Appreciating our Franco-American Connections: Pas-de-Calais to Bayeux

Today began with tears as we left our host families from Saint Martin and ended with powerful stories from Mr. Charles Shay, a 98-year-old Native American (from the Penobscot tribe in Maine) WWII veteran currently in Normandy. We saw the 1000-year Bayeux Tapestry, the Artificial Port at Arromanches-les-Bains, the Batteries Allemandes at Longues-sur-Mer, the American Cemetery and the Charles Shay Monument at Omaha Beach. 

J’ai aimé rester avec la famille dans le Nord. J’ai essayé les nouriturres different et j’ai vu les villes Marquise et Calais. Je suis reconnaissante de parler Français avec les etudiants et la famille. -Ani

Reflections on the Rassias Method of Teaching (Mimi)

Eye to eye, I fell like I am transmitting the lesson into another’s mind. The Rassias method of teaching allows for students to fell connection to their teachers through a series of interaction actions. As a teacher, you must leave behind subconsciousness to fully participate. For this reason, the Rassias method makes teachers devotes themselves to their students. As I was running around the classroom, sauntering to each of the students, I felt a great amount of pride when the students go the sentence correct and when they worked hard after getting the sentence wrong. The attention between students and teacher and teacher and students promotes a supportive learning environment. The Rassias method allows students to make mistakes without consequences and with the support of their peers and teachers. I believe using this method is important because it compass a culture that laughs at and avoids making mistakes. Although teaching the Rassias method can be exhausting, I greatly benefited from this learning experience, particularly I learned the importance of creating personal connections with our students when you are within the teacher role. I hope to take these lessons that I learned from teaching with the Rassias method to my 

daily practices with others. 

(Warren) Today was a very tough day because the bus ride was very very long. We stopped by the Bayeux tapestry and saw a very interesting way of preserving stories. We learned about the battle of Hastings and how William became the ruler of England. We then visited the cemetery where tens of thousands of American, Canadian, and English soldiers lay. We learned about the history and met Charles Shay. It was a honor to meet him and converse with him. He shared his stories, and we listened intently. We enjoyed amazing food paired with the deep stories, which struck deep in my heart. 

The Artificial Port built by Winston Churchill--Caissons behind

On the German pill boxes

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The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer

At the Charles Shay Indian Memorial

Ani: Today was an amazing learning experience for me. We got to visit multiple sites in Normandy related to the D-Day battle. We visited the beach where there were leftover ports from which the American soldiers would fire. We also visited some German bunkers that actually never got to be used because they were built too far from the ocean. We got the opportunity to go inside these bunkers and explore the different compartments and the cannon. For me, seeing these fascinating sites in person made the war feel more real, and I really enjoy visual learning too. I was also very grateful to have dinner with the legendary Charles Shay, who told us about his experiences as a medic during the war. Hearing his first person perspective was really mind-blowing for me. Overall, I was very interested and excited to explore Normandy.

Reflections on meeting Charles Shay (Mimi)

I had the honor of meeting Mr. Charles Shay during our day in Normandie. Mr. Shay at down with the students to recount his past as well as answer our questions. For a man of 98 years, Mr. Shay has a strong presence and answers questions with thoughtfulness. I was struck by his humor and pride for his division, the 1st Infantry Division. Mr. Shay detailed his time working as a medic in the war, as a computer specialist for the United Nations, and as a limousine driver. He even recalled the time he drove Steven Spielberg in Austria. Mr. Shay’s stories conveyed resiliency and a love for who he is, particularly a strong desire to be authentic to his identity as indigenous American. After talking to Mr. Shay, I was reaffirmed the importance of looking beyond .the main narrative of any event to listen to the stories of others. 

Yesterday we met Mr. Charles Shay in Normandy. He is 98 years old but still allowed us to converse (barvarder) with him about his time in the military and experiences in his life. Today we arrived in Brittany but spent most of our time in the bus. Although the ride was long, it was fun and memorable because of the stops along the way. The stops included A big rock, bathroom and most importantly Mont San Michel. Mont San Michel was a breathtaking and fun experience where we explored a castle-like landscape accompanied by lots of food stands/venders. After our adventures we arrived in Brittany, where we ate a delicious  dinner and explored the area.

(Natalie) I was pleasantly surprised while talking to Charles Shay because not only was he amazingly attentive to our conversations, but I found extreme interest in his life stories. We talked about his time at the UN and what it was like living in various countries. I relished the time we had to interact with  Mr. Shay and am so grateful for the opportunity.                                                                                                                

One thing that resonated with me was the visits to the D-Day beaches in Normandy. I really enjoyed learning more about World War 2 and getting to see with my own eyes the impact the war has left on our Earth. I also really enjoyed getting to talk to Charles Shay, a veteran from the D-Day battles. Hearing the first point of view from someone really gives me a better idea of what terrible things the soldiers and medics had to live through. - Ani

Omaha Beach

 In Bruges!!

