the students - quite hypocritical.
But in France, strikes are a part of life, the primary way to express labor discontent. I get the impression that if the teachers didn't strike, their concerns would not really be considered legitimate. I think the attitude might be, Oh, well, maybe they're upset, but if they're not willing to strike about it they must not be that upset.
That's not to say that I'm convinced the strikes really do anything besides giving the TV crews something to film. Strikes are so common in France that they don't really carry the same weight as they do in other countries. And it seems to me like the government can't make any change without getting somebody upset and having them call a strike. It's just an accepted cost of making change, but an expensive one. My roommate who works for SNCF, the French railroad company, says each day the company's workers go on strike, it costs the company 20 million euros.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Don't get on the wrong side of the Maitresse!
We can probably all remember our parents telling us stories about how school was different "back in their day." My parents' stories of strict discipline and stone-hearted teachers in 1960s New Jersey made me glad that I was a child of the 90s and thus not subject to shrieking teachers or corporal punishment. Sure, I remember my teachers getting upset (I may have been responsible once or twice...) but I don't remember many yelling teachers and there certainly were no episodes of teachers hitting students. In fact, I don't remember teachers ever touching students at all. It had been 13 years since I had set foot in a elementary school, but I assumed I would find a similar atmosphere here in France.
Well, I received a bit of a surprise on my first day here at school back in October. Two hours into my teaching experience in France I was standing outside with my new collegues at recess (yes, they have two recesses here - morning and afternoon) when a fourth grader came over complaining that one of the boys - lets call him "Pierre" - had pushed her to the ground. The teacher calmly called Pierre over...and then proceeded to yell at the top of her lungs about 6 inches from his face, completely furious. Unfortunately, I had no idea what she was saying, but I got the feeling she was going for style, not content. I didn't need to know what she was saying to get the message. After a good minute or two of this tongue-lashing, she grabbed Pierre by the shoulder and, with a snarl, gave him a shove of her own toward the fence where all the kids who are punished have to stand. Then she returned to the little circle of teachers sipping coffee and, with a smile, cracked a joke. I was taken aback because I could not imagine this episode playing out in the US. Kids would be crying, parents would be up in arms...it just wouldn't fly. But here it's par for the course. Teachers yell to get students' attention, to express their anger, to punish. But they also yell over seemingly trivial mistakes - a student wrote in blue what he should have written in black. If the student still doesn't respond, they give them a push. Literally.
Now I want to be clear that I've never seen teachers being violent by any means. But, from what I've observed in 3 schools and from what I've heard from other assistants and my French friends, yelling at and grabbing students is part of the school culture here. The question is, Is it a good thing or not?
After 4 months, the jury is still out for me. I see pros and cons. The negatives spring to mind first; it seems a little demeaning to yell at kids in school. And frankly, I'm not sure it works. The teachers who yell the most don't have the best-behaved classes. Their students hear screaming so much they just tune it out after a while. I'm not sure it creates the best atmosphere for learning, either. Discipline is most certainly necessary, and I'm not proposing that schools should be like summer camp - all fun and games and no work or responsibility - but I think kids learn best when they are comfortable and encouraged, not yelled at for making a mistake.
On the other hand, there are some advantages to the meaner, less warm-and-cuddly French school system. Kids develop a thick skin. I don't see a lot of crying at school. Kids just take it when they're getting yelled at. If they start to weep, they receive no compassion. There's no turning on the tear ducts to win some sympathy. At first I was a little taken aback, but then I thought of the other extreme at home, where kids are coddled. I think it's better to develop a thick skin early than to grow up expecting everything to go your way and for no one to ever hurt your feelings or get upset with you. In the States we pretend that "everybody's a winner" and try not to hurt anyone's feelings. In France, not so much.
Well, I received a bit of a surprise on my first day here at school back in October. Two hours into my teaching experience in France I was standing outside with my new collegues at recess (yes, they have two recesses here - morning and afternoon) when a fourth grader came over complaining that one of the boys - lets call him "Pierre" - had pushed her to the ground. The teacher calmly called Pierre over...and then proceeded to yell at the top of her lungs about 6 inches from his face, completely furious. Unfortunately, I had no idea what she was saying, but I got the feeling she was going for style, not content. I didn't need to know what she was saying to get the message. After a good minute or two of this tongue-lashing, she grabbed Pierre by the shoulder and, with a snarl, gave him a shove of her own toward the fence where all the kids who are punished have to stand. Then she returned to the little circle of teachers sipping coffee and, with a smile, cracked a joke. I was taken aback because I could not imagine this episode playing out in the US. Kids would be crying, parents would be up in arms...it just wouldn't fly. But here it's par for the course. Teachers yell to get students' attention, to express their anger, to punish. But they also yell over seemingly trivial mistakes - a student wrote in blue what he should have written in black. If the student still doesn't respond, they give them a push. Literally.
