Tutoring vs Teaching. Followed by philosophical questions about education systems.

In light of my frequent extreme boredom and low cash flow, I decided to put up an ad for English tutoring lessons. I got a good response, and now tutor several times per week.

Tutoring has been a lot more gratifying than teaching for several reasons...

First, my school is on an every-other-week schedule; weeks are called either Q1 or Q2. A few classes I teach every week, but most I teach only every two weeks. Combine that with all the vacations, strikes, plus the fact that I am not even here for a full academic year, and I will see some of my students only a dozen times the whole year. I can't even keep track of all their names, nevermind their progress.

When I tutor, I get to know my students more in-depth. I know what their strengths and weaknesses in the language are, and can focus on what they need help with. I can see them progress in one session. This is why people want to teach, I think. To watch people evolve.

Second, while most of my students are polite enough, many of them are apathetic. This is no surprise since they are teenagers. They also live in the country, not a city where English might be more utilized. I'm not sure they see any point in learning this language, and maybe rightly so. I am sure most high school students at Waterford High in Connecticut didn't see the point in learning a second language. When would we ever have used it?

In contrast, my tutoring students are invested, both personally and financially. They WANT to learn English - and they're paying me. They're engaged, responsive, and inquisitive. Sometimes this is challenging (like when they bring up a question I am not sure how to answer), but that's fun for me. Because I'm invested too.

This got me thinking about the differences in the higher education systems in the US and France. I explained one day to my students that going to Harvard University would set you back at least $40,000 without a scholarship (and that this was true of most private universities). This was literally incomprehensible to them. Higher education in France is usually, if not all the time, free. Much like health care, it's seen as a right, not as a privilege. Students pay for books, housing, and food, but tuition is covered. You just enroll.

This makes me wonder: Are US students more invested in their college education?

If we're speaking in strictly economic terms, then yes, I suppose the population as a whole is more invested. But on any given campus, there are students on full rides of all sorts - academic, athletic, or because of some wacky talent or writing contest they won. Also, some students come from families that don't need to worry about the cost of education. As long as their parents are footing the bill and still putting dinner on the table, how much do they really care? But there are plenty of students who work at least one job in addition to going to school full-time, and they still take out loans to pay for education. And there are plenty more who don't go to college at all because of the cost.

I recently watched Steve Jobs speak at Stanford's commencement ceremony on Ted.com. As most people know, Steve Jobs (the Apple guy) dropped out of college and pioneered the most user-friendly and beautifully-designed personal computer in the world - and then founded Pixar. He didn't come from money, and he felt guilty spending his parents' savings when he didn't see the point. He dropped out and started dropping in on classes he was simply interested in, like a calligraphy course, which he credits with inspiring the availability of so many fonts on Macs. I wonder, if his education didn't cost so much, would he have stayed in school and been less motivated by his entrepreneurism? What about Mark Zuckerburg, founder of Facebook, another famous dropout?

All in all, I think there are so many reasons for wanting to succeed in education whether you live in France or the US - the quality of the educators, personal competitive nature, how much your family taught you to value it, how well you've previously performed in school, how much your future career prospects value your academic record... How much money you have personally invested is a motivating factor but I don't think it is as important - In the US, there are state schools and community colleges with lower tuition rates for those on a tighter budget. But for those who see the value in higher education, they are willing to spend even an absurd amount of money to get it.

I am really excited for comments on this post from anyone and everyone, because my view on this is pretty limited by my personal experience. I would love to hear what you think.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

I have spent a lot of time lately reconnecting with America - in the form of MadMen, Glee, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, reading English books, and talking a lot with friends and family back home.

Homesickness started to turn from a general sense of fatigue and hunger to desperate pangs of famine in my belly. Ironically, I think it is made worse by the fact that I know I will be back in the US in exactly 36 days. With land in sight, it makes days at sea that much harder.

I know why I left the US (see post: Lessons in Authenticity), and I honestly wasn't completely sure I would find a reason to come back.

