Half way point

Yesterday marked the half-way point of the course.  It's crazy to think that I've been here for 18 days already.  It's gone by so quickly.  The school work is intense, time-consuming, and (like most of teaching) there's always something that I could be working on, but it's so good for me.  It's given me something to focus on, and it's given me a group of English-speaking people to relate to.  My classmates and I have become close because we're all in the same stressful, crazy boat.  The time I've spent in my apartment or at school working and has made Paris all the more appealing to me, as I've had next to no time to spend ogling all the lovely sights here.  I've started looking at job ads, and have circled some.  I asked Marian (my teacher) if she would look them over and tell me her opinion on them.  I'm sure there are some that will look good, and she'll know otherwise.  So, I plan to review them with her on Monday.  I am also going to meet with her on Thursday and let her know that I would like to go for the A in the class.  We'll see how that goes.


These two weeks will be spent with the other tutor, Bror, and the high-level students.  I'll be teaching on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday this week.  Next week, I teach Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday also.  My 20 minute lesson on Tuesday is vocabulary and speaking.  It's about expressions for annoying habits ("It drives me crazy when..." or "I can't stand it when...") My main goal is to get the students talking for the majority of the time, and for me to listen to their speech.  This will help me in many ways, but primarily, I'll be doing some investigative work early on to see where they need help.


While on that subject, if you have any ideas of things that annoy you...situations of things that drive you crazy, please send them my way, via email.  :)


Last night, to mark our half-way completion (read SURVIVAL) some classmates and I met up in my neighborhood (Le Marais) last night.  Stuart, Elisabeth, Guy, James, Chris (& his girlfriend, Mathilde & her brother, Damian), and I had planned to go to a karaoke bar, but native Parisienne Elisabeth thought the place was a bit too touristy.  (The man there spoke to her in Spanish, and that was a major indicator of a "tourist trap" to her.)  So, we went to little bar that James knew, and everyone was happy because the beer was inexpensive.  After one drink there, we met up with Tressa (my American friend from meet-up) and went for some kebobs (meat sandwiches) and french fries.  We met Samantha (also from meet-up) and her friend Michael, and after eating, we went our separate ways.  Our up-for-anything, Scottish friend, Stewart, joined Tressa, Samantha and Michael for a more rowdy night out.  It was a lovely evening.  I came home and DIED, and didn't get up until noon.  It was much needed.  I'm going to go explore some today, get an adapter so I can plug in my camera battery pack, get some groceries for next week, and then come back tonight and work on my lesson plan and project that's due next Thursday.  :)


xo,
aKiP