first day of work.

goal completed:
71, work in a foreign country.
69, teach in a foreign country.

*because i work with computer programmers [aka teenage computer hackers] i will not put the name of the company on my blog. i dont want my students, or my boss, to be able to find my blog that easily.

my job is to hold discussion courses with french-speaking students at a technical university in paris. french students at this school are required to double major and learn english. tests are held every year, and if the students dont pass the test, they are forced to retake the year. the students take real english courses throughout the week, which are taught by learned professors. my courses are practice, they are conversation courses to get them speaking, practicing, and enjoying learning english. there are three ways to do this, three types of courses i can give: reading, fun, or cultural. very few students take the reading courses, cause they have had those all week. some students will sign up for cultural, depending on what the activity is. most students sign up only for fun classes, which are usually held at bars or restaurants.

there are few rules at my work. the main two are don't be late and dont get intimate with your students. you cant add them on facebook, you cant exchange numbers, and you definitely cant hang out with them outside of your courses. only problem is your courses are like awkward first dates, with about ten people. we are pretty much the only girls they come into contact with, so they hit on you. constantly.

that is not to say the job isnt fun! my first class was a reading class, about five people signed up. we read "harrison bergeron" and "a perfect day for bananafish". i loved those stories, but im not sure they really appreciated them. we also played madlibs. my other reading courses havent filled. but my fun and culture courses have. we've been to museums, seen movies, sat in cafes, and hung out in bars. next week, we're going to have a course playing pool!

it really is a great job. the only downsides are the time required to think up the courses, and the constant fear of being fired. i have never really had a real job, even in america, so i wasnt sure if it was a good idea for me to work in paris. but i think i can handle this! it's just like nannying, only the boys are bigger and the boss is scarier.