What a bordel

Let's do a short recap of the many surprises I've encountered through my teaching experience, ok?
1) Gym teacher
2) Teaching in ZEP schools (who remembers that time I saw a gun?)
3) Having a schedule filled with so many incorrect phantom hours that I spent days sitting in the hallway of one of my schools.

Yesterday, I was asked to attend a meeting about the "sports day" project that, according to the head of my school district, is my lifeblood. (Really? This is what you think is why I came to France? This is what you think is going to turn language education around? Don't complain to me that the French are "nulle" in English and then ask me to translate a PE unit on badminton.) Thinking that my presence was requested so that I could contribute my ideas, I arrived at the meeting with an open mind, despite my opinion of "sports day" - my opinion being that it's a huge waste of time. No such luck. Instead, I was informed that I would be taking on 4 collège classes (middle school - yeah, not so much a part of my contract or training) at a rough school, where I am now both an English teacher AND a gym teacher. This is in addition to my 7 other English classes at the primary level. Let's start with the obvious frustrations: I'm contracted as a primary teacher, which means all my training, support, and resources are for students aged 6-10. Demanding that I teach collège, which operates under a different organization, has its own assistantship program, etc., is pretty blatantly illegal, which I tried to point out. Furthermore, it's totally beyond what I am capable of or trained to do. However, trying to express my concerns to the administration quickly proved futile, as they cast aside all my concerns and questions in a snap. Fantastic.

The problem of the total lack of communication in the education world seems like a pretty common one in the education systems in both France and the United States, so please excuse me as I briefly wax philosophical about the issue. The administration and the schools exist in two separate universes, and communication between the two is both limited and one-sided. I haven't seen much in the way of exchange of ideas or issue-ownership in either country. Instead, the administration goes to the school with a list of demands, and the schools just nod and smile, because they know that their complaints will fall on flat ears. They resent the administration and figure out how to distance themselves so they can remain sane. Ugh.

Enough of that - time to talk about the good. Today was the choral performance for the older students at one of my schools (aka the 3rd through 5th graders). The last song was "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Hey, did anyone know that this song continued after "Good tidings this Christmas and a Happy New Year?" I certainly did not. But I did laugh a lot hearing them sing "Please breeeng uhs somme feeeeggy poooooding;" that was amazing. Also, last Friday I taught "Jingle Bells" to one of my 5th grade classes, and I was amazed at how quickly they got it and how well they were singing. Well, turns out the French have a carol to the same tune. I was standing to the side watching with the other teachers, and the students from that class kept shooting me looks like, "see, 'annah? Joke's on you." Let's just say that it was a hilarious and humbling experience. One of my students also gave me like 5 Hama bead thingies today in a large envelope that said "Pour Toi, Ana!"

Vacation on Saturday!