Madame Trés chic and The Absent Minded Professor

I have a new French teacher.  She is about as different from my last teacher as possible.  My last teacher, Monsieur George, (now read that again and this time with a French accent!) was from Romania.  He has a PhD in Philosophy, il est tres intellegent.  He is what I would refer to as an absent minded professor.  Brilliant!  Scattered!  Slightly awkward.  He was a good teacher for me because I think linearly.  Is that a word?  I could follow him in the book! He focused a lot on grammar and conjugations and wrote everything on the board for us to note if we wanted.  He was covered with chalk dust by the end of the class and occasionally got frazzled because he  had so much in his head that he wanted to get out.  I enjoyed his class and hopefully I learned some French.

My new French teacher, Madame José,  (again, with a French accent) is the epitome of a French woman.  She is petite, elegant, animated (ok, that might not be typical), and trés chic!  She is always dressed impeccably.  Heels, skirts, lovely blouses and sweaters, lipstick....always. Her hair is pulled up in a slightly messy yet elegant chignon, with matching jewelry and the occasional scarf tied to perfection, the way only French women can tie a scarf!  Is it genetic?  How do they do it?  I feel so large and pedestrian sitting next to her!  Maybe it is my blue jeans! She sweeps into class with a cheerful, "Bonjour!"  From the minute she enters the class until the class is over she is chattering in French.  She rarely writes anything on the chalkboard.  Mechanics are not the emphasis yet, maybe she assumes we already know it. The conversations in class are personal....  "Describe your dream house, what did you do last weekend, have you been to Paris, what did you do there, tell me about your family....all in French and in the correct tense!" The textbook is a secondary tool used for reference as opposed to the class guide.  She has a real French accent, not a Romanian French accent.  She is merciless when it comes to pronunciation!  Yikes!  I am sooo in trouble here.  She definitely has everyone speaking which I am thinking is a good thing.

I think between Madame Trés Chic and Monsieur Absent Minded Professor I  might just learn some French.  If I'm lucky maybe I'll learn how to dress too!

Student... Teacher and a Little Vacation

One thing I have wanted to do for many years has been to reacquaint myself with the French language.  I studied it in high school and college but never had an opportunity to use it until much later in life and by then it was all but a distant memory in my brain. I just never had the opportunity to practice aside from a few trips to France when I found myself totally unprepared to speak the language and overwhelmed by how much I did not know!  To speak another language you need exposure and regular practice.  After a week or so in France I could tell that if I was given the chance I could actually learn to communicate in French.  Sign me up for the next flight to Paris, I need to learn French!

In an effort to keep my brain from turning to mush and the reality that I can't just hop on a plane and spend the next year in France, I decided to so the next best thing and take a French class.  I am also secretly hoping that if I learn the language well enough I might be rewarded with a "graduation" gift and get some real life practice in France, before it all escapes my feeble memory!  One can hope.

So now on Mondays and Wednesdays I teach English and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I attempt to learn French. Last night in French class my head was spinning.  I missed class last Thursday



(a little hint as to where I was instead of in French class)


and even going one week without class I missed a lot.  I sat with that confused look on my face as the professor spouted off unfamiliar words and phrases.  Yikes!  Mush-brain!  I will be doing a lot of studying before tomorrow night's class.  It would help if I had the textbook.  I ordered it on Jan. 24 and still haven't gotten it.  Don't even get me started....I think the seller on Amazon sent it via bicycle or something.


My French class has been an eye opening experience when it comes to teaching my ESL (English as a second language) class.  For my French class I had to take a placement test similar to the test we use to place our students (I'm in level 2, must have remembered something!).  Now I'm the one who speaks with an accent and I am the one who looks up into the sky for the right word!  (still haven't found any answers on the ceiling)   I know exactly how my ESL students feel, immersed for an hour and a half in a class where all you hear is a foreign language.  I also have learned a few techniques from my French teacher.  One of my favorite lines he says is, "It is the same mistake whether you say it soft or say it loud, so speak up!"  He is always saying, "Courage!"  Spoken with a French accent of course! 

 After all that talk of school and classes we need a vacation.  We spent the weekend in New York City and it was another excellent trip with a surprise around every corner.  Enjoy this virtual vacation.

Katz's Deli, he used 6 pounds of meat on this sandwich!

a peaceful stroll through Central Park and what is left of the snow

we were fortunate enough to see a parade in Chinatown, complete with dragons!



and tons of confetti!

YUMMO!  TJ's favorite stop on our tour of Little Italy!

Classroom Stereotypes

Who were you in school? Were you the class clown? The diligent student? The brain? The one who struggled? The incessant question asker? Or just a combination of all of these?

I have taught/instructed in several different venues and several different groups. I started instructing, when people wore leg warmers and headbands, teaching aerobics, when aerobics was invented.....like in the 80's! I moved into substitute teaching at our high school, a place neither student or teacher wanted to be at the time. I lead Weight Watcher meetings for 8 years or more. Most recently, I have started teaching English to non-English speaking adults. It is something I have been considering doing for a while and now wonder what took me so long!

The point today is that in every group I have instructed the same stereotypes exist. There is always the person or people who just "get it". There are the ones who have trouble "getting it". There is the person who always has to talk and ask questions, sometimes dominating the class. There are the ones who sit and never say anything. There are the entertainers, the meticulous ones who follow everything to the letter and the ones who just don't really give a flip but show up anyway. Whether it be in aerobics classes, Weight Watchers meetings, school or learn English classes, they are all present. I guess there is no getting away from our real personalities!

As far as the English class goes.....it is an absolute pleasure. They are so great! I love listening to them speak and watching them figure things out. The group seems so eager to learn and unlike many high school students (sorry high school students, but I was the "substitute", I always got a bum wrap), they all want to be there and learn. I guess if I can't learn a foreign language this fall I'll just have to teach one to someone else.