French schools are crazy

My first week of school taught me that French schools are very different from American schools. Students have school Monday through Friday 8-5. The bell rings at 8 am, signaling the students to line up for their classes and for teachers to collect their pupils. The students and teachers then make their way into the building to their classrooms. After the students get situated in their seats and the teacher takes attendance, 10 minutes are already lost. Then the bell rings 10 minutes before the class is slated to end. This is time for the students to write down their homework, gather their things and go to their next class.

There are also random coffee breaks throughout the day. My schedule said I had a class at 10 am, but when I arrived at the classroom at 9:50, it was completely empty. I checked the teachers' work room and everyone was standing about drinking coffee and chatting. Class at 10 doesn't really start until 10:05, when the teachers head down to the playground to collect their students. Very confusing for a new person whose own cultrue places much value on time and schedules.

There are also positions in French middle schools (France is the only country these are found) called Surveillants. Their job is to collect attendance, write in the students' behavior booklets, walk students to the neighboring high school to eat in the cafeteria and supervise students if they have been sent out of class or superivse an entire class if their teacher is absent.

At the beginning of each class students are not allowed to sit down until given premission from the teacher to do so. Also, at any point during class, if another teacher or surveillant walks into the classroom, they must again stand and not sit until given permission. I find the increased respect for teachers very important, but all the standing can be very disruptive to learning.

Despite the cultural practices in the school that I am not familiar with, things are going well. Overall the students are well behaved and eager to speak English with me. They are very curious about me as well. The first few days I walked the halls I would hear whispers about the new language assistant. And when I work with a class for the first time there is always chatter amongst the students about me. I find it very funny when there are excited whispers after the students find out I'm American. These whispers are usually followed by questions like, "Do you know 50 Cent?"

I am looking forward to creating my own lesson plans, working with the students on my own and teaching them to make the "th" sound.