Mary-Est-En-France

Monday

What a long day! I did not sleep well at all. I wasn’t excited to go into work because of the controversy over my schedule that had unfolded over the weekend. I wasn’t sure entirely sure what classes I would be teaching, so I was prepared to be flexible with my plans. Before classes started I walked downtown to pick up some international stamps. It was so cold outside that a frost covered all the grass and trees. I was upset because I forgot my hat.

I spent the first two hours of my day with the 3ème classes. We worked on gender equality in the US. I was surprised to learn how little my students knew about the subject. They couldn’t readily explain what gender equality was, even in French. They had no idea that voting, reproductive, and financial rights of women have been restricted throughout history. My lesson glossed over major trends in the feminist movement, but all of it was new to them.

I ate lunch at the little international table that we have formed. We all watched Bridgerton over the last week, so we got to chat about that for a bit before Christel joined us. She invited me to join her and the Green Club on their trip outside to clean the gardens later that day. I was happy to join them.

We marched down the hall and met the Green Club students in the science classroom. We distributed trash bags, pinchers, and gloves to everyone in the cleanup crew before heading outside. The kids dispersed immediately. They were beyond excited to pick up any masks, empty bottles, and wrappers they could find. By the end of the lunch period, they filled three bags full of garbage. They took a group photo with the bags in front of the school.

After lunch, Corinne assumed I would be working with the newly arrived, Camille. We discovered that she had called out sick in the morning and that there was no class for me to work with for the hour. Christel invited to me to have a coffee with her in the staff room instead. We sat together and chatted about the education system in France.

I learned a lot! Teachers in France are not hired by the school district. Instead, they are hired by the national government. There is a point system that dictates where teachers are placed. If you have many points, you are allowed to teach in more desirable schools. If you have fewer, because you are a new teacher, it is more difficult for you to choose where you go. You can earn points at a faster rate and earn a higher salary if you work in a disadvantaged area, like Pont-Chéruy. French teachers are considered civil servants. Unions have successfully lobbied for laws that protect the rights of civil servants. However, this has made the process for firing one incredibly difficult. Teachers (like my prof referent) can be absent for extended periods of time with few to no consequences. Because of the difficulty involved in firing someone, a school might simply request another teacher be hired to replace the one on an extended leave of absence and pay both salaries.

After lunch, I was introduced to the new 6ème class I’ll be working with. They were a strange mix. The first group was enraged when one of the boys was asked to return to the classroom so a girl could join us. They yelled and shouted almost any chance they got. It was chaos. In contrast, the second group was quiet, calm, and inquisitive. Some of the boys from the first class came back to apologize for their behavior at the end of the day.

Finally, it was time to talk about the American West with the 3ème euro students. I wanted to give them a bit of historical context to explain the symbols they often see associated with the West. I didn’t realize that all the context would be completely new. I started with the Louisiana Purchase and the start of westward expansion. They were excited when I told them that France sold Americans the land. I thought it was important to talk about the Trail of Tears and the Native American reservation system. The students were absolutely shocked. They had no idea that any of these events had occurred. They were horrified. I was shocked to learn that they didn’t know about an issue so central to our nation’s history.

I am surprised by how little students seem to know about American history and history in general. I don’t know how many hours of history education they get here. I’ll really need to ask one of the other teachers.

I was exhausted when I got home. I spent some time watching the news and watching YouTube before heading to bed. Luckily, Monday was relatively smooth. Tuesday presented the challenge that I was dreading- dealing with the teacher who was upset with me for saying her students were difficult. I sent a text and suggested I introduce New York to the students and that I keep them for just 30 minutes before switching groups. Luckily, she agreed.

Sunday

I spent most of my day preparing lessons for the week. My schedule changed, so the courses I’ll be teaching changed slightly. I’ll be teaching two 3ème in the morning, a 4ème, a 6ème, and the 3ème euro on Mondays. My Tuesdays will remain the same. I prepared two different lessons for the day because I already had my introduction slides ready.

