Interning

Well, it finally happened! I’ve been here for a month, and I am officially the last person to get their placement. I have been placed at the Lycée Cleménceau, which is apparently the best high school in Nantes and one of the top schools in France. I learned during my meeting Friday that Jules Verne attended the very same high school that will be graced with my presence. Needless to say, I’m pretty proud and slightly nervous to be teaching at this particular school.

It turns out that instead of wasting my miraculous teaching capabilities teaching grammar, I’ll be doing my own class. I’m just kidding. I don’t think they really trust me to actually teach, so I’m doing an extra little project for students who are interested. So, I chose to do a project on the elections coming up. I’m pretty excited. This gives me a chance to rip on all those politicians that I hate so much right now—like, Sarah Palin. Oops…is that appropriate for a blog? :/ Anyways, we’ll be doing research on the candidates running right now and the effect of the extremist Republican group that found it necessary to emerge, having some stage debates, and basically just sitting back and watching history change, as it is sure to do with this election. Like I said, I’m pretty excited. For obvious reasons, no one here really talks about the elections going on. And, we all know how much I LOVE politics. More like, how much I love to get fired up about politics.

The teacher, with whom I met Friday, was absolutely thrilled to have me and also wants me to do a small course on Thanksgiving and the pilgrims during November. Maybe even Halloween, too, which I’m not too sure about, but whatever. I guess I’ll go to work that day all decked out in some ridiculous costume with free candy? She mostly just wants me to do anything that will get them talking. Any ideas??

I also met with the headmaster and I was so nervous that I couldn’t even function in French. It was horrible. When asked why I chose to speak French in the first place, I said the very first thing that came to my mind, “Uh, er….um…because I couldn’t take Spanish?” Yeah. I actually said that. Talk about awkward. So then I had to backtrack and say something cheesy about dreaming of going to France for my entire life. I don’t think it worked. It was definitely the opposite of a good first impression. I guess I’ll just have to kick butt in the classroom and hope he likes me by December.