poste la dix-huitième, dans laquelle our children stop being devils long enough to eat candy and make us laugh

Every Tuesday my friend Andrea and I go teach English to a bunch of extremely hyper, mischievous French children. They are 10, and the past couple weeks they have been little devils. But today a miracle occurred, and we had their undivided attention for an unprecedented length of time. We played bingo with fruit/vegetable/food words, and apparently watching your teachers draw is more fun than recess, because they all huddled around us and watched us finish making the cards in the yard before class. I was told my coloring was beautiful (did you hear that, Andrea??).

Anyway, it was a very successful class overall, and they were behaving really well even before we gave them candy to use in the game, after which we could do no wrong. As we walked downstairs after class, the girls told me that profs who give out candy are very rare and "trop cool" and that we are "très géniale." I hope this means they have forgotten how grumpy we all were after the unhappy anarchy of last week, and that they will continue to behave for another two sessions. Also! They kept calling us "Madame" which I think is a good sign of respecting our authority. So fingers crossed! I learned a bunch of choice phrases for disciplining, including "Tu tais ou tu sorts." so I am prepared, just in case.

A conversation as recorded by Andrea between Rayan, our smart little ladies' man, and Clara, who is well-behaved but secretly sassy:

Rayan: Tu as une 'sheet'?
Clara: Oui. Tu es une 'sheet.'
Rayan: ...
Clara: Tu sais ce qu'est une 'sheet'?
Rayan: Oui je sais! C'est une merde. Je suis pas une merde!
Andrea: Qui t'apprende ce mot??
Clara: Les films...

Andrea to me: We should note that they learned the word shit prior to taking our class. Just saying.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVE, Y'ALL!

- Madame Clare