My First Day of School - Jean Renoir

Jean Renoir (named after the son of artist Pierre Auguste; Jean was a film director) is the second school that I have received a schedule from, and only because I was invited to dinner at the head of the English department's house by his wife who is a teacher at Littré. I had the opportunity to ask about my schedule and learned that I was to be there Tuesdays from 8-12, but the first Tuesday to show up at 10. So I got there at 10 and went in search of the head of the department. He wasn't in his classroom. So I went to the teacher's lounge. He wasn't there either, but I ran into the 2 English teachers I was to be working with that day; not that I had any idea, I only knew when I was to be there. So I followed the first teacher back to her class where she gave me a copy of my schedule and a class list. She promptly divided the class in two and sent me to an upstairs classroom with half. I had been planning on observing the first day and thus had no lessons planned. The students were not overly excited to be there (who is at that age?) and their level of English ranged from pretty good to one student who, according to the teacher, doesn't know anything. Which of course is fantastic since I'm not supposed to be using any French with them. We muddled through the first half of the class at which point I had the sinking realization that we were not switching halfway through but that I had the students the entire period. The students confirmed this and informed me that I would get half the class one week and the other half the next. At least someone knows what's going on! Time crept forward until we finally reached the end of the period. I escaped to the second class only to learn it was to be a repeat of the first. I was slightly more together for this group but I can only imagine what they must have said to their teacher's the next day! Ugh. Next time I'll definately be ready for them!