New Perspectives and French Education

Hello all,

     After an overwhelming start to the new year, I've finally gotten a fresh perspective on the semester and my work here in Paris. I was feeling very discouraged at the end of the first semester, contemplating why I chose this program, if I made the right choice, if my level of French was good enough. I thought and thought and decided to come back for the second semester with a positive attitude. Unfortunately, this positivity was short lived as I came back to lots of stressful teaching and word that I needed a tutor to improve my writing.

     Teaching is a roller coaster, some days are great and some days are stressful and it feels like the day will never end. I have been having some discipline issues in my classes and even kids saying they "hate English class" and don't want to come to class. I took this very personally and thought I must be a terrible teacher. I thought there's no way I could teach at the elementary level and maybe I shouldn't be teaching at all. I decided that the only solution would be to quit teaching in order to succeed in the Masters program. I emailed my teaching internship advisor and graduate studies advisor saying I wanted to quit.

       I was very discouraged in my Masters program as well because I felt like my level of French was not where it needed to be. I was told by the graduate studies coordinator and two professors that I needed a tutor to work on my "problems" in French writing. I again thought that this must be a mistake and I couldn't write and I wasn't good at French and I shouldn't be here.

        But alas, I have found a very encouraging tutor who assured me that my writing is good and comprehensible and there are small problems that I can definitely work to improve. She assured me that my professors were a bit "traditionelle" in their severe manner of criticism and not to be discouraged. As for teaching, things have gotten better and I have decided to continue teaching, probably until my spring break at the end of April.
 
      I just spoke with my teaching internship coordinator, and she reassured me that I cannot take discipline issues personally and that I am still learning how to be a teacher. She explained that in France, the system is fit to work for only kids who will be well behaved and motivated. She said that frankly, teachers do not know how to handle kids who do not "fit". She said there are also teachers who are severely strict who teach in a way and discipline in a way that make kids scared and that extreme is not a solution. She also reminded me, I am still learning how to teach and not everything is going to work well all the time.

    France has a very severe and criticism based education system that is not very encouraging. It is certainly not easy to take the criticism but I am learning so much about the French education system and teaching in general. I am hoping with these new perspectives, I can continue to find each challenge as a learning opportunity.

Au revoir for now!

Reflections and A New Year

Time flies when you're having fun! Or when you're in grad school, which is not so much fun as hard work. It also involves constantly thinking "Is this really what I want to be doing with my life?" Grad school so far is an extended existential crisis. I am so lucky to have made some great friends in my program who can commiserate and support me in this challenging process. I was very relived to finish first semester and get some much needed time home. I have enjoyed being in Paris and am still so grateful everyday to be here, even when things get hard. I am very interested and eager to continue my thesis on the influence of mistakes in language learning. I am also anxious and excited to be teaching some lessons in the undergraduate French classes at NYU Paris. I am most excited to travel more this semester with my friends, hopefully to more places I have never been. Coming back so early, two weeks before classes start, was not easy. Getting back into teaching was difficult but I am always trying to get better and learn from my peers as well as experiences, both good and bad. Living in another country is definitely more challenging than I had thought, but I love Paris and France and french and look forward to continuing to learn and improve! Happy New Year to all!

Au revoir for now!