Today, we went to Bruges, Belgium! We entered the bus around 9 am this morning and off we went. The drive from Pas-de-Calais was about an hour and a half, but it felt like 30 minutes because of the beautiful scenery and amazing conversations. When we arrived at Bruges we first went on a canal tour where we learned about the history of the town (which includes an old fish market) and we got to see a bunch of beautiful buildings while riding on the calm water. After the boat, I went to go buy some fries, and, let me tell you, they were delicious, perfectly crunchy and golden-brown. After the fries, we went and bought chocolates at Neuhaus chocolatery. This chocolate was the perfect dessert after the salty fries. After chocolate we went for a small walk, and we ended up at a waffle house. The warm waffle was a perfect antidote to the cold, rainy, and windy outdoors. After the waffle, we just enjoyed the city by continuing our walk and taking photos of everything we could see. Overall, the day was incredible as it included both amazing food and an amazing city. (Maja)

              Our Saint Martin hosts and the nice bus driver Mark with us in the Grande Place.

Visiting Bruges, Belgium today was such an amazing experience! It felt really special to get on a bus and an hour and a half later end up in a different country with an entirely different culture, new specialties and unique features. One of the most notable being the canals running through the entire city, which we toured right at the beginning of our visit. After that, we broke off independently and toured around the city for a few hours. Me and my group went to the Belfry, a medieval clock tower, and after visited different shops while walking around the town, where we bought Belgian hot chocolate and waffles which were both amazing. We had a great time walking around taking in the medieval aspects of the town and all the wonderful smells of chocolate and waffles that filled every street! It was such a great last day with our correspondents from St. Martin! (Coco)

I had some much fun in Bruges today! Initially, I was a little worried about the cold and the rain… BUT that worry quickly disappeared after we began to explore the city since it was just so much fun! When we crossed the border between France and Belgium, it was interesting to watch how the building styles changed so fast. I absolutely loved walking around the city with my baguette sandwich in hand and sunglasses on. Felt fab. I got full of sweets with an amazing hot chocolate (11/10) and a Belgium waffle (with caramel on top) and a chocolate sample. It was also funny how there were a lot of tourists in Bruges, especially after being in rural France for the past few days. Daffodils were still very popular from Northern France to Northern Belgium… must be a weather thing! Food =  perfection. Views = perfection. Exploration =  perfection. Smells = perfection (90% of the time). Def would return. Loved the use of flowers around the town! (Alexis)

Melody: Today, we all (including the French correspondents) traveled to Brugge, Belgium. It was a really interesting experience, going somewhere where I had minimal ability to communicate to going somewhere else where I had absolutely no ability to communicate. Nonetheless, I had a really fun time bonding with my correspondent and getting to know other correspondents. We visited a plethora of chocolate shops (the hot cocoa was incredible), an ornament shop, and a Belgium Zara. This morning, I had very minimal knowledge about Brugge (only that I could exchange my USD for euros there), but now I know that Brugge is truly somewhere where so many different people converge (and I still don’t have euros). After today’s adventures, I will be so sad to leave these correspondants, but I am extra excited to meet new people in the coming week.

 

Warren: Today was really fun. We got to hang out with our French Students and at the same time explore the city of Brugge. The city is full of history and interesting culture. We explored the churches, stores, and rivers that holds hundreds of years of history. We had a lot of laughs, and we created some great memories. The food that we had was exquisite; we had the chance to sit down and talk with our students.

Today we left Marquise with our correspondents to spend the day in Bruges, Belgium. It was exhilarating to travel outside the smaller village with Camille, my correspondent, but I was exhausted by the end of it. In Bruges, I was overwhelmed by all the languages interacting in the same place, but I found the multiculturalism fascinating. We visited bakeries, candy shops, chocolatiers, antique stores, and florists during our time there. The city was, of course, flooded with tourists, but I liked the change of pace for a day after being in a quieter town, though I found myself missing the quieter neighborhood at some points. Everything felt more peaceful with the dreary weather.

 

Liam: Today we went to Brugge and it was really fun! I was surprised at the amount of freedom that we were given, it was really interesting seeing Belgium and how different it is when compared to Calais and the States. For example the sheer amount of churches and boulangeries. We (my group + our correspondents) ate lots of food including burgers, waffles,  crepes, fries, and pizza. In the end I am really sad to leave Calais but excited to continue my journey in Paris.

Nathan: I finally got some dollars turned into euros, so I could buy souvenirs from Belgium. I had a great time today walking around and exploring the city of Bruges. I enjoyed the boat ride we went on. I saw a lot of attractions that Bruges has, and we learned about the history of the city. I found it very interesting when I was exploring a lot of stores such as a chocolate one we went to. The restaurant that I went to was very nice, and I am excited to explore more in Paris.

