Ma Nouvelle Normale: A French School Day

After getting ready for school, a normal Monday for me starts by stepping into my host mother's car to get driven to school. Usually, something like a Lady Gaga song blazes from the radio as we wind the curvy and narrow roads. After getting dropped off, my little host brother and I briskly walk through the doors and join the sea of students. The high school building is on a lower level by going down two outdoor staircases. On Mondays, I start the day with English. My teacher for English only lets me speak French, but I think it is the best for everyone. At first, my classmates were hesitant to speak to me in English, but after they figured out that I was prone to make mistakes in French, they let me help correct their work. Every class that I have is an hour or more with occasional 10 minute breaks in between. My second class is Art Plastiques. This course so far has been listening to the teacher talk about different art techniques and the power of how an artist can display their work. After Art Plastiques, I have History class. Currently we are learning about United States history. This week my teacher told the class to “not trust Americans,” while at the same time remembering that I, an American, sit in the front row. We both lightheartedly shrugged it off. Other than comments like this that make my day interesting, I often get asked what my view is regarding a part of history. My next class, Vie de Class is with my Principal Professor. In this class we elected student representatives and talk about what we want to be known for as a group.

My day gets little bleak sometimes when I am sitting in the same spot next to the same people for hours, but it definitely has opened my eyes and showed me how much stamina and focus French students have that I hope to obtain.

After five classes, the hour of lunch that I get is a blessing. Honestly, I never know what I will be eating, but for lunch you have many choices. First, there is a “dairy” section with yogurt, chocolate mousse, and cheese. At the second stop, there is fruit in bowls and citrone cake every day. The third stop is the salads like tabouli salad, plain lettuce, and carrot salad. The last stop is the main dish. This is usually some kind of pasta or veggies along with meat that has been cooked until it is falling off the bone. I hear students complain about the lunch all the time at my school, but compared to America’s school lunches, I think I am eating well.

Italian is my sixth course of the day. I really have enjoyed picking up Italian and focusing on something other than English or French. After Italian I have Philosophy (Philo) class. I am always confused in this class because I can't understand complex things in French yet, but my goal is to comprehend these things by the end of the year. Following Philosophy is Economy and Social Science class for two hours. By this time of the day (at around 2:30 p.m.) I am so tired from absorbing new words that my head is heavy. Next, I have study hall for 30 minutes where I normally read my book or journal. My final course of the day is Theater. This class has been filled with games to get to know each other and challenges like having to create monologues about yourself and perform it to all of the students. My speeches are definitely not perfectly worded, but I get by with the vocabulary I know.

When my Monday comes to a close, it is 6:30 p.m.. The 10.5 hours that I spend at school is where I learn the most French. Exhausted, I walk to the public bus stop and wait. It takes me two buses to get home, but the ride is easy. I like to end my day by listening to news podcasts to keep up things in America and around the world.

Every day that I attend school I think it gets better. Friends are really a important thing to me and slowly I am making connections with kind people who understand me.

Things that French students have taught me:

Bring tissue with you for the bathroom

Have a ruler for your notes to make straight lines

Many new French words and slang

Pants are better when they are cuffed (for anyone)

Things that I have taught French students:

A popular American dance

How good Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are

The app “Leap Second”

American slang like “what is the tea”

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With other news to keep y’all (and myself) updated, last weekend I went to Cassis and Marseille in the South of France! Here are some pictures of everything I saw.