Now I want to be clear that I've never seen teachers being violent by any means. But, from what I've observed in 3 schools and from what I've heard from other assistants and my French friends, yelling at and grabbing students is part of the school culture here. The question is, Is it a good thing or not?
After 4 months, the jury is still out for me. I see pros and cons. The negatives spring to mind first; it seems a little demeaning to yell at kids in school. And frankly, I'm not sure it works. The teachers who yell the most don't have the best-behaved classes. Their students hear screaming so much they just tune it out after a while. I'm not sure it creates the best atmosphere for learning, either. Discipline is most certainly necessary, and I'm not proposing that schools should be like summer camp - all fun and games and no work or responsibility - but I think kids learn best when they are comfortable and encouraged, not yelled at for making a mistake.
On the other hand, there are some advantages to the meaner, less warm-and-cuddly French school system. Kids develop a thick skin. I don't see a lot of crying at school. Kids just take it when they're getting yelled at. If they start to weep, they receive no compassion. There's no turning on the tear ducts to win some sympathy. At first I was a little taken aback, but then I thought of the other extreme at home, where kids are coddled. I think it's better to develop a thick skin early than to grow up expecting everything to go your way and for no one to ever hurt your feelings or get upset with you. In the States we pretend that "everybody's a winner" and try not to hurt anyone's feelings. In France, not so much.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
I am long overdue for a post. Let me update you on life here in France, what I'm up to, how teaching is going, etc. Teaching is going well. It certainly isn't what I had imagined, in that I'm not working as much as I expected. I knew going in that my contract was only for 12 hours in the schools per week, but considering the limited nature of my contract I imagined that my schools would try to make the most use of me, and that I would be teaching every minute I was in school. That hasn't turned out to be the case. In the beginning, especially, it seemed that the schools didn't know exactly what to do with me - they were asking ME what my role was. There were many days where I would do English for maybe 2 out of the 8 hours I was actually in the schools. The rest of the time I spent observing other subjects and going with classes to various activities (swimming, science fair, the town greenhouse, helping with a photo collage project, gymnastics classes), which while interesting, have absolutely nothing to do with English. And many of the times I did actually teach, I would go into the classroom with no forewarning of what the teacher wanted covered...so I would either be told right before class and adlib with the teacher's materials, or I would present a lesson that I had prepared. In the case of the former, I would often end up frustrated that I didn't teach the material very well (not surprising, since I had little time to prepare) and in the case of the latter, I would end up frustrated that, although I taught the lesson well, the lesson was not well suited to the age level (I teach all levels between Kindergarten and 5th grade). This is not to say that I didn't enjoy the work, it's just that I didn't feel like I was being very useful or effective.
Now, however, with 3 months experience under my belt (halfway through!) I feel I'm being more effective and better utilized. I have a schedule at all three of my schools, and my teachers talk to me in advance about what they want me to cover. I go in with a plan! And I have a better handle on what each grade can handle (the kindergartners are not yet ready for the causes of the Civil War & the 5th graders have got their colors down). I am well along on the learning curve. I wish my contract was a few months longer because I know the months to come will be better than the first three.
The kids are great. Most of them are quite interested and eager to learn English and they're still getting their heads around the idea that an actual American who really speaks English is in their classroom in little Cleon, France. Among the 5-11 demographic in Cleon I am a celebrity. I think I say "Hello" about 1000 times every day I'm at school. The teachers have been very helpful as well. I always have a ride to and from school, which is a great opportunity to have a French conversation in a comfortable atmosphere (one-on-one is much easier than in a group). They're curious about America and I try my best, despite my linguistic limitations, to answer their questions and correct their misconceptions (i.e. there is no separation of Church and State in the US, hot dogs are the national food, etc).
