Meet the colleagues

These are the other English teachers at my school, plus some other folks:

Marie-Pierre: The most patient woman in the whole of Europe, my reference professor, or prof ref. Marie-Pierre had cooked dinner for me, taken me to the bank, helped me fill out paperwork, and just generally been at my side since I arrived. I know I must ask stupid, repetitive questions, and make stupid, repetitive mistakes, but she has been nothing but supportive throughout. 

Phillippe: The only person I have met in France so far who is taller than me, and the only man in the English department at my school. He has a flighty and whimsical attitude with a lot of wink-nudge energy. He would make a great theater teacher, but I don’t think this school does that. 

Audrey: This woman looks exactly like the actress with short black hair in Midnight Mass, it’s uncanny. Somewhat more rigid than the other teachers, she feels closer to the classic French schoolmarm — but then again I’ve only ever seen her in jeans. Of all the teachers, she is the one I am most nervous about impressing. No idea why, the stakes are the same with each teacher and every class, I just feel like I really need to be on the top of my game around her. 

Isa: Probably the most relaxed person in the department, and has seemingly been around the longest. Absolutely unbothered and quick to pull the leash on her students. She would be a wonderful partner for gossip, I feel. The kind of woman to constantly be complaining about her gout yet also be the highest-scored teacher in the building. 

Lelia: A small woman with a bright and constant smile. And I mean constant. It’s like she is aware that Americans smile a lot and get nervous when people don’t smile back, so she is overcorrecting by smiling at all times when talking to me. She has big glasses and dresses like a fun librarian. 

Laurence: The accent she obtained from learning English in London is so thick that it overrides her French accent. You have to talk to her for a few minutes before the French peeks out, which is really impressive. She even looks British, and I have no idea how. Vibes, I guess? She’s also a travel addict, and gave me a bunch of recommendations of things to see around Europe. 

Sophie: The secretary. My suspicions are confirmed: just like in the United States, the secretary in a French school is the person holding the whole thing together. She is in charge of getting me paid, setting up my Social Security, getting my health insurance, my schedule, and even covering my bus pass expense. Every time I go in her office I sign a new stack of papers. 

The Bookkeepers: Two women in a tiny cluttered office who spoke so quickly and so in tune with each other that even Marie-Pierre couldn’t catch everything they were saying. One is tall and the other is short, and sometimes one will disappear behind a massive stack of yellow paper and shout things at the other. I was made to give them forty euros, and I don’t entirely know why. 

The students: roughly one hundred kids ages fifteen to seventeen, whose knowledge of English varies from basic-intermediate to near fluent. Socially, they shake out much the same way American kids do. Some are more nerdy, some are really engaged with the content, some are dozing off in the corner, and some are looking for any opportunity to make a ruckus. The only missing group are the sports-obsessed. It is not common for a French high school to have sports, and this school is common. The students also tell me that they don’t have clubs or jobs. So, what do they do after school? Stare at a wall?

The other language assistants: A variety of countries of origin, reasons for being here, French fluency, and experience with travel. We’ve got Americans, Germans, Columbians, Irish, Nigerians, Portugese, you name it. Even Floridians! 

Cordialement,

Allison