Teach, Yo!

Observations... observations...

Kids love music.
Example of the day: I was working with my youngest ones (CE1) on Tuesday, trying to teach them the numbers 1-10. I did my standard bit, which seemed to work well enough with the other sections. I put flashcards on the board. I point to each number and have them repeat after me. I point to a few numbers and ask a few kids what each number is. I ask a few kids to come to the board and have them point to the number I say. Finally, I have them all cover their eyes, hide one number behind my back and have the kids tell me what number is missing. Occasionally, between exercises, I'll run through call-and-response again with all the numbers. This was working okay for the youngest ones. So, after 30 seconds of deliberation, I decided to teach them a song. 20 of those seconds were spent making that song up. I just put the numbers 1-10 to a catchy musical interval and had them repeat it bunches and bunches of times.

Andy loves improvising.

Firm hand
French teachers seem to come down a lot harder on kids who misbehave in class. While working with kids in the states, I've noticed that adults consistently try to be more reasonable with kids, avoiding yelling as much as possible. When I sat in on classes during orientation week, a teacher might raise her voice to the kids on the first or second offense. Naturally, the intensity varies by teacher, but in France, if you bother the teacher, the teacher doesn't have to show as much restraint. And I've noticed that, in some cases, use of that sudden sternness is the only time when some of these kids will respond. That's probably not uniquely French.

That's not fair!
There's a notion of "fairness" in the American childhood (as I've encountered it, anyway) that doesn't translate the same way here. It seems to me that, for kids, something is (often) "unfair" if the plaintiff hasn't gotten something they want. To an American kid - and perhaps, less consciously, to the adults who work with them - it means everybody gets treated just as well regardless of extenuating circumstances... so that nobody feels "left out."

On Tuesday, I had a lesson prepared about Halloween (vocab, mostly), since a two-week vacation starts this weekend and I won't see them again until November. My idea to end the class was to have the kids line up in front of me, say "Trick or treat!", I give them each a little piece of candy, and they say "Thank you! Happy Halloween!". My plan was to have that lesson waiting if they were good, otherwise keep working on more integral stuff (personal introduction, numbers, pronouns, etc.). One class didn't earn it, in my estimation, so they didn't do the Halloween activity or get any candy. I felt bad afterward for not at least letting them know in advance that good behavior might have a reward. Then, I had lunch with some of the teachers and expressed this to them. They said that if the kids didn't earn it, they didn't earn it and I shouldn't worry. Not a moment's hesitation.

It's a different definition of "fairness"... and I think I'm okay with it.

Internet
I learned this morning that my proposed internet provider cancelled my long-awaited appointment for Monday to install the phone/internet line. They're going to call me in the next few days to reschedule (I have no idea what that timetable will be). My in-home connection (and Skype capability) remains up-in-the-air for the time being. I am seriously considering changing providers.

The end of this entry

-Andy