Back from the UK

Well as hard as it is for me to believe, my 16 day travel through the UK is finished, and I am back to work teaching in France. I use the term 'work' incredibly loosely here, because I only teach two days a week.....and one of those days is a holiday Monday.....I've only taught 6 days but I only have 5 teaching days left!

Anyways, let's rewind a month to the beginning of my UK adventure!

February 16 - Paris - Oxford
I started my trip as a solo traveller in Oxford. Why Oxford? Well I thought that I would enjoy the youthful, energetic vibe of a small college town outside of London. Also, I read that many scenes from Harry Potter were filmed here, so that was an added bonus. Oxford was quaint and beautiful, just as I expected it to be. I spent the majority of my days walking the streets, sitting in cafes, visiting historic sites, and doing a bit of shopping. Pretty much my vision of a perfect day.

The youth hostel I stayed in, however, was less than desirable, and I came to the conclusion that I am no longer a "youth" in the hosteling sense of the word. This stay fuelled my decision to treat myself to a hotel in Liverpool, which turned out to be a fabulously relaxing decision to make!

February 18 - Oxford - Northampton
For the second leg of my tour I journeyed to the small city of Northampton, to visit an my friend Ben who has been living there for the past couple of years. There is certainly not much to do in Northampton, it is a city that was known for its shoe and boot factories, which have largely been inactive for the better part of the 20th century. Currently the largest industry in the city is engineering (hence why my friend is living there). Northampton is making use of the old factories, and Ben's condo is housed in an old converted boot factory (which was very cool!)

While I stayed with Ben and his girlfriend, we took day trips to Birmingham (which is England's 2nd largest city - I couldn't believe the amount of people on the streets!) and Cambridge (very similar to Oxford, but with more character).

February 21 - Northampton - Liverpool
Next on my itinerary was to travel north to Liverpool. Why Liverpool? Because my grandparents grew up there and my mom was born there - the family emigrated to Canada when my mom was 4 years old. In Liverpool I met up with my 80 year old Great-Uncle who I hadn't seen in 20 years and it was.....FANTASTIC! For an 80 year old he was hard to keep up with and having lived in Liverpool (or just outside of) his entire life he knew the history better than any history book I could have read. I LOVED Liverpool and I think that this was my favourite stop on the tour. Of course, I also visited the Beatles Experience because how could you not. Loved it. Didn't want to leave Liverpool...but a traveller must always venture on....

February 24 - Liverpool - High Wycombe
Next stop on the tour was to visit a friend that I met in the Explore program in Quebec last spring (best program EVER!) who is teaching as a supply teacher in Buckinghamshire county. Again, there is precious little to do in High Wycombe, but of course the highlight of this stop was catching up with my friend Megan. We visited a neighbouring town to see the Roald Dahl museum (quite good) and enjoyed some beautiful springtime temperatures. We had such a great time together that we have planned a trip to Rome for later in the month....more to come on that in a later post. Et, c'est tout pour High Wycombe.

February 27 - High Wycombe - London
The final stop on my trip (already! couldn't believe it!) was of course to London. I was fortunate to stay with a wonderful friend from junior high who I hadn't properly seen in many, many years. I loved London, but seeing Emily again was the highlight of this part of the voyage. There is something so wonderful about being able to instantly connect with old friends who you haven't seen in ages. I was a proper tourist in London while Emily was at school and walked for hours each day taking in the sites and atmosphere. We also went to a great night at the Science Museum put on by the London Consortium (where Emily is taking her PhD) and went to see the play "The Woman in Black", which has been playing for 20 years and was absolutely fantastic. I have never screamed at a play before, but I was properly scared during this one. Fantastic.

March 2 - London - Paris - Saint Fargeau
Sadly, 16 days after I set off, I had to return to Saint Fargeau ( I know, poor me, having to return to France....) I would have loved to spend another week in the UK, but teaching calls. I had the weekend to recover from the travels, but didn't get too much rest as I ran a 12km race at Fontainebleau (French forest) on Sunday morning.

All in all, an absolutely unforgettable voyage. My life is so good.

After 2 days of teaching it's time for a two-week vacation

When I arrived in Saint Fargeau, I was a little surprised to learn that I would only be teaching two days per week. The other three days have been granted for me to plan lessons, complete the required assignments for the on-line component of the TAB program, and to explore the local culture. I was also (pleasantly) surprised to learn that after teaching a grand total of two days, I would have a two and a half week vacation period. This is how the French roll......