 Chapeaux aux assistants d'Anglais!!

Teaching in France has been incredibly rewarding and such a valuable experience. It is so exciting to see the children so enthusiastic and engaged in learning another language. So far, we have taught 4 classes today: two 6th grade classes, one 7th grade class, and one 8th grade class. While teaching the older kids is a bit intimidating, after a little while they really open up and fully engage in the conversations and games. We performed a skit, asked questions, did drills, and played a lot of Pictionary. They really love Pictionary! It’s a great way to help them strengthen their vocabulary. It was absolutely adorable because all the little kids asked us for signatures, and it’s so cute that they look up to us so much!! One girl gave me (Hannah) a drawing which was so so sweet. My (Alexis) personal favorite has been playing Heads-Up! It is super fun to see them all work together, and it brings out their personality. Our first day here, everyone’s heads would follow us around the courtyard, and all the little girls wanted our signatures. We were also able to have some free time to explore Calais on our own which was super exciting. We searched for a café and a bakery! Today, everyone is tired and Nathan fell asleep! After school, I have many conversations with my host family (Natalie). They own and live on top of a pharmacy! They showed me all the products and taught me the different names of each brand. Also, I have been playing fuzzball (they call it babyfoot) with the children of my host family (Gabriele and Esther). Overall, my knowledge of French culture has greatly improved! One culture shock was when my family had hot milk with cereal for breakfast! I was very confused, but they said it was not a traditional French dish, but rather something that they enjoy personally. I (Nathan) have had a great experience and It has been a blast getting to know the children. I love signing kids hands and papers. They think I am going to the NBA so it has been fun making jokes with them. I am getting way better at French and I am becoming a part of the community!! (Nathan).

I am very thankful for this experience, despite how exhausted I am by the end of it. The connections we’ve made with the students are irreplaceable. From playing soccer in the courtyard to singing “head shoulders knees and toes” with CM2, I’ve gained a lot of perspective from my time here. I’ve learned how to adapt and stay flexible, even if things don’t go as planned. Today we introduced ourselves and our favorite food in our 6th grade class, and it was funny to hear that so many of them love hamburgers so much! I will be sad to part ways with the students, but I am looking forward to Belgium tomorrow!

I think I never want to see children ever again, but it was very fun and sometimes very cute. The younger kids enjoyed everything and I had a lot of fun with them. I also had a lot of friends with younger kids on the playgrounds because they were very welcoming. (Warren)

Although I am absolutely exhausted, this experience was very fun. It was interesting to see how much the engagement and knowledge levels varied. My favorite parts were learning how to play French children's games and trying to do a skit with an Australian accent. I was shocked to see how different the schools are here. (Catie)

Melody: Every time I teach children, I am reminded of how exhausting the life of a teacher is. However, I am also reminded of how fun and fun-filling it can be. As children rush up to hug me, and I am able to make their day just with a simple hug, I am also overwhelmed with joy. I have done icebreakers, skits, songs, games, really all of the above. I am still really confused about the way the security and set up here, but I am learning alongside of the children. As far as my time with my family, it has been a blast. I have visited Nausicaa, the beach, and the restaurant “Crocodile.” I have also played “just dance” and Quicko? As nervous as I was to meet my host family (because I definitely forgot to reach out), I now have so much love for them and will be so sad to leave.

The past two days have been filled with teaching students at the College Saint-Martin, and I have had a really fun, yet tiring time. From meeting my correspondent’s friends in the middle school, to playing with the younger students who swarm us every recess asking for autographs, it has been a very immersive week so far! Teaching the students has been very fun, and we’ve had to think on our feet multiple times to decide what lesson we would use to teach the different classes based on their French levels. Outside of school I have been busy touring around Calais, Boulogne and everything in between! (Coco)

Practicing the snap point look!

Preparing the classes --They taught nonstop from 9am -5:30pm for 2 days!

 After a weekend with our host families, our group put their teaching skills to work with the students from the Collège Saint Martin.  It was a smashing success.  Read below!

Coco with her correspondante!!

 Bonjour à tous! After 11 hours on a plane, a struggle to find the only exit out of the airport (due to the strike), and 4 hours on the bus, we finally made it to our weekend with our Saint Martin host families.  Here are some pre-departure thoughts that our group had on the way here and voilà some photos from our journey so far.

With our Saint Martin Host Families at last!!

Finally at CDG-Roissy about to board our bus!

En Famille au Pas-de Calais!!

Warren with the ponies!!

Nathan with his family, playing basketball and eating the local specialty (les frites)!

                                                    

Hannah at Nausica (the largest aquarium in Europe.