Ashley and France : December 10, 2016

The Life of a Teaching Assistant, a Whirlwind!

The cathedral of Valence, a Roman town

I haven't updated my blog in so long, I'm not sure where to start. The last few months have been a lot from finding housing in October during my first week in Valence, opening a French bank account, establishing a regular, working schedule and relationship with my three primary schools.

I'll give you an idea of the day of my life of an English teaching assistant. I get up very early to commute to my schools on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On Mondays and Thursdays, I go by bus to my two primary schools in Bourg-de-Péage and on Wednesday I take the train from Valence to Saint Hilaire Saint Nazaire where a professor picks me up and we head to my primary school for the morning in Saint Jean-en-Royans.

I work with primary students ages 5-11 where in some classes I really feel like the English teacher leading the class entirely in a mini lesson, activity or in others the assistant. The majority of the time I feel like the teacher, especially due to the fact that many of my fellow colleagues speak very little English or feel comfortable to try speaking it with me in front of the students, or at all.

I am so grateful for taking the TEFL course in Toulouse the month before the start of my assistant program, TAPIF in October. Without it, I wouldn't feel nearly as confident leading the whole class in a lesson, whereas now I can do it with ease and teach them only in English, which is a big part of TEFL/ESOL teaching. For my young students, it comes down to me not seeing too much words, which keeps their attentions, lots of expressions, gestures, and images to keep them engaged and understand what I'm communicating.

Initially I find the teaching part of TAPIF a thrill, but as an assistant, I try to develop a working relationship with each of my colleagues and always be in communication with them. Even though they mostly let me choose what I want to work on with their students, I want them to know that I value their input. They know their student's English level more than I do.

Finding housing has been the most challenging. I rent a room, think almost like a small college dormitory room in someone's house with other renter's in rooms near mine. It's cozy and small, so I live most of the time outside, especially in Alix Coffee, a café near the train station. I know now that I don't really like living alone, especially in a really small space, although I have adapted now. It's comfortable in the winter weather right now.

I will be moving back in with Françoise, my airbnb host in Valence starting the month of January. She was my first friend in Valence and really took care of me during my first week, above and beyond. We are neighbors right now anyway, so we've still been seeing each other from time to time. Last night, we visited the Christmas markets in town together, which was really lovely. Her home is also really comfortable and she has a cat!! It will be nice to live with someone, stay in my same neighborhood, and speak French with a roommate.

I'm in a more positive space now with a structured work schedule and community of friends and fellow assistants. Just as I'm starting to feel at ease, at home, and comfortable, soon I will head back home to the U.S. for Christmas. I can't wait as the holidays easily make one homesick abroad. I find joy in my teaching work and sharing with my students all things Christmas in my hometown and Thanksgiving. So far I've been staying focused on all the memorable experiences and now that I'm feeling more settled, I am planning on updating my blog more. There's a lot to share and catch up on!