No Substitute, No Problem

For Thanksgiving, I baked homemade pumpkin pies.
You can see how well they liked them...

On Thursday, I became a full on teacher for the day. I am currently working in the class with the 6 year olds and the teacher had to go to Paris for the day for a Conference. Instead of getting a substitute, the obvious solution was that I would become the teacher. Without any real credentials, I was thrown into the situation of being responisble for 40 French children (luckily only 20 in the morning and 20 in the afternoon!). Overall, taking into account that they are 6, I'm only allowed to speak English and I'm not actually trained to be a teacher, it was a success!
     If a teacher is absent from school in the US, there will always be a substitute. I honestly cannot remember a single day where there was no sub brought into the school. Here in France, I was told that most of the time, there is no sub. Instead, they take the children and split them up between the different classes and have them sit and do busy work in the extra chairs of the other teachers. The children aren't allowed to talk, ask questions or move. They must just do the work that the teacher gave them. If the teacher is sick or an emergency arose and didn't have a chance to give some papers to the students, they're given a sheet of blank paper and that is supposed to suffice them for the time until the break (around an hour and fifteen minutes).

View of the 1st grade classroom

     Thursday, I took advantage of having no teacher telling me exactly what I'm allowed and not allowed to do to spend more time hanging out with the kids students. I tried my hardest to follow the routine of a typical school day which goes like this...

     8:35-9:45 School starts. I have class A in the morning and we do things like the day of the week, the weather and the temperature (which honestly, I didn't know how to tell because I've never read a thermometer that was just Celcius before. I just smiled and nodded lol). Then we reviewed some vocabulary, did a paper about phonics (sounding out different words) and a paper on habitats before the recess.

     9:45-10:15 RECESS. The students get a break from morning classes and go outside and run around like crazy people! Honestly, I'm surprised that there isn't more supervision/rules! At least 3 people bleed every recess!

     10:15-11:15 Math review. We reviewed things like doubles, the difference between thirty and thirteen (it keeps me on my toes with proper pronunciation!!) and shapes. Then we split into 4 centers to continue working on groups of 10, shapes, more and less and patterns.

11:15-11:35 We regrouped on the carpet where we sang a couple of songs and I read a story.

11:35-1:35 LUNCH BREAK! Lots of French students go home during this and eat lunch with their families. If not, they eat lunch at school in the cantine (where they spend at least 1 hour in the lunchroom).

School started again at 1:35 and we switched classes so that Class A went to the French teacher's classroom and I took Class B and did the exact same things with them as we did in the AM class. By 4:35, I was exhausted, my voice a bit raspy from repeating to be quiet but I felt fulfilled that I was able to help my students. Honestly, I love my job so much and am so happy to have had this experience working with French children!

Recess yard. That's right, no grass...

Here are some observations that I have made about French elementary schools...

-Schools do not have a lot of money. There isn't a computer in every room. There isn't even internet in the rooms at my school. There is 1 laptop that is shared with the WHOLE school. The map that is used in the 2nd grade room is so old that the USSR and Yugoslavia are still on it...
-There are no parent volunteers. Teachers have to do everything themselves.
-French students are much neater and have a lot more responsibility than children in the US. They love to give the kids things to cut and paste and they spend so much time doing this! Their handwriting is all uniform and cursive and everyone dots their i's and crosses their t's at the exact same spot.
-Teachers are more strict and show less emotion to their students.
-Starting at the age of 6, students use a blue pen. They use a ruler to make every line that they ever need (like an equal sign in math ). Everyone in the school has a white board that they use almost everyday. They have to keep ample amounts of gluesticks, blue pens and whiteboard markers in their pencil case and are scolded when something runs out.
-Like previously said, Recess is the most dangerous thing that I've ever seen when it comes to children. They are given soft padded balls which fly every which way and it doesn't seem that there are any rules to touching/wrestling/pushing as long as no one falls/starts to bleed.
-There are no extra staff other than the typical grade level teachers. There aren't really any secretaries, nurses, or janitors. The teachers do everything. When a child gets sick, the teacher cleans it up. The principal, one of the teachers, has to answer the phone and phone. During gym class, the teacher has to help out the assistant that is sent from the city.
-Students call their teacher "maîtraisse" or "teacher" in my class. When they raise their hands to answer a question, they hold one finger up and shoot their arm as high as possible and hold their elbow with the other hand while making annoying "ooh ooh" sounds.
-No school  transportation. Everyone is picked up at the gate. Noone takes the bus.
-There isn't really a dress code for the teachers. Some of them dress up wearing high-heeled boots, short skirts and black tights and others wear sneakers and jeans.
-In general, t


he attitude inside the classroom is much more intense and the attitude outside the classroom is much more lax.

Paris is always a good idea.

Couldn't possibly become more of a tourist...