The 3ème was going to be starting a unit on gender equality and issues related to women’s rights. I recorded some oral comprehension articles for them and sent them off to the teacher and got started on the slides. I decided to discuss three of the major feminist movements in US history. I started with the suffragette movement in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I mentioned that this was primarily a white, Christian movement that was incredibly exclusionary in regards to rights for women of color. I moved next to second wave feminism that gained steam in the 60s and 70s. I mentioned that this movement focused on issues of equal pay, reproductive rights, and financial independence. Though this movement was certainly more inclusive, it ignored many issues connected to queer and trans-liberation. To end the lesson, I decided to introduce intersectional feminism. This movement seeks to examine an individual’s experiences based on the intersections of the different identities they hold and to address the problems that they face because of the intersections of these identities. We’ll see how it goes! All important stuff.

The 3ème euro is starting a unit on the American West. They are learning about the different symbols of the West through TV ads and other media. I decided to give them a lesson on American westward expansion, the reservation system, and tropes present in old Westerns. I gave them a media list to go along with the lesson so they could learn more if they wanted to.

I enjoyed looking out with window throughout the day. It was unusually cold. In the morning, ice clung to all the vegetation. I climbed up to the pool area to peer over the Rhône. The water looked icy and refreshing. Yet, there were fishermen around the bend in their gear.

Saturday

I woke up late and watched the news from the day before.

I went through my email and discovered a message from my coworker detailing a change in my schedule. Instead of working from 10-5 Mondays and 9-12 Tuesdays, they wanted me to work from 2-5 Mondays and 8-4 Tuesdays. They wanted me to change which classes I was working with so more students would have the opportunity to meet me. Totally fine! I want to meet as many students as I can. However, I was concerned. There’s no bus from Anthon to Pont-Chéruy after the 7:30 bus to school. Getting to class in the middle of the day would be impossible, so I’d have to sit in the staff room from 8am to 2 pm on Mondays. I was also worried about adding more classes onto my Tuesday load. My Tuesday kids are already a huge challenge for me and I can’t imagine adding several other classes onto the schedule.

I messaged the scheduler to let her know my concerns. I wondered if perhaps there was a way I could keep the same hours while changing the classes I worked with. It’s easy enough to get between home and school at the moment. She shared what I intended to be a private message with the entire English department. 🤦🏼‍♀️ Of course, the Tuesday teacher was instantly offended. She claimed I had never mentioned that I had any difficulties with her classes, despite our weekly conversations on the subject immediately following each class period. The teachers agreed we’d have to sit down and chat about it on Monday. I’m not looking forward to the conversation. I don’t want to be rude, but I also don’t want to be a pushover. I didn’t come to France to be miserable and stuck with a horrible schedule. I’m already stuck inside all day, everyday! I will stand my ground.

I needed to get out of the house for some clear air and some milk. I decided to give you all a bit of a digital tour of Anthon. Apparently, the town was established by Caius Antonius Nepos, the uncle of Marcus Antonius (Marc Anthony). He settled in what was then Gaul around 62 BCE. We’re snuggled up right next to the Rhône. A cozy little spot to stop. The population today is only about 1,000 people. Not exactly a metropolis.

I started my walk at Les Plantanes and made my way to the Anthon Multi Serv. I walked down the Montrée de la Barre and into the neighborhoods. I wound my way back to the main street, stopping at Thierry Kubeczy before headed back.

That concludes our brief tour of my little village! I spent the rest of my day on the phone or cooking! I made some honey mustard fried chicken for dinner and had a few little clementines for dessert. I tried to relax and forget the drama from earlier in the day with a long movie, The Da Vinci Code.

Friday

We love Fridays! This was a big day. I had another appointment with a bank to see about opening an account. I’ve been struggling since I arrived to get an account open because many of the institutions in the area don’t want to deal with the extra paperwork that comes with an international account. I have been denied by several banks because I do not have an NIF number (a number every French person has that serves as their tax ID). We received news before Christmas that another American assistant was able to open an account with the Banque Populaire, so we took the next available appointment on January 8th. We also unearthed another key piece of information- adding two zeros to one’s social security number would allow it to function as a NIF. Who knew?!

I took my time getting ready. I wore my favorite sweater, did my hair, and put on my favorite earrings before heading out to meet Mme Bodet. She waved her crossed fingers at me and declared, “Today’s the day!” We picked up her son for his eye appointment and dropped him off before heading to the bank in the center of Pont-Chéruy.

