January 4, 2021

Monday

My first day back! Boy was it a long one!

I headed off to the bus at 7:25 and had to pay cash for my ticket because I had been unable to recharge my card before coming back. We arrived at the school around 7:40. My first class of the day started around 10:00, so I decided I’d take the opportunity to go into town and run some errands. It is about a 13 minute walk from the collège to the center of town and another 13 to the Tignieu outlet mall. I had a lot to accomplish on my list for the day. I wanted to pick up some kitchen supplies, to grab some groceries, to recharge my bus card, and to buy some international stamps to send out cards. Because my lunch break was shorter than the time I started with in the morning, I decided to make my way to Tignieu first.

I enjoyed the brisk walk to the outlet mall. I got to listen to my news podcasts on the way to Action. While I was there, I picked up a candle, a spoon holder, and a jar for my sugar. I also found some cheap painting supplies. I figured that I might as well get in touch with my more creative side while I’m here and dealing with a curfew!

I had plenty of time left, so I decided to see what else I could accomplish before going to teach. I went to La Poste (the Post Office) to buy my stamps, thinking it would be closed during lunch (I was right!). I stood in line for five or so minutes and bought 12 stamps. This would cover the 8 letters I had sitting in my backpack and others I plan to write in the future. Checking my watch, I decided I also had time to wander down the street to refresh my bus card. It was super easy and the shop had an adorable dog chilling behind the counter. I ruffled his ears before I left.

I headed back to school to teach my first two classes of the day. These were the 3ème classes. Their English isn’t as strong and I struggle with them because they’re preteen and think they’re just too cool to speak English. Still, we went through and talked about the parts of 2020 that we enjoyed so we could make some good resolutions for the coming year. I had them fill out a worksheet while we did this. Worksheets are pretty common in the US as a tactic to engage students in the classroom, but it doesn’t seem like they are in France. Students don’t seem to get that they’re supposed to be filling out the paper as we go.

At lunch, I sat with the Italian professor and the German professor. It was pretty cool! We’ve officially formed an international table. I get to hear their perspectives on living in France. They’re both a bit older than me so they’ve had more experience traveling and know a lot more about living here. I appreciate when they give me advice! The Italian professor was very excited because she watched “Bridgerton” over the weekend and gushed about how much she loves Shanda. I mentioned that I’m watching “How to Get Away with Murder” and she was thrilled to hear I’m also a fan.

I finished eating quickly so I could run to finish my errands. I went straight to the Carrefour market. I knew I couldn’t buy anything refrigerated because all my things would need to sit out in my classroom until I went home for the day. I got some essentials and some items for recipes I hoped to try. They have some great microwaveable quinoa that I love. It’s easy to season and use in several dishes! I like to put it in tacos so I don’t have to use meat. I was over the moon when I discovered a loaf of sliced bread. This sounds really basic, but it’s been hiding from me in the store! I hate buying baguettes because they’re too much to eat by myself. They get hard as a rock in a single day, they’re annoying to cut, you can’t have toast, etc. But I found real, pre-sliced bread! It was delicious with apricot jam and butter, perfect with a cup of coffee. I also found peanut butter! I got a mini jar and it was 5 euros- yikes!

My two 6ème classes also worked on making their resolutions on Monday. While their English isn’t great, they make up for it with great enthusiasm. I always start classes by asking students how they’re doing and what they did since the last time I saw them. We had a very fruitful conversation about New Year’s and vacation. For those of you that wondered, Fornite is very popular over here.

My final class is the 3ème euro. They have the highest English level. I introduced New York to them. The main part of my presentation was Broadway. I showed them a clip from West Side Story that features a discussion on race and class. We had a very productive talk about the racial and class divisions in America. They’re always interested to hear what life is like for different immigrants to the US. Students thought the dresses and the Puerto Rican inspired music were great. I made sure to tell them they could watch the play on Netflix.

I headed home on the bus feeling really accomplished. As I mounted the little hill to my door, I thought about what a good day it had been. Sometimes, you have really good days living abroad where you really feel like you’re making it work and everything is going your way. This was one of those days. My French felt smooth and I felt really good about my work with the students.