Well, hello again. This is an
update on my vie en France.
After 5 months of signing on as unemployed, following the end of
my 2 year contract as an EVS administratif in two primary schools (10
hours per week in each school), I was successful in being successful in getting
a one year contract as an AVSco.
I am currently based in a large College in the departement,
working in a class of children who, for various reasons need varying degrees of
help to progress with their education and with their integration into
"normal" school life. Most of their time is spent in a classroom
working through a curriculum consisting of various subjects, e.g. maths,
French, history, geography, history etc. There are also lessons with the other
pupils in classrooms out with the comfort zone of their own classroom. I either
assist the children under the direction of the professional teacher, or
I accompany a child in a classroom of their peers, helping them to keep up
with the lesson, writing the information down for them, clarifying what they
have to do etc.
It is very interesting and rewarding work, but very poorly paid.
Working 21 hours per week, I now take home about 30 Euros less than I was
making last year.
The move from an office in a small primary school to a large college
with 1,000 pupils was a culture shock. From not having to speak or listen
to much French during my working day, I was having to immerse myself in the
French language. Listening to lessons, instructions, communicating with pupils
and staff, my brain really did hurt for the first week. There was also the self
doubt making things even more stressful and difficult. Then of course there was
the size of the college itself, all of the new rules, the new systems and
procedures.....
My contract started on the 1st
of September and I have survived thus far.
Like every other facet of French
life, the bureaucracy is a real struggle and communication (not due to language
difficulties) is often nonexistent or last minute as an afterthought. I am
still trying to get the password that I need to log in to the official system
to collect emails etc. Obviously as I want to keep my job, I will not go into
further details of school life.
So that is where I am at the
moment. Apparently these contract can, in principal be for a period of up to a
maximum of 6 years. You can be asked to work in any school, college or lycee in
the department and your timetable can be changed at very short notice. However,
as I said, I am enjoying my new posting and learning a lot at the same time. I
am told that my French language is improving, although I am not noticing much
of an improvement myself, except for having to learn vocabulary of the college.
A bientot
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