Back to school, Back to school

Coucou tout le monde!

Well, I'm back after a two week "All Saints Day" break (during most of which I had the flu, though seeing as I had no plans anyway, it was okay). My mom and step-dad met me in Paris last Mondayand we spent three days touring the city, after which we took the train back to Orleans, where they stayed with the same people I stayed with when I first got here. They left on Saturday and I miss them very much, but it was nice to have them here! (Particularly since I won't be able to make it home for Christmas...:( I saw a christmas display in a shop window today and teared up. No family at Christmas?! It's going to be weird.)

So I had my first day back at school today and it was a MESS. Three classes, two disasters! The kids in two of the classes that I teach in one of my schools just absolutely refuse to listen to me. I'll ask the class to settle down, they continue to talk. I separate students, they yell across the room or start kicking their new neighbor. I ask everyone to listen, they all start asking me questions...no raised hands, no correlation to the lesson, just blurted out nonsense. I wanted to talk with one of the instructors today (who is also the principal) to see what I could be doing better. What I could be doing to maintain order in the classroom. See, I take the class in halves into an adjacent classroom, so she's not there to provide the discipline. I feel like in her classroom her mere presence makes the kids shut up, whereas it seems my mere presence induces chaos. I was never trained as a teacher. I don't speak their language fluently. And they don't understand my language.

I have absolutely no idea what to do. I'm going to go in early next Monday (usually I go there again on Thursday, but this Thursday is ANOTHER holiday! hahaha) to talk to the other teachers about it and see if they have any ideas. In all fairness, they COMPLETELY warned me before I started teaching at that school. Even they have trouble maintaining order in their classrooms. I don't know why they still teach. Lack of other options, perhaps? Cuz I can't see anyone loving that job.

On another note, I still haven't found a club or anything to join, but I'm going to keep looking. I know there are options, it's just a matter of me getting my but to the youth involvement bureau and picking up a pamphlet. I was interested in taking these Indian dance lessons, but it turns out they're 300euros for now until June/July. Er...no thanks...I'll find something else. I'd just really like to get some more French conversation time in (I'd like to maybe sign up for a French class here...they have community classes that are cheap, and would be nice because it'll push me to work more on grammar and new vocab!) and I'd like to meet more French people. I know a few, but not many, and not well. If I'm ever going to understand this culture better and accept the differences that are currently so frustrating, I'll need some French friends to help me get there!

And on another random note: I'm officially going to Madrid for my birthday weekend! I bought my ticket the other day with Ryanair out of Paris. I'll be staying with a friend of mine (one of last year's amities from La Crosse, for those of you who even know what an "amity" is), Noelia, and will get to see Pilar too! I can't wait. I love those ladies and I'm SO excited to speak Spanish and see their city (even when I studied in Spain, I never visited Madrid)!

Well, I guess that's it for the moment. I'll try updating more often so I can go into more detail.

A Bientôt!