April 2019 DEauville TA Blog - Elizabeth

April TA Blog

The spring vacation is now upon us. It was well-deserved and highly anticipated. I am writing this in the Rome airport, having just departed Santorini, Greece and awaiting my transfer to Dubrovnik, Croatia. Being so close to international travel destinations and having ample time off to see the world is one of the highlights of this program. This vacation is special, because my boyfriend was able to fly over from Kentucky and share my vacation with me. Being away from home for so long can take a toll on you, so it is important to recharge and reconnect with your loved ones. Andrew also was lucky enough to have his parents fly in for a week. We all met in Paris, and got to show our guests France (and Europe in general) for the first time.  Together we toured the Louvre, and shared a dinner and a lunch together. We also got to show off our French to those who don’t speak a word of it.

            Life at school is progressing well. There are still kids I haven’t gotten a chance to bond with and I think that will always be the case, however, the children that I do have relationships with make the entire experience here a little brighter. I am proud of my students who show their progress in English, as it makes me feel like I am doing the right thing here in France. I have a handful of students who ask me after school every day to play the English games that I create for their classes. Even though this means I play endless games of memory match, bingo, and Pictionary 5 days of the week, I am still happy to see the enthusiasm for what I do.

            Our third and final trimester is approaching at school, and I have been preparing APE’s (after school activities) for the students. This trimester, I am doing a choir which will prepare a song or two for the end of the year show, and an English theatre club, which potentially could also perform at the end of the year show. We’ll see how well that pans out. I am excited to bring two of my favorite activities from grade school to France and put my own twist on them. I can’t wait to see how much more my students can learn and grow and progress. Until next time!

-Elizabeth                   

. 

                              

          One of many games of memory match with one of my CP students, Clémence.

                               Discovering new corners of Paris on a weekend trip.

Jessi, another TA and I in front of the Moulin Rouge during a weekend in Paris.

Experiencing a Santorini Sunset, feeling lucky to be able to travel so much. 

Making new memories in Paris with my boyfriend, Matt.