the cast of jean macé

Although I spend a good amount of my time in France with kids, part of my experience is the interaction I have with the teachers at my school. I am graced with the opportunity to be in an environment where my colleagues are genuinely pleasant and fun to be around. There is a certain bonheur present in the teacher's lounge where laughs and jokes are passed around over coffee or lunch, making my job as a language assistant all the more worthwhile. To further enlighten you, dear reader, on the drama about my everyday life at the Ecole Jean Macé, I hereby present a résumé of the characters who take part of it. (Names have been changed to protect the innocent.)

Pierre: A native of Strasbourg, this quirky Alsacien is the most eager of the teachers to embrace English in the classroom. Always desiring to practice his own understanding of the language, he insists on speaking only in English with me and chastises the other teachers who don’t. Obsessed with the correct pronunciation, he drills his students to the extreme in order to overcome those natural linguistic barriers, such as the th and the r, that menace the French speaker. “No, that is not the good pronunciation. People will then know you are French.”

Penelope: A fun-loving and chatty CM2 (5^th grade) teacher, Penelope is quickly the life of the party. Best friends with Pierre, whom she calls lapin (rabbit), she is the only other teacher who attempts to speak English with me with a cheerful,“ ‘Ello, Dan-ee-kah! ‘Ow ar you?” Never taking no for an answer, she always finds a way to solve whatever problems she’s faced with – which are quite numerous – in a humorous and tactful way.

Elyse: Rather composed in nature, Elyse also has an aggressive and humorous quality that I admire. She is also a very snazzy dresser (although some of the others have poked fun at some of her clothing items) and vraiment belle. She easily listens to my advice and has complete confidence in me when I take over her class for English lessons. In addition, she is especially curious about my perceptions of the French as an American and absolutely insists that I try escargot before I leave. (In French) “Dan-ee-kah, have you tried them yet? They are delicious and you’ll be sorry if you don’t.”

Augustine: With an open heart and loads more patience than her colleagues, Augustine teaches the CLIS (classe d’intégration scolaire), or the students with academic difficulties and disabilities. Since her kids are not obligated to learn English, I instead help out with French reading and writing. In the classroom, I can attest for how much she truly cares and provides for her students. She explains to me frequently how she tries to incorporate new methods in order to help her students learn material and willingly allows me to suggest ideas and take part in assisting her students in any way I can.

Jean-Jacques: Jean-Jacques is among the youngest of the teachers at École Jean Macé, which he makes known frequently during conversations. Whenever a reference to a famous singer or television star from several decades back is made, he makes a smart comment about his age in relation to the others. It annoys his colleagues but makes me laugh. It also makes me laugh when he makes excuses to the elder Pierre for not speaking in English with me, “What you meen I don’t speek Een-glish? I say, ‘Dan-ee-kah, eet ees raining outside. Where ees your umbrella?’”

Bernadette: Bernadette is adorable and like Pierre, she takes her English lessons a bit more seriously than the others. (However, she prefers to speak in French.) Unlike her colleagues, Bernadette has a calm personality and is less likely to snap and shout at her students, a common occurrence in the French school. So sweet and amiable, she politely reprimanded me on the need to use patisserie paper with the oreo cheesecake I made back in November. Nevertheless, she quickly forgot about it when she tried it...as it was her who enjoyed it the most.

Geneviève: Actually the resource teacher at the school, helping kids who struggle with their schoolwork, Geneviève is the only one I don’t work with in the classroom. However, I have gotten to know Geneviève pretty well outside school with our weekly bilingual conversations over coffee. During these hour conversations, we spend half of it in French and the other half in English with the goal that the native speaker will assist the foreign speaker through friendly dialogue. We’ve talked about an array of subjects, such as American literature and films to French absinthe and politics, which has allowed me to not only another opportunity to speak French but also provide English language assistance at a more advanced level.

Francine: Although she initially seems like a petite and quiet woman, Francine firmly holds the reins of the CP (first grade) class of 25 students. Knowing hardly a word in English, she is eager to have me come in and teach the kiddos simple songs about colors or animals once a week. Instead of sitting in the back grading notebooks or what not during my time, she actually sits up in the front of the room with her students, encouraging them to participate in the singing and graciously volunteers herself when they are lacking energy. At the end of the sessions she always expresses her gratitude, “Zzank you vehwy much!”

Voltaire: As the director of the school, Voltaire is always running around making phone calls or busy talking to parents and teachers. Nevertheless, he still shares teaching duties with Jean-Jacques in the CM1 (4^th grade) class whose students are extremely affectionate. (I get several requests from them for hugs and bisous when I walk down the hallway.) Although he is a bit absentminded and has senselessly procrastinated the commencement of his English lessons, Voltaire is ultimately a sweet old guy who embodies the epitome of franc-comtoise congeniality.