Mardi Gras

More on pancakes later.

So my day started in a panic, when I had an entire sixième class...but no teacher. Turns out she was not feeling well, so decided not to come in to school...but didn't tell anyone that she was planning a lie-in. As I'm not legally allowed to take more than twelve students in a class, I couldn't have a lesson with them. Ended up with half going to Permanence and me taking the rest. I have to say, I have never had to think on my feet as fast as today...I had to think up a lesson to entertain and teach twelve pupils, with little or no English. I think they enjoyed it anyhows, although if possible I never want to have to do that again.

Had a calming lesson with the troisième INTER, and started my lesson on The Battle of Passchendaele. Felt rather awkward teaching a lesson on something that I had pretty much found out from Wikipedia and from my own interest in the subject. I think I've said before, but the last time I studied history as a separate subject was when I was twelve! I think it went well, and the students seemed interested!

However, my serenity was soon shattered with my next class...the cinquième INTER. Not the class, the fact that the internet decided to break down. My entire hour's class was internet based. Cue a quick panic followed by the emergency pronunciation poem guns. And that went really, really well. Surprisingly well, in fact. The students all joined in, no complaints, no grimaces...and I genuinely believe that they enjoyed it, and from that hopefully learnt something! The problem comes that I now have to find a different emergency backup for that particular class. I'm just glad that I had something different I could do with them to be honest!

Now on a Tuesday, my busiest day, I work through my lunch hour to run an English club for the troisième. This week's topic...well, Disney songs. In particular listening to the French version, seeing the French lyrics, translating into English...then listening to the English version, filling in the blanks in the English lyrics and comparing the two sets of lyrics. It is so interesting to see how the translators have dealt with having to keep with a literal translation yet at the same time keeping the rhythm of the song. I then continued into their two hour EURO class, in which they are working on 'Lamb to the Slaughter'. I do have to admire the determination of the pupils who have a continuous two and a half hour lesson of English at the end of a Tuesday afternoon!

My final lesson was with the sixième INTER, and we've started work on a new film! The film is 'The Golden Compass'...but rather than going right into the film, I decided we would look at a few scenes from the book first. It was difficult to motivate those with the lower language level, but we got there in the end, and the pupils really enjoyed acting out the scenes. I hope that they will be as enthused about the film as they were about the acting!

Even after a rather long day, I was very much up for going to chez Becky et Claire to celebrate Pancake Tuesday with Kendra, Laura, Lisa and Pawel as well! Everyone brought a different filling for pancakes, all sweet of course...and we ended up with five types of jam (and yes, all different!), Nutella, caramel salé and of course, never forgetting some squirty cream! Perfect. Well, I mean, it is meant to be the time of eating up all the naughty stuff before Lent...and what is better than eating with friends!? So lovely to have everyone together, and now I know what the teams are for the Apparta'thon tomorrow, I cannot wait.