October 5th to the 9th

So after showing up my first day for work on Thursday, I was told that I did not have to go back until Monday since I have Fridays off. Sweet!

This week was pretty interesting. It was my week of observation and introduction. I noticed right away how different the French high school system is from the US. I learned more about at the orientation we had on the 9th, but even before then, I knew that there was almost nothing similar between the two.

The students and teacher follow a completely different code of conduct. There is a lot more politeness in French school. For example, the students greet the teacher when they come in and always say goodbye before leaving. But, unlike high school the US, there seems to be no relationships established. I know that sometimes it’s difficult to befriend a teacher, but at my high school, it felt like the teachers were our friends. We respected them, but they were a little more laid back.

Also, the way that things are done in France is a little funny. For example, the paper looks like graph paper but with lines going in every direction. If you ever need to underline something or just draw any line, make sure you take out your ruler from your pencil pouch because doing it freehand is a big no no! When finishing a test, don’t forget to glue your prompt to the end of your exam. I didn’t really understand what the purpose of that was, but it was interesting nonetheless.

During the first class I went to, I was terrified to have to go up to the front of the class and introduce myself to all these high school students. For some reason, the fact that the students were in high school had always scared me because I think of how bad some high school students can be. But, I sucked it up and went to the front. It could not have been any easier. After the first class, I realized that it was going to be an easy week because I pretty took the whole class period just explaining to the students where I came from, why I had a Spanish name, and answering questions that they had.

Some of the questions they asked me were pretty memorable. At one point, I was asked if I was in a gang or if I knew anyone who has been in a gang since that’s the first thing they though of when I mentioned LA. I liked to see or hear there reaction when I told them that I could get to the beach in an hour and how hot it gets over the summer. It was also fun to ask them what cities where in California – they knew of LA and SF for the most part, but I also got a lot of wrong answers – like Seattle, Washington, DC and Las Vegas.

After our orientation, I understood the how the school system works. My high school is a lycée professionel, meaning that students go there to prepare for and take their BAC, kind of like the high school exit exam, or to learn a specific trade. I asked the student what they wanted to do after high school but many of them had no idea.

I also took the time to explain to them how different high school was in the States and showed them my high school yearbook from senior year. I loved seeing how excited they were to be able to go through the book and see it firsthand instead of on TV or in a movie.

Overall, I have a feeling that it will be easy to find subjects to discuss with the students. I’m hoping that I will not only help them with their English, but also give them an idea as to how different the American culture is.