Salut de Deauville! It's Rachael again, here to reveal what a typical day looks like for me here in France.
We are officially back in school after a two-week long break at the end of October. On the breaks, we are off from school and city duties, so I used this time and traveled all over the U.K. and Ireland with another one of the TAs, Mary.
The first month of teaching is behind us, and I think it is safe to say we have all learned a lot about teaching, time-management and French. Luckily, Ivan provided us with sample lesson plans for the first month and curriculum guides for the year. We also have a weekly English meeting where we can ask any questions we may have regarding student behavior, lessons, etc.
All lessons should start and end with routines—something the class does everyday. In between those routines we do different activities, games and exercises to reinforce the material we want them to learn. Ivan asks that all our classes be conducted entirely in English, which can be frustrating when students resist or struggle, but ultimately comprehensible input in the target language (English made to where the learner can understand the gist) is the best way for them to learn. Perseverance is key on this point.
Additionally, I like to plan my lessons as far in advance as I can, so that I can make sure my copies are ready well before the day I teach that activity. Some weeks that is easier than others, but I have found, especially with my placement, that being over-prepared is always better. Always.
 |
| Myself and my sidekick, Pineapple smiling for the camera. Pineapple is the puppet that fearlessly helped me introduce English to my preschoolers. |
A Typical Day in the French Life of Rachael—pronounced Rah-Shell here:
My placement in Deauville, is actually at the two schools just outside of the city: St. Arnoult and Tourgeville. I teach all levels at each school, from preschool through fifth grade. My schedule changes from day to day, but consistently has me traveling (by car) between all three schools most days in the week. Below is a description of my Monday schedule.
I leave the warmth and comfort of our little brick house at 8:20, because if I leave ten minutes later, there won't be any parking at St. Arnoult, plus I like to have plenty of time to settle in before I bring the Moyanne Section of preschoolers to my classroom for a half hour class at 9:00 a.m. After singing and walking across the schoolyard to take the Moyanne Section back, I come back to my room to knock on the adjoining door and welcome the Grand Section preschoolers to another half hour class at 9:30 a.m. We dance and chant and count, before I return them to class and bring in the CP section at 10:00 a.m. for, yes, a thirty minute class.
Class schedules alternate depending on the level that I see. Moyanne Section through CP are for thirty minutes and CE1 through CM2 are forty-five minutes—don't worry you will understand the different levels when you get here.
 |
| The school I teach at in St. Arnoult is also attached to the Mairie. Here is a picture from the front of the school and town-hall. |
I wave goodbye to St. Arnoult at 10:30 a.m. most mornings and head over to Fracasse for our weekly English meeting with Ivan. At 12 p.m. starts midi (lunch and recess) at Fracasse. I stay there to eat and monitor the first lunch service with the littlest kids until 1 p.m. , next, I leave to teach afternoon classes at Tourgeville.
At Tourgeville, I set up my classroom so that I am ready to welcome my combined Moyanne and Grand Section preschool class for thirty minutes. Next, I see a combined class of CP and CE1 for a forty-five minute class. Finally, I see the CE2 students for forty-five minutes as well. Are you tired yet? I find that packing a quick snack of cookies helps at this point.
After I wrap up at Tourgeville, I drive back to Fracasse to pick up the students I take roll for and take them outside for their snack before the after-school activities (APE) begin. The APEs last for one hour. They are enrichment activities for students and are separated by age group. On Mondays, I teach puppet-making with the CM age group.
After APEs, I stay for guarderie, or homework help, until 6 p.m. Since I have so many classes, I only stay for homework help on Monday and Friday nights.
As you can see, Mondays are fairly hectic for me. Later on in the week, I have more breaks some days, and less time on others. Wednesdays, we only teach in the morning and have afternoons off, assuming we do not have a meeting.
My days as a Deauville TA are full, and since I work at three schools, they have me running around a lot. However, keeping busy has made me feel like I have a place here in France. I cannot remember a time here I felt bored.
 |
| Pineapple and I dressed up for the Halloween festivities we threw for Tourgeville, St, Arnoult and the maternelle, Brenay. Notice Pinapple's mustache. Is it not dashing? |
The first couple of months are already behind us, and I have learned oodles about my role in Deauville. I am sure by the time June arrives, I will have much more sage advice to offer, but for now, I leave you with this:
1. Plan, plan, plan: Don't wait until the last minute. Be ready for your classes so that you can maximize your free time during the week.
2. Be flexible: prepare yourself to think on your feet and to change plans when necessary. What do you do when you arrive to class and find you left your flashcards at home? Answer: You start body parts vocabulary early, since you always bring your arms, legs and head to class.
3. Stop to catch your breath: Sometimes when I am driving from one school to another, stressed about time or a lesson, I will glance out the window, and it hits me: I am living and working in France. The job can be tough, but the rewards are immense; stop and notice them.
Whew. I got stressed just looking at that Monday run-down. You get into the routine fairly fast, and it doesn't seem so crazy. It does keep me on my toes though.
Until January!
