"My Latin teacher turns out to be a witch too," said A. "They pick on you if it's your birthday." She put on a cruel voice and said:
'It's your birthday? Then stand up and recite. [Girl makes a mistake.] Very bad. 5 out of 20. All right, you! Stand up and recite. [Next girl recites perfectly.] 16 out of 20; you hesitated. '"
"My math teacher," said L, "would come into the classroom, throw our exam papers hard onto the desk, and say, 'Vous êtes tous des nuls!'"
The school cultures in France and in the U.S. are indeed radically different:
- In France, the pupils' desks are lined in neat rows, and you're not supposed to interact in class. The "Maître d'école" is the übermensch and may sometimes stand on a podium. Pupils must listen in silence.
- In the U.S., it's more interactive, with the teacher among the pupils, and multidirectional participation.
This is a caricature of course, but it bears some truth. Raymonde Caroll wrote a fascinating chapter on the subject (of school and children education in general) in her book "Cultural Misunderstandings".
Posted by: LA Frog | 08 September 2006 at 19:06
I wish there was some kind of middle ground between the extreme strictness in France and the ridiculous coddling that sometimes happens in the States. I guess I'm just a dreamer.... I guess the strictness wouldn't be so bad if there were some encouragement thrown in from time to time. I wish I could see my husband (who is a teacher) in action; I'd love to see how Prof V. matches up to the man I know at home!
Posted by: Vivi | 09 September 2006 at 11:00