Saturday, December 3, 2011

So what am I actually doing in Lyon?

So by now, I am sure you're wondering what am I doing in Lyon, no? I am supposed to be teaching but up to this point I haven't even mentioned my supposed job. Alright, here we go!

My official job title is Assistant of English. Last December I applied for the TAPIF program - Teaching Assistant Program in France. This has been my dream since senior year of high school. I fell in love with France thanks to my high school school trip with Mr. Anderson and awesome french class. My degree was in French at U of I, and my minor was Teaching English as a Second Language - I was perfect for this job! And then, come April 4th, I was wait-listed and my dream was shattered. Luckily, less than 2 weeks later I received an email saying I was admitted into the program! I was placed in the Grenoble Academy - an academy I hadn't even picked, so I was extremely nervous. Then I had to wait until the end of July to find out where I would be placed - a little town called Bourgoin-Jallieu. Haven't heard of it? Yeah, neither had I. I soon found out it was only 21 miles from Lyon, the second largest city in France. Lyon had been my third choice for an Academy (after Nice and Marseille)so my decision had been made - I was planning on living in Lyon.

My roommate, Mindy, had the same idea as me because she is in the town next to mine, as well as Tina, who is on the other side of my town. It worked out perfectly! We easily could handle commuting at max 30 minutes to work. France is known for the high speed trains and whatnot. France is also known for their strikes and for these great trains breaking down. My first week of commuting was great, but that did not last long. I have experienced 3 strikes, 5 broken down trains, I have missed 3 classes because of this, I have been stuck on trains for 2-4 hours two times, and was left stranded in a town that I did not know. Vive la France!

Now, back to my job, I work at 2 middles schools in my town - yes middle schools. I work 6 hours at one school and 6 hours at another school. My first choice was primary school and I didn't get it. I was very hesitant at first about middle school because I remember myself in middle school and I was NOT fun to deal with - my parents can attest. So I just imagined a classroom full of little mes and I was nervous. In France, students go to middle school from 11-15/16 (they only have 3 years of highs school) My youngest students are sixièmes (6e.) The youngest are 6's, the next are 5's, then 4's, then finally the oldest are 3's. Interesting, no? The youngest are the most excited about learning English, but there English is not that advanced so I find myself speaking a lot of French and translating it - which I don't think I am supposed to do, but hey, what can you do! I teach one 6e, 3 5e (cinqièmes), one 4e (quatrième), and one 3e (troisième) at my main school. At my other school, I teach 3e and 4e - WHICH my teacher in charge there told me I would be teaching a class of 5e so I had been giving this class 5e work - only to find out LAST WEEK that they are actually 4e. OOPS. But they act like 5e's... and there level is around there too.

I have some classes that I love, and others that I frankly, do not. The 4e's that I thought were 5e's are very tough students. They are constantly talking (in French) they barely pay me any attention, they don't listen. It is so frustrating. I only teach them for 2 hours and I am exhausted by the end. I shouldn't! I only work 12 hours a week (yes, start the rolling of eyes, complaining, talk about how I am not allowed to complain) but kids aren't easy to work with sometimes. People give teachers a hard time about "how they work so little, they get too many breaks, are paid too much." If you're on of these people, then you have never stepped in a classroom before to teach. You would not last a week in the classroom, and I gladly challenge anyone. The teacher's job extends out of the classroom. Between grading papers and projects and lesson planning - lesson planning alone takes hours. Then they have to get up early and deal with hundreds of kids - screaming, yelling, fighting. I have so much respect for the teaching profession (as I always have.) I was worried I would be deterred from it after this experience, but so far I haven't. yes some classes make me mad, but then I have those classes that are so rewarding. I am still trying to figure this out, it will be a long process, but then again you should always be learning something new for a job. That is what keeps it exciting.

Ok, I will end my little rant/philosophical/whatever-the-heck-this-is spiel.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Erin! I'm going to be an English assistant in Bourgoin-Jallieu this coming school year! would you mind if I asked you with some questions?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Erin! I'm going to be an English assistant in Bourgoin-Jallieu this coming school year! would you mind if I asked you with some questions?

    ReplyDelete