Thursday
One of my Thursday teachers came down with COVID for the second time and was unable to come into school, effectively canceling half my classes. I also needed to find a way into work. I checked the bus routes and the only available public transport was the 7:25 bus to Pont-Chéruy, which would force me to walk 40 minutes to Charvieu and make me late to my first class. Not a tempting solution. I checked with both my male coworkers- nope, unavailable. Finally, Mme Bodet let me know that she could take me and pick me up. An angel!
Both my classes would be working on the second part of my civil rights lesson. The presentation includes information about different periods in US history and films that correspond. I present the info, ask for questions, then show a trailer of the movie. We discuss the trailer and break down questions before moving to the next slide. Or at least- that’s what I pictured.
Both groups of my first class were turbulent. There was no working audio equipment in the room, effectively throwing out my entire plan. The kids didn’t want to do any work at all. I couldn’t get them to focus or stay on the subject at hand.
My second hour was great. We were able to watch all the clips I had planned and have a good discussion. Next week the teacher wants to watch “Twelve Years a Slave” with the students. I’m not sure that’s a great idea for their age group. The French seem to have different standards as to what is appropriate for kids to watch. They seem a lot more lenient with kids watching violence and nudity on screen than people in the US are.
I headed home with Mme Bodet around 11am. I was absolutely exhausted. This was a really difficult week for me with the students. I have been struggling to find joy in this work. I’m trying to stay motivated and positive, but it is hard at times. I feel like it is difficult to go back into the classroom with a good attitude when I spend so much of my time dreading interactions with naughty kids. I wish that my coworkers were more supportive or helpful.
I spent the rest of my day trying to relax. I watched some shows, read a little, and dreamed about vacation.
Mary-Est-En-France 