Flight is confirmed. Suitcase and carry-on are packed and organized. Copies of itineraries, mini city guides, maps, survival French (not that any of you will need this, but it's good for review in the plane), and my box of band-aids for your hopefully non-existent blisters or other boo boos are ready to go. Anything I'm forgetting? Hope not.
(Also, not that students need to worry about this--but my sub plans and all copies are already made, printed, and organized (thank goodness for post-its and binder dividers)! Classes were given direction on what to do when I'm gone (*tear*, au revoir les enfants!), and I am quite proud of the film worksheet I came up with for Frozen and Le Petit Nicolas--which involves a scavenger hunt on wordreference! OUAIS!)
With this last (important) detail in place, I finally feel ready to leave and perhaps get to enjoy the trip with all of you. No, I'm not much of a worrywart...
I have to say, this is never something I imagined doing when I entertained the thought of teaching 4 years ago. Some of you were my very first students as a teacher, some of you I have gotten to see grow from French 1 to 2, or French 2 to 3--which has been incredible, and some of you just blow me away with how easily the language comes to you when I think about my own high school experience learning the language. No one ever pushed my class to parler en FRANCAIS!, to get outside of our comfort zones, and the idea of going on a trip to France only existed in films for me.
To be able to do this with my own students now, on the other side of the "fence" so to speak, is truly an experience I have no words for. I am glad Mme LaBarre and past French teachers here have done these trips and encouraged me to do the same.
While I have a million and one things I'd like for you to experience just as I have, I know that France will mean something different to everyone, and I hope you discover what that is by the end of this adventure.
Merci pour votre soutien du programme de français, et pour votre enthousiasme pour la langue, culture, nourriture...française en classe et au-delà de l'école.
There is nothing more priceless than seeing your hard work and education pay off in real, tangible, eye-opening ways.
Hope you're all squealing with excitement now, it's hard keeping it under control today!
How fitting, today's Google Doodle is in honor of the inauguration of la Tour Eiffel.