The appointment was short and sweet. After 20 minutes of scanning paperwork, answering questions, and nervously tapping my foot, I at last had a bank account. I can access it online, through an app, and use a debit card! Things I took completely for granted at home, now seem like a luxury! I am so happy and so excited.

We picked up Mme Bodet’s son and walked down the street to my favorite boulangerie to pick up lunch for him. I got myself a little sandwich and a tarte aux pommes to eat later on. We dropped her son off at school and went upstairs to drop off my account number with the secretary. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get paid by the end of the month! I really hope I can get something soon, I’m running out of cash!

At the boulangerie, I saw a set of the little glass beads you put in your galettes des rois for New Year’s. They come in sets of around 10 pieces and can feature different cartoon characters or animals.

Finally at home, I settled in to watch the news and eat my lunch. I enjoyed the treats that I bought for myself in town!

I spent the rest of the day writing, working on French, and getting organized. In the evening, I decided to try out a new chicken recipe. I’m not a huge chicken fan, thanks to the UM dining halls. However, one week it was the only meat available so I picked some up. I tried a recipe for a dry mustard rub. Shockingly- it turned out great! I paired it with the last of my sweet potato fries. I watched “The Help” on Netflix while I ate.

I got to watch a scary movie with a friend over Netflix Party and chat with another on the phone later in the night. It was a nice and relaxing night.

Thursday

I didn’t have time to think about the news before Catherine A swept me away to Charvieu for the day’s classes. I spent the morning presenting New York to my 4ème and 6ème students.

I made the main focus of my presentation Broadway. I shared clips from Wicked, Hamilton, and West Side Story again. The kids were always excited to hear that singers from Frozen were in both Wicked and Hamilton. I swear, they love that movie more than anything. West Side Story attracted a lot of attention from both groups. The older students were more interested in the style of dancing in the clip that I shared. I told them that it had Puerto Rican influences and that’s why the style was so unique.

The younger students focused more on the lyrics. The line they found particularly striking was “things are alright in America, if you’re all white in America.” They immediately started asking questions and declared the line “racist.” I was a little apprehensive to have the conversation with them in front of their teacher because the French aren’t super fond of talking about diversity and equity issues. We did end up having a fruitful conversation. I told them that many immigrant experience discrimination in the States because of their skin color or ethnicity. That many people are pressured to assimilate to American culture while giving up their own native language and culture. I argued that the line wasn’t racist and was instead pointing out a double standard present in the US. They were disappointed to hear that discrimination happens in the US. Many of them view it as some sort of utopia where everyone is rich and no one struggles. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

I sat in the staff room during the break and joined the other teacher for a coffee before Catherine took my back to Anthon. Some of them hadn’t even heard about the news from the States. Their mouths hung open as one of the other English teachers described the riot. I shared some of the photos on my timeline, like the man stealing the podium. They were saddened.

I arrived home for the day and spent a lot of time decompressing. I got to chat with a friend on the phone and we went over everything again. As we talked, more news developed. Representatives started calling for the 25th Amendment to be invoked, others promised to draw up articles of impeachment, and still more shared resolutions to bar Tr•mp allies from remaining in their seats as a consequence for their actions.

Wednesday

I got to start the day slowly and at my leisure. I made myself breakfast, got the coffee ready, and turned on the PBS Newshour. I absolutely love that I’ve been able to watch it recently. It’s my favorite way to unwind and get the day started. They discussed the verification ceremony that would take place later that day in Congress. They mentioned the controversy already brewing over the confirmation and featured interviews with folks on both sides. There was little mention of the crowd growing outside the capital.

On Monday, I purchased a set of paints and was looking for a project that I could throw myself into. I decided I would make a canister for my flour that would match the one I bought for my sugar. I put “Bridgerton” on in the background, just to figure out what all the buzz was about. I ended up finishing almost all the episodes! Whoops! We love a good period drama.

Just as I sat down to finish the last pages of “The Help,” my phone began to light up. I read for a few minutes, at first able to ignore the notifications that were pouring in at such a strange time, but then was unable to resist. I was astonished by what I saw. A mob breached the barriers in front of the capital building. They were breaking windows and pushing back the guards. I thought I was hallucinating at first. I couldn’t believe that this was happening. Nothing that this had happened in my lifetime. I could hear my heart thudding in my ears.