Audrey Hepburn sure did know what she was talking about! This weekend, I skipped over to Paris to hang out with one of my friends from University that I've known since day 1. K and I are were in the same Scholars program at OSU (IA was basically a University-sponsored club with different international themed programming where students who were interested in different cultures and who liked traveling all lived in the same dorm freshman year) and we were in the same English class during the first semester. Having survived (very punny because the theme of our freshman writing course was survival lol) Mary Hannah (could never figure out if our TA's name was Mary or Hannah since it would show up differently with every email...) and Bolivian literature together, not to mention the actual trip to Bolivia!!, we decided to take on Paris.

A and I always have a wonderful time!

From the very  moment that we saw each other from the opposite sides of the pyramid at the Louvre (one of the little ones. We'd have to have bionic vision to be able to see through the big one!) and we excitedly skipped/ ran/ hunchback of NotreDame sideskidded to each other into a giant hug, I knew that this weekend was going to be one of laughter, shenanigans and happiness but I never imagined how much joy traveling with K would bring me. We wandered around the streets of Paris finding all of the monuments and important looking buildings, explored (eventually dragging ourselves) the whole of Versailles and spent a socially unacceptable amount of time looking at the roosters, ducks and peacocks for girls from small towns in Ohio, ate an obscene amount of cheese in a cheese fondue and tartiflette with my spectacular Parisian friend A, stayed in a friend from French high school's studio apartment and managed to get dressed 3 times in the complete dark, stumbled into Notre Dame literally 5 minutes before Mass and getting to hear the church fill to the brim with Organ music, discover the Louvre and the wonder of the petite Mona Lisa and in general, have a marvelous time. During our picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower, We managed to break all of the societal norms when it came to the Camembert cheese from forgetting a knife and having to tears it with our hands to forgetting the cheese itself and leaving it to ripen in my backpack. All in all, these weekend was another moment in time where Paris called to me, I answered and she didn't fail to please!

It was so special seeing K here in Paris. I've seen so few people from my life back in Ohio here in Europe that it's so nice to see some familiar faces. It's always  surreal to create lifelong memories abroad with people who are apart of my regular, boring old life. I hope that throughout my entire life, I will be blessed with the opportunity to continue traveling with lifelong friends.

So happy to have spent a glorious weekend in Paris with K

Mint Tea in Morocco

Stepping out of the airplane, my first impression of Morocco was one of disbelief. I couldn't believe how inexpensive it was to fly there from Paris (only 120 Euros!!). I couldn't believe that I was finally stepping foot in Africa.  I couldn't believe how green the country was.  From Casablanca, through Marrakech to Rabat, the amount of rich, lusciously deep green foliage overwhelmed the ignorant stereotypes of desert sand that my brain associated with when thinking of Morocco. While there was some deep red earth in Marrakech and in the mountains, it was surrounded by gorgeous landscapes of blossoming trees and thick beds of grass. The bright colors of the earth offset by the elegant blue of the immense sky are images that previously had been unrivaled in my life and are some that will paint my daydreams forever.

Morocco is a place that I had never dreamed of going to. It wasn't on my radar or on my list of places that I NEEDED to see. Luckily, one night with a couple of other assistants, someone threw out the idea of Morocco. Immediately, it became a "why not" in my life. It's so close to France (especially with budget airlines) and such a different experience that I couldn't think of a reason not to go. I found 2 other assistants (and one of their friends) and we decided to explore the land of couscous, mint tea and camels. From the moment that we saw the craziness that was Morocco driving (imagine Mario Kart mixed with bumper cars), the charm that was the overly dramatic way of pouring tea so as to create the most bubbles as possible (honest to goodness this was the answer we were given when we asked why they held the teapot so high) and the palate of brilliant colors that was the markets of the medina, I knew that I wouldn't regret spending part of my 8 weeks of paid holiday there.

Going in, I had imagined that Casablanca would be the prettiest city and would be my favorite; boy was I wrong! In my mind, the idea of Casablanca was equal to elegance and grace but in reality, it was busy and occidental. If the people had been dressed in business suits and ties on the tram instead of headscarves and long robes, Casablanca could have been transported somewhere in Western Europe. That being said, the Mosque and the Ocean were very beautiful and the Medina and its markets were interesting even if we did get a bit swindled into an hour tour by an 80 year old man!

Marrakech was delightful. After (FINALLY) finding the city centre and the hotel (3 hours of wandering around in the hot sun later), we discovered the markets and the square. Jemma El-Fna was such a cultural experience! There were snake charmers, monkey performers, henna artists and so many more interesting sights! From Marrakech, we ventured out towards the mountains and visited a Berber village where we were served some mint tea, witnessed women making Argan oil (where we again enjoyed some mint tea), rode some camels, walked across a rather sketchy rope bridge and hiked 1000 meters up to a waterfall through the river/creek on some pretty slick rocks. Shamefully enough, the 30 minute camel ride for tourists was one of my favorite parts!

