Being a scab and Thanksgiving lessons

So today is a national strike for teachers (except no one told me, so I came to work all happy as usual). As I was walking toward the front door of my school, one of my students stops me and says, "Madame? La Grève?" Translation, "Madame? The strike?" My response: "comment, uh, what?" So apparently there is a stike, but it's optional. Some teachers are here, but most aren't - and all the kids have to come to class. So it's not really very exciting - but I do kinda feel like a scab. Technically I could strike if I wanted to, but I really have no idea what it's about and I really don't think that I should be getting involved in national politics (god knows, my own country's politics are exciting enough). So the thanksgiving lesson went on...

My first class - who are chatterboxes - didn't seem very interested ... but they got to hear me talk about thanksgiving anyways. I explained the holiday and then asked them what kinds of foods they would bring if there was a French Thanksgiving (oh yes, I am secretly doing research). The answer? Chocolate cake and foie gras. Yeah... So then I asked them to think of something they were thankful for. I explained how at thanksgiving people usually say something nice - I gave the example of "this year, I'm thankful for all the nice French people I've met and my great students." What did I get in return? "I'm thankful for my friends," times 14. Cool. So then I asked them what they usually do for a holiday meal (I try to avoid referencing religion in any way) and I got into a nice conversation with two students about how they think France is too materialistic and how holidays should be about family etc etc. It was such a thoughtful sentiment and really nice to hear about what they really think. I let the group go a few minutes early - it's a strike and Thanksgiving, really why keep them? - and then started prepping for my afternoon groups.

The groups that I have on Tuesday afternoons are some of my favorite - they can be a bit wild, but they interact, they like to have fun, and they really make an effort to speak -- you can't ask for more! I downloaded a nice worksheet where they change the verbs in a thanksgiving story from present to past tense and a nice short story of thanksgiving with a recipe for pumpkin pie at the bottom - thanks to former Assistant Jennie for both! Then I went and bought a bag of candy - it's thanksgiving! The lesson went really well - we talked about thanksgiving, did the work sheet and I gave out candy for each right answer. Then we talked about a French Thanksgiving - they would've had foie gras, roast beef, oysters, escargots, baguettes, cake and lots of wine (I'm going to that Thanksgiving!) and what they were thankful for - friends, faily, pets, health. And one students said he was thankful for me because I made English class really fun and that everyone likes me (brown nosing? totally. did I eat it up completely? totally.) After that we played Thanksgiving themed hangman (a good chance for them to practice the words they just learned) and I let them leave early. All in all, an amazing lesson!

I love Thanksgiving!

So, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone at home! I hope the Turkey is crispy and moist, the potatoes are lump free and that the stuffing is beautiful (which it always is) and that the pumpkin pie is perfection! I'm celebrating the occasion with a meal out and a big Thanksgiving day celebration Sunday with all the assistants and friends - I'm bringing Rice Balls.