I sent a flurry of messages to my friends in DC to make sure they were safe. I scrambled to find a live news stream that I could access online. Sure enough, it was real. A mob was breaking into the capital. A coup was taking place before my eyes. Strange that the Insurrection Act I studied just months ago was suddenly becoming relevant.

I wondered, where were the police? I remember their overwhelming presence throughout the summer at all of the Black Lives Matter protests I attended in Michigan. I remember helicopters circling overheard and the heavy arms that they carried. Yet in our nation’s capital, they did nothing to hold back the tide. I watched videos of officers opening the gates for protesters, some officers seemingly waving them inside. I knew that if it were people of color and their allies storming the steps, dozens more would be dead or seriously injured. The hypocrisy was especially glaring as I watched footage of officers gently taking some of the protests by the hand to walk them back down the building’s steps.

I went to bed late and with a sour taste in my mouth. I watched Tr•mp fan the flames of a dangerous insurrection and watched his allies defend him. I felt sick. Still, I could not bring myself to agree with the politicians tweeting “this is not who we are.” Because if we’re honest, this is America. We have long been too tolerant and forgiving of far-right ideologies. We have a racist history and present that many refuse to reckon with. We are the America that has allowed people with hateful ideologies and harmful policy agendas come to power. As I watch the liberals fall over themselves in their attempt to distance our nation from the actions of the white supremacists, I hope that they will come to realize that this is indeed part of America and it is time we did the radical social justice work that is necessary to change that fact.

Tuesday

As usual, I was steeling myself for a challenge. I prepared a presentation on fairy tales for the day because the professor had informed me that was their subject for the week. I chose Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, and Jack and the Beanstalk. I prepared a vocab worksheet that I knew would take up some time. The kids in these classes LOVE being able to write the answers on the board when we correct the worksheet later on.

When I arrived, the professor asked me if I could take half the class for the entire hour. This threw me for a loop. I prepared a lesson long enough for a 30 minute class period. She was insistent, however, so I did my best to keep them busy the entire hour. We spent a lot more time for my opening conversation and for the worksheet. Luckily, I had the good groups, so it wasn’t too bad. I’m worried for next week when I have the more difficult groups.

At the mid-morning pause, I asked why she wanted me to keep the classes for an entire hour. She told me that an older teacher complained about the noise students make in the hallway when we switch. Instead of simply telling her kids to be quiet in the hall, she decided it would be easier to just not have the switch out. Frustrating.

Sometimes, I have to adapt a lesson on the fly when I can tell what I have planned isn’t landing the way I want it to. That was happening with the fairy tale lesson. The professor neglected to tell me which fairy tales they worked on, so I ended up presenting all the stories they already knew. Who wants to hear about the same stories twice in one week? To make things more entertaining and engaging, I shared some movie trailers that touched on these stories. We watched the “Hoodwinked” trailer and they thought it was hilarious. I think I’m going to start providing kids with a list of media that they can access if they’re interested in learning more about something. That way, they can pick up English outside the classroom and get a little bit more involved.

Classes finished at 12, so I sat in the staff room until Mme Bodet came to pick me up around 13:30. Fabien, who helps with 3ème euro, came over to ask me some questions about a Johnny Depp cologne ad that he was showing the kids. He told me excitedly about the different “symbols of America” that he picked up on in the ad. The jazz riff at the open, an eagle flying over the road, a bison, and oil drills. He wanted to know how I read the clip as an American, did I see the same things as him? While I did, I read the ad as relying on those same symbols to project hyper-masculinity to sell the cologne. I told him that I didn’t think the average American would even put that much thought into it. The ad would be playing in the middle of a football game and any symbolic analysis would be lost of the realtime viewer. Next week I’ll be presenting on the different symbols in the ad and their background. Here’s the ad if you’re curious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_gztgFysfs.

On the way home, Mme Bodet stopped off at La Poste to show me where I could send out my letters. Watch out, mailboxes!