I couldn't imagine a better living situation. I live with 5 young Frenchies - 2 students and 3 who have jobs. They are very nice, very welcoming, and very patient with my lousy French. We usually eat dinner together (at least three of us), we go to the movies and take day trips together, and so there's plenty of opportunity for me to practice my French...and to have fun with locals! The apartment itself is really great as well, recently renovated with all new IKEA stuff. My room has a TV, a huge desk that overlooks a big window, and plenty of storage space. Plus, we have several modern conveniences that, while standard in the US, are not so common in France: a dishwasher, a washing machine, and a dryer. The utility of a dishwasher in a apartment of 6 does not need further explanation, but the washer and dryer are truly a blessing as well. Before I moved in here I did wash twice at the laundromat: each time it cost 14EUR!!! At those rates, I don't think I would have been the best ambassador of American hygiene...
I am so thankful for the church I have become a part of. It's a baptist church led by an American missionary family, who have been wonderful in helping welcome myself and my friend Elizabeth, another American language assistant. There are also a considerable number (25+) of young people who have made us a part of the social network, which has been fantastic. The church is very multi-cultural, with French, Americans, Gabonese, Kenyans, Nigerians, Haitians, Colombians. I am thankful to have found a spiritual home with many really solid men and women of faith.
My mission for 2011 is to make a better use of my spare time. I want to tutor and find some volunteer opportunities. Furthermore, I want to seize every opportunity I have to improve my French. So I'm going to watch more TV. Seriously. I find watching TV very helpful at improving my comprehension as there are images to accompany the words. I'm also going to search for some language partners, some French people who want to work on their English. We can talk in English for a bit, and then in French. I find I am less self-conscious around those who are also trying to learn a second language. And I'm going to read more in French. I want to be able to get through the whole newspaper before it is no longer news...
And another goal of mine is to write more often! And to take more pictures. Here's a shot of the Rouen Cathedral before Christmas with a ferris wheel in front...
Now, however, with 3 months experience under my belt (halfway through!) I feel I'm being more effective and better utilized. I have a schedule at all three of my schools, and my teachers talk to me in advance about what they want me to cover. I go in with a plan! And I have a better handle on what each grade can handle (the kindergartners are not yet ready for the causes of the Civil War & the 5th graders have got their colors down). I am well along on the learning curve. I wish my contract was a few months longer because I know the months to come will be better than the first three.
The kids are great. Most of them are quite interested and eager to learn English and they're still getting their heads around the idea that an actual American who really speaks English is in their classroom in little Cleon, France. Among the 5-11 demographic in Cleon I am a celebrity. I think I say "Hello" about 1000 times every day I'm at school. The teachers have been very helpful as well. I always have a ride to and from school, which is a great opportunity to have a French conversation in a comfortable atmosphere (one-on-one is much easier than in a group). They're curious about America and I try my best, despite my linguistic limitations, to answer their questions and correct their misconceptions (i.e. there is no separation of Church and State in the US, hot dogs are the national food, etc).
I couldn't imagine a better living situation. I live with 5 young Frenchies - 2 students and 3 who have jobs. They are very nice, very welcoming, and very patient with my lousy French. We usually eat dinner together (at least three of us), we go to the movies and take day trips together, and so there's plenty of opportunity for me to practice my French...and to have fun with locals! The apartment itself is really great as well, recently renovated with all new IKEA stuff. My room has a TV, a huge desk that overlooks a big window, and plenty of storage space. Plus, we have several modern conveniences that, while standard in the US, are not so common in France: a dishwasher, a washing machine, and a dryer. The utility of a dishwasher in a apartment of 6 does not need further explanation, but the washer and dryer are truly a blessing as well. Before I moved in here I did wash twice at the laundromat: each time it cost 14EUR!!! At those rates, I don't think I would have been the best ambassador of American hygiene...
I am so thankful for the church I have become a part of. It's a baptist church led by an American missionary family, who have been wonderful in helping welcome myself and my friend Elizabeth, another American language assistant. There are also a considerable number (25+) of young people who have made us a part of the social network, which has been fantastic. The church is very multi-cultural, with French, Americans, Gabonese, Kenyans, Nigerians, Haitians, Colombians. I am thankful to have found a spiritual home with many really solid men and women of faith.
My mission for 2011 is to make a better use of my spare time. I want to tutor and find some volunteer opportunities. Furthermore, I want to seize every opportunity I have to improve my French. So I'm going to watch more TV. Seriously. I find watching TV very helpful at improving my comprehension as there are images to accompany the words. I'm also going to search for some language partners, some French people who want to work on their English. We can talk in English for a bit, and then in French. I find I am less self-conscious around those who are also trying to learn a second language. And I'm going to read more in French. I want to be able to get through the whole newspaper before it is no longer news...
And another goal of mine is to write more often! And to take more pictures. Here's a shot of the Rouen Cathedral before Christmas with a ferris wheel in front...
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