So they totally play "Grace Under Fire" on a Belgian TV station we get here.
Caitlin: The students are really bad, when they left class this afternoon I had a little panic attack in the classroom thinking there was no hope for the rest of the year. They really can't just be quiet, who on earth wants to be a teacher? Sorry to all of you who have masters to be just that.
I separated two chatty-pants French girls who couldn't put a sock in it. I think I may have made permanent enemies. I feel like the teenagers are forming factions to avoid work, English, and me in general. My students are very poor, and for the most part don't think that learning a foreign language is all that important. A lot of them have never traveled farther than Lille ( the capital of our region- about an hours train ride away.) However they have had all the advantages that imported rap music can offer.
The French teacher who is my acting advisor and best friend, Mr. Lienard waxed nostalgic about his first year teaching in a high school. He told me he didn't sleep through the night once the entire year. He likened work in the classroom to standing naked in front of a room of strangers, and quieting whispering students to watching 6 boiling pots of milk at once.
Needless to say I'm not feeling encouraged.
Of course the problem may be as simple as the fact I didn't come appropriately equipped with dry-erase markers. I think forced writing on the board would do a lot for my power quotient. I did take liberal use of my new found authority to walk about the room at will and randomly assign passages to be read aloud. I tried to think about what teachers look like in movies when they are hard at work teaching. I tried also to think like Sam Buffaloe. What would Sam do? While I don't have nearly the power that comes with a beard like his, I tried to laugh when I thought he would, and hold my hands up in front of myself like he does when making a point.
Maybe they don't like my new hair. Who knows. So far French people seem crazy, why else would they watch "Grace Under Fire?"
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
The whole reason we love the French is their attitude, non?
I think the most intimidating is when the teachers just stare narrowly at you after they assign something to you.
You could always make a deal: if you are good in class, I'll teach you an english curse word :-p
I like Rob's suggestion. You could also try telling them that you'll take off a piece of clothing every time the whole class passes a little quiz. I know that if Caitlin nudity was the prize I would ace foreign language class.
cheeky Monkey
Post a Comment