Tomorrow I'm saying "Au Revoir" to France for the moment and travelling to the UK for a 16-day tour. My trip itinerary includes: Paris - London - Oxford - Northampton - Birmingham - Liverpool - Buckinghamshire - London - Paris. I'll be doing some solo travelling as well as staying with fantastic friends. I'll be seeing the birthplace of my mom and her family, and the home of the Beatles. I'll also be checking out some of the famous sites where Harry Potter was filmed :) I've never been to the UK before and am so excited for this unexpected opportunity. Thanks in advance to my wonderful friends who will be hosting me!

In other news, my first two days of teaching were very successful, albeit slightly exhausting. Each day I teach 6 - 45 minute classes at the elementary level. Luckily for me, all of the classes are at roughly the same english level, regardless of their grade. The students here know some basic greetings (Hello, My name is...), numbers (mostly 1-20), general niceties (good afternoon, how are you), and a spattering of colours and fruits. I have been given a very general curriculum guide, as well as a wish that the students begin to learn conversational english over the course of 7 classes. 

During my classes this week, the teachers watched for content as well as lesson delivery. I brought my own style of teaching to the classroom, sitting with the students in a circle, communicating openly and patiently, and encouraging active participation. In my English class, I want the students not to have to worry about being scolded or humiliated for a wrong answer (which I have seen here in numerous classrooms). I want the students to engage with the language, and to risk making mistakes in order to practice speaking. 

I told the students that all of the things I wanted them to do and practice were things that I was doing myself in order to improve my French. I told them that they could help me with my French as much as I could help them with their English. The students liked this, and I could feel them open up to me as I shared how we were all going through the same experience of learning a new language. In my teaching practice I want my students to know that they have much to offer to the classroom community, and that the flow of information does not always go from teacher to student. This is a concept that is not embraced within the French education system, but I am thrilled to be inviting these ideas into my TAB setting. 

One Week In

As of today I have been in France for an entire week, and the experience has been both incredible and slightly overwhelming. While I am here I will be living in a small commune, Saint Fargeau, located in the Ile de France region. It is considered a suburb of Paris, and the City of Lights a very simple 45 minute train ride away. In terms of lifestyle, Saint Fargeau could not possibly be any more different than what I am used to living in inner-city Calgary, where a plethora of cafes, restaurants, shops, and activity are mere steps away. The main street in Saint Fargeau consists of a Tabac (store that sells cigarettes and magazines), Boulangerie (butcher), and a salon. As someone who is passionate about inner-city living, and believes in the importance of sacrificing space in order to live in a vibrant, thriving community with mixed-land use developments, this is a huge difference in lifestyle. One of my hopes in participating in the TAB program was to experience, and learn from, living in a different culture, and my setting in Saint Fargeau is fulfilling this wish. 

I am also shocked by the differences between the French educational system and our own in Canada. Having not done a ton of research in the days before I left Canada, I had a romanticized idea that since the French have such comprehensive health care they must also have a strong and supportive education system. The differences, both idealogical and structural, between our systems is far greater than I could have imagined. The French educational system is driven by knowledge-based, teacher directed, top down lessons, and they have little time for students who do not fit into this profile. When discussing the inquiry-based model that we are practicing in Canada, I was told "That is a joke. We don't joke around here. We learn." This juxtaposition of ideals makes me appreciate our Canadian system even more than I have in the past. I could go on and on about the differences in the system, but I'll speak more to them in an upcoming assignment.

The past week has been quite relaxed while we adjust to our new setting. Last week I visited a couple of schools, albeit briefly, for an introduction and to say hello to the students. The majority of the students were shocked that we have travelled all the way from Canada to work with them in the classroom, and we are greeted with a chorus of "Hello! My name is...." every time we enter a school. The level of english for most of the students does not extend very much past those skills, and the same is true for most of the teachers at the school. We certainly have our work cut out for us. 

On Friday I found out that I will be teaching exclusively at two of Saint Fargeau's schools: Saint Exupery II (which is for ages 8-12) and Saint Exupery I (ages 5-8). I will have 12 classes spread over 2 days, and will be in the school for a total of 8 weeks. This seems much shorter than I had imagined, but in two weeks there is a two week vacation period which eliminates two weeks of teaching. 

I start at Sain Ex. on Monday for two full days of observation, before I start officially teaching the following week. I am SO excited to see an entire school day and to experience the education system 'in the flesh'. My initial impressions of the system have all come from meetings with various administrators, and I am so curious to see if what they have told me matches with what I will see in the classroom. 

L'Aventure Commence

Today I got the great news that my placement has gone through. In 10 days I will be leaving for Saint Fargeau Pontheirry - I still do not know what school I am at or what ages I will be teaching, but I am excited for the unknown and I am ready for the challenge.

My first post is up for our Inclusive Practices Module - feel free to take a read and share your thoughts!

Patience.

I am leaving for France in 17 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes.

Maybe.

Let us all collectively cross our fingers that my placement will come through, and that I can be spontaneous enough to embrace it.