But to all the non-believers, I can assure you I will be returning to the US. If I ever had any doubt, I don't anymore: You're only as good as the company you keep. I am lucky enough to have amazingly supportive friends and family back in the US, and I am all too excited to get back to seeing them (+ the newbies/a.k.a. babies) on a regular basis!

Besides, the beer in France sucks.

Until I am back stateside, I will be making the most of all my time in France, and therefore I am making a French bucketlist.

a) Eat creme brulee at a fancy restaurant. I don't know how I haven't done this yet. Shame on me.

b) Go to a Lyon soccer match.

c) Hang glide. Scarrrry but I'm doing it! I see a lot of people doing it here in the mountains.

d) Go to the south of France - suggestions welcome. I've seen Nice, Aix, Arles, Marseille, Cassis. Thinking about Toulouse...

e) Visit Annecy. For real, not just for an hour while waiting for a train.

f) Visit a vineyard (or 5).

Stay tuned as a check off these items.

There and Back Again / Hello 2011

After a two week break, teachers and students will make their bittersweet return to the classroom tomorrow. While this moment is always a bit sad, it is a cloud with a silver lining. After all, vacations can't last forever, or else they stop becoming vacations. I am happy to get back into a routine and see familiar faces.

My last post was about hitting a wall here in France. Without family, my closest friends, and a home that feels like mine, it gets tough. But taking a break from France to travel to Budapest, Vienna, and Prague was a great reminder of how much I do really love life here in the hexagon.

To recap the travels:

Budapest - The people here were very friendly and helpful. Beer was cheap, the boulevards were wide, buildings were old, and the castles were majestic. Highlights here included Frank Zappa Cafe, which had great food and a very cool, musically inspired ambiance. Also, a Gustav Klimt exhibit at the Arts Museum was particularly good.

Vienna - Vienna impressed us from the moment we got there. Because we only stayed one night, we stuck to the main center of the city, where we had a glass or prosecco at the original Julius Meinl. We also saw the most enchanting Christmas market I've ever been to (complete with brass band playing carols). Vienna was very charming and sophisticated, and had some bomb chocolate cake.

Prague - Having been to Prague before, I felt a little bit like I knew what I was getting into. While some things were familiar, Prague held lots of great surprises. The arts district is paticularly cute in Prague, and the castle will never fail to impress. Memorable moments include slamming back Slovakian liquor with locals, and our very last night, during which we stayed out all night at a dance club and left at 7:30am -sans shuteye- for our 9:30 flight.

Coming back to France was relieving. I guess you know you're getting old when just one week of travel gets you tuckered out. After a few days of rest chez moi, it was time to celebrate the New Year. Two friends of mine from Grenoble came to stay with me, and after a yummy dinner we headed out with some French friends to Chamonix, a ski resort town not too far from where I live. Good company, raclette (traditional dish of Savoie, including meat/cheese/potatoes), champagne, snow topped mountains, not to mention a fire twirler plus a ton of people in Chamonix center - it doesn't get too much better than that.




And finally, some reflections on the year before and ahead...(sorry in advance for the US slant).

After looking at a photo essay that recapped 2010, I was reminded very poignantly that while I am lucky, our world is full of tragedy, both natural and human-made. The earthquake in Haiti, floods, wars, the BP oil spill, lay-offs, and political unrest have pierced our lives. I nearly cried mulitple times while scrolling through the pictures. It's difficult to recall what -if anything- is good about that state of humanity.

But many good things have happened too - Don't Ask, Don't Tell has just been reversed (as was the same-sex marriage ban in California), healthcare reform passed, and the US is reducing the number of foreign troops as the end of the Iraq war becomes official.

We will never be able to live in a global world free from tragedy and grief, but I do believe the world would be better with more peace and respect in our individual lives - which you can create simply by starting with your neighbor, your lover, or your friend. What is in your vision of a better 2011? Once you define it, you can embody it - and as Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Best wishes to everyone for 2011, especially the friends and family reading this blog! :)