While saddened to leave Marrakech, spending our last day in Morocco in Rabat was lovely. In all of its understated beauty, Rabat was a perfect getaway. Blissfully unaware (or consciously ignorant) of the lure it has on tourists, interesting and gorgeous sights were discovered around every corner. I am particularly fond of the neat blue and white walled in Kasbah where the atmosphere was breathtakingly serene.


Breathtakingly beautiful, my 6 day stay is one that I will always think fondly of and pine for. I am very grateful for the opportunity to discover Northern Africa and am impatiently awaiting the day that I can return to buy some more magic lipstick (I swear that there was a new, interesting lipstick around every corner!), drink some more mint tea and be surrounded by the glory that is Morocco.

Cousins and Kisses

Sun. Sand. Baby giggles. Freckles. Compotes (applesauce for my American peeps). Sunglasses. Playgrounds. Little Bunny Foo Foo. Diet Dr. Pepper. Bathtime. Clifford the Big Red Dog. Doudou. Dora's brush. Cheddar Cheese. Naps. Kisses. Cousins.

 

This week has been such a wonderful break from the reality that is my life here in France. I have been so blessed to spend the past week in Antibes, France with my cousin and her family. We've had such an amazing time and I can't believe that it's almost over already! I'm so lucky to have been given the chance to spend some quality time with such amazing people! These girls have jumped right off of the screen (prior to this week, I'd only seen them on facebook and on the various pictures that I have recieved in the mail), and landed straight in my heart.

M is fearless. She will jump from anything without a moments thought about the consequences (which makes the playground scary for Mom and Jen!). She is curious and quick. She has a gallopy sort of run that is impossible to not smile to. Like most 2 year olds I know, she has a hard time reigning in all of the balled up energy and sometimes, it bursts out all around her. This week, we've giggled, sang and colored so much that I'm not sure that Petit Papa Noel will ever get out of my head. She is a very joyous child.

J is light-hearted. She is attentive and conscientious. While sometimes difficult, she loves being a big sister and is learning to put up with the constant attention that comes from being born first. A mature young girl of almost 4, J is quick to catch onto physical things and loves to build things (whether they be out of legos, lincoln logs or sand) and is (most of the time) patient when those things are crushed by a certain little sister. We've held hands wherever we've gone and cuddled more than I have since I've been home that my arms are going to feel empty when I leave here tomorrow.

These two little girls (and their moms) have crashed right into my heart and have carved out a place for themselves. The light that shines from them and their adorable smiles will accompany me in my thoughts wherever I go and I will be anxiously waiting for the day that I can come back and throw my arms around them and get some kisses accompanied by the most beautiful word ever in the sweetest litte voices; "encore."

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This week, I've become a bit of a celebrity at school. I've always been a hot commodity amongst the kids due to my funny accent (my students have never actually heard me speak in French even when we're out and about in town and I see them with their parents) but, the minute that I brought in some chocolate chip cookies, I became a star. 

 

Chocolate chip cookies aren't a huge thing in France. With my students, I decided to do a week-long unit on the song "Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar." Using a cute ook that my boss had, we worked on some desert animal vocabulary for a couple of days and then read the book. We then sang the song and made our way around the room accusing each other. Eventually it got to me and I owned up to stealing the cookies but told them that I brought them back to share and everyone tried a cookie. These went over much better than my previous attempt of bringing some American cuisine into the classroom with some homemade pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving (only 7 out of 39 students liked it).

All week, my students were asking for the recipe so I ended up making a lesson on how to make chocolate chip cookies. I grabbed all of the ingredients from our kitchen and set off to enlighten the young minds in my class. The lesson went without a hitch except for one student laughing at me and my bowl (it has a hole in the bottom because of a popcorn incident in our apartment. I calmly explained to him that I wouldn't mix cookies in this bowl, it was just pretend.)

Right before we left for vacation, my roommate and I made a batch because we were bored. Brought some down south with me and have been sharing them with my cousins. Honestly, it's the little things like a chocolate chip cookie that brings a smile to someone's face that make it memorable and worthwhile!

Here is the recipe for my cookies that brought so many laughs this week. Enjoy!

 Ingredients
1 cup of butter (about 225 grams)
1 cup of white sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 fahrenheit (175 celcius)

Cream together the butter and the sugars. (melt the butter a little bit first or else it'll be a big mush ball. May or may not be speaking from experience...)
Beat in the 2 eggs.
Stir in the vanilla.
Dissolve the baking soda in the water and mix into the batter with the salt (if you forget and put it into the mixture without dissolving, not a huge deal...).
Stir in the flour (it helps putting it in a little at a time and stirring but, if you're like me and always dump it all in, it'll work too).
Add chocolate chips (didn't have enough so I cut up a dessert chocolate bar into chunks. Did the job).
The cookies are softer and keep their shape better if you refrigerate the dough overnight.

Cook for 10 minutes (I usually cook mine for 7-9 because I like mine undercooked).
Enjoy!