They are coming to visit me because (as the title of this post shows) I am vacation for the next two weeks! However, as events this week transpired, this whole week of "teaching" ended up being much like a vacation. This began on Tuesday morning when I walked into school for my normal 9 am class. I knew that Premier and Terminale students* had most or all of their classes cancelled this week, as they are taking the BAC blanc, a mock exam for the really serious standardized tests they take at the end of June. Knowing this, I planned accordingly, knowing that I would not have to make lessons for those classes nor show up. So when I walked in to see lists posted everywhere and utter chaos, you can imagine my confusion.
As it turns out, they take this mock exam within the school and need a whole floor of classrooms to have an adequate testing environment. So all classrooms for all teachers and classes had been changed. For the entire week. So I looked up the new classroom for my first class and waited with the students for the teacher to arrive. When the teacher came in, looking late and frazzled, he was surprised to see me and said "I just talked to the front office and they said your classes are cancelled for this week!" All I could muster in response, "what?!"
After a lengthy talk at la Vie Scolaire**, with many explanations and diagrams, they told me that I don't have any classrooms this week, there is just no room for me with the BAC blanc going on. Seeing each one of my classes on my timetable with a big red X across them, emblazoned with the words cours annulés*** made me quite angry - first, because I was excited to teach my lessons and second, because this was the first time this was communicated with me. Typical France.... At the end of our discussion, the secretary looked up at me and said "Désolé mademoiselle, mais maintenant tu as une semaine supplimentaire des vacances!"****
I preferred to not see it that way. Yes, I could have taken that response and not showed up for my classes all week, as when my teachers checked in, the secretaries would explain that I was not there because they were canceled. But I did not want to just sit and do nothing all week, not when I could have the opportunity to work with students in some capacity. After discussing the issue with each of my teachers, I still went to each of my scheduled classes and helped during the teacher's lesson in some capacity. Although I was not an active leader of the classroom, like the role I normally assume, it still felt great to be in the classroom this week and to see my students before vacation. At the beginning of this experience, I have to admit: the job of being an assistant was one of the things I liked the least. But now, as the teachers and I have learned how to communicate with each other, and the students and I have developed a rapport, it is an absolute joy teaching English here in France - it is now my favorite thing about being here.
With the sun shining brightly today and on Monday, I might have had a chance to catch some rays. It is still weird to think that I can do that in the middle of February... Hoping this great weather continues for next week, while my family and I explore Provence together (me acting as tour guide and translator)! After a week in the South, we will go to the North for five days with my parents and I exploring Paris and we might even take an excursion out to Normandy to explore the D-Day beaches. Good weather or bad, I know that this is going to be a vacation we will always remember - j'attends avec impatience!*****
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| Some typical February Provence sunshine (the temperature got up to 65 today, but who's counting!) |
*Equitable to Juniors and Seniors in High School back home.
**Basically your typical school office, with all the secretaries and such.
***Translation: canceled class
****Translation: Sorry Miss, but now you have an extra week of vacation!
*****Translation: I can't wait!
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