The BIG meeting! 12.8.08

vendredi le 12 septembre

Well butterflies in the stomach this morning! We made our way to the Lycee – left too early and had to sit around. We had prepared a list of things to say – so kept going over these!
Got there and instead of just meeting with the head we were blindsided by 6 - Head honcho overall, Principal of the College, Principal of the Primary school, Deputy head Honcho and 2 English Dept teachers! We all sat around the Board room table – I was feeling utterly sick! Couldn’t really understand – they speak so fast and then not sure if they think you are thick.
He proceeded to tell us that they had signed an agreement with AFS N.Z. to host teachers in exchange for us to teach English. I am really pissed off and have huge issues as AFS have not been truthful and basically sold us out – I feel like a prostitute!
We have a contract with the Ministry of Education to improve our French – A.F.S. is contracted by the Ministry to provide this contract to happen! I can’t believe that it isn’t open and transparent!
It also said in the contract that we would be in a host family – to learn family culture, typical daily life, food, customs, traditions and to maybe start building up contacts -HUH!!! It has been total avoidance of immersion – apart from meeting us on the first day we have had no contact apart from the summons up to the Lycee today!

I think they didn’t believe me and I wish I had taken a copy of our contract! Will have it for next meeting!

The whole experience was awful – We were asked why we thought we had such a welcome then – if we weren’t working full time! Later I was asked where I was going to live, I tentatively said possibly the apartment, he basically laughed and said “Oh well she is going to have to work for it then!” translated probably more polite than what was really said! There was a lot of side comments and have no idea what was being insinuated!
They kept going back to the contract that he has signed from AFS New Zealand and Brian Robb!
There was talk of me taking:
History lessons of Great Britain –little do I know!
Taking English classes with 4 year olds from 4:30 -5:30. Have to come up with the programme myself!
Oral language with students sitting the Baccalaureate and then all the schools started telling the Head Honcho all the times they wanted me for their English classes.
When I was asked about how I felt about teaching classes, I said “You aren’t expecting me to do this on my own?” The answer was tentative –
I don’t feel comfortable doing this for a few reasons –
* Can’t speak the language!
*Do not want to manage teenage etc behaviour if you can’t speak and are on the backfoot for the whole time! I won’t understand the muttering or innuendo etc…
*Legally? Where do I stand? NZEI don’t cover me while I am out of the country? What if I am accused of something?

It was left that there would be a meeting regarding the timetable, when I asked when that meeting would be it was left that they would contact me!

Can not believe there is a hidden agenda! Things do not add up! Wish I wasn’t here now!
Everything is so hard….


I have been stewing about it all day! Can not get it out of my mind – caught between a rock and a hard place! On one hand they are putting us up and educating my children but I really want to learn French and am scared that if I keep teaching English – (which I will be crap at, as we don’t teach grammar like they do and I don’t understand the way we put sentences together apart from the very basic – There has been no need to understand: it is only when you start to speak another language you need grammar – these kids will know more than me!) I won’t get any French!

I am keen to help out, take an active part in the classes at the primary and college (11-15), but not at all keen to be sole charge, nor full time as I want to do language classes still (which they did mention)! Not expecting things for free but sounds like I have no say and this has been a very underhanded agreement!
A couple of the people there seemed to understand the predicament but hard to read them!

Anyway….. After the hour long meeting, came home and gathered my books for class and off into town! Braved the SNCF office to get the tickets to Strasbourg – been wet here all day and forecast for tomorrow is rain and more of it!
Went into the bookshop and ordered some texts for school – then class!

Couldn’t concentrate very well – also missed mornings session which didn’t help!
Home - to a typical meal – Galettes de Bretagne (savoury like thin pancakes) that was filled with savoury vegetables mixed with cheese and ham! Salad and bread aussi!

Wrote this to get off my chest – and prepared for Strasbourg tomorrow!