I went over to chez Bodet for dinner. We had raclettes and tried out the new raclettes machine they got for Christmas. I swear every French family had like three of these. We talked about the American election. Daniel was angry that Trump refuses to concede. He called the situation dangerous and is frustrated people continue to stand by him. I understand the feeling!

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.

Sunday

I woke up full of nerves. One of the teachers from Pont-Chéruy invited me to eat a raclettes lunch with her family that afternoon. I’m always nervous when dining with the French. There are a lot of rules on dining that I feel like I should know, but don’t. So, I tried to make myself at least mildly presentable for the event.

My coworker and her daughter picked me up around 12. The daughter was just starting to learn how to drive. In France, kids can start driving with a parent around 15, but they aren’t allowed to drive by themselves until 18. They were shocked when I told them I started driving school at 14 and even more-so when I told them I still hate driving! I had to laugh. Everyone loves driving here.

When we got to the house, the two daughters gave me a tour. This was the most American house I’ve seen so far in France. I think it was a newer build, which might explain why. The rooms were pretty spacious, there was an open floor plan, and everyone had their own study.

I quickly learned that everyone in the family spoke great English. My coworker insisted that her daughters get in some practice because their English teacher has been out for several weeks with no replacement. She wondered if I would be interested in taking the job, but not only am I wholly unqualified, I think I’d get kicked out of the country if I took another job.

We spent a lot of time at the table talking about America. They girls proudly told me they knew a lot about Michigan because they had heard of Detroit. Sadly, they hadn’t heard good things. They were under the impression that Detroit was some sort of ghost town. That no one was left within the city other than auto-workers. I explained that that wasn’t true and that Detroit was actually recovering from years of underinvestment by companies and the government. I showed pictures of community gardens, wonderful artwork within the city, and some of the protests that I attended there during the summer. Their negative view of Detroit was wholly explained by their textbook (pictured below). While it certainly discusses a lot of the problem that Detroit struggles with, the book fails to mention that many are the result of systematic racism.

Lunch was absolutely delicious. I got to try some new cheeses with the raclettes. Would highly suggest a goat cheese to anyone interested in giving it a spin! The cheese is a lot lighter and more fragrant. During the meal, I got to chat with my coworker and her family about my experiences so far in France. I explained the difficulties I am continuing to have with the bank, my struggle adjusting to the French education system, and my adventures in Lyon. It was nice to be able to talk to folks who understand what’s going on and could offer advice or just commiserate. We discussed some of the students I have in class and my coworker gave me some great strategies for dealing with the more troublesome students. Discipline and classroom decorum are a lot different here. Some level of constant and sassy whispering is pretty normal and many kids have no fear of the teacher whatsoever until they threaten to write home to parents.

When we finally finished the main course, we dug into some galette des roi. This is a pastry eaten to celebrate the Epiphany, the period during which the three kings bestowed gifts on baby Jesus. Before baking the pastry, the chef slips in several glass tiles in different places. When the cake is cut up and distributed, the first person to discover a tile becomes king for the day. Needless to say, you need to be really careful eating this dish or you risk breaking a tooth!

We headed back to my place around 4pm. I always end up hungry again by the time a French meal ends. They last so long! I made myself a little snack and settled in to prepare my lessons for the next day. Four of my classes would be working on New Year’s resolutions and my Euro class would be getting introduced to New York. I was excited to talk about New York, because Broadway is a great piece of American culture to chat about. I put in clips from West Side Story, Hamilton, and Wicked to show the different types of plays and the wide range of issues that are talked about on stage. I got Kristin Chenoweth’s “Popular” stuck in my head haha.

Saturday

My last weekend of winter break! Always a heartbreaking time when you realize you’ll have to go back to work soon. I decided to take full advantage of my last possible day to be a full introvert. I had planned to go on a walk and do some exploring with the Italian professor, but I let her know I needed some rest and rescheduled for the next weekend.

It was a great day! I curled up with my fresh coffee and watched the PBS Newshour from the night before. I enjoyed all of my subscriptions on YouTube while I made some tacos for lunch. As the sun began to set, I realized I’d forgotten my annual winter break tradition- a Star Wars marathon! I had to start immediately, of course. I started with the prequels and managed to make my way through all of them before going to bed wayyyyy too late. My sleep schedule really had no chance of recovering before going back to work.