In French society, there’s a misguided perception about teachers. For every six or seven weeks of school, we get a two week holiday, as well as a long summer vacation - this means that people see teaching as easy. The holidays are definitely a perk, but school days are extremely long. And, like in the UK, teachers work after school and on weekends.

It feels as if we’re constantly having to defend ourselves every time someone asks what our job is. I wish that parents would recognise teacher contributions and be more respectful and courteous to them. Children are very smart and pick up on the attitude parents project towards teachers. Respectful parents would lead to respectful students.

Because we’re not really held in a high regard, there isn’t much support in regard to teaching conditions. For example, most teachers complain about being underpaid considering the amount of hours we work, as well as the possibility of having around 37 students in one class.

I teach English at Lycée Sainte Marie de Nevers in Toulouse, and there’s nothing like seeing students - who could barely string a few words together in English before - speak to you fluently by the end of the year.

When a student does appreciate and value you, it makes it all worthwhile. Last year, on their last day, a group of students thanked me for not only teaching them the English language, but also for teaching them how to treat people and how to take action against the injustices occurring around us.

English education in France is not strictly focused on grammar, but more on practical aspects, like expression and comprehension, as well as on cultural knowledge. Instead of constantly having the students do grammar exercises, I can teach lessons on currents news from English speaking countries, like how the Trump government is compared to Obama’s, how Brexit will affect the English people, and active steps that Canadians are taking to repair relationships with the First Nations people.

Everyday at 7.30am, I ride my bike through the beautiful canal and get to school in about 15 mins. Lessons start at 8am and lunch is at 12pm. Since I don’t give classes all day, I usually plan my lessons and complete student corrections when I’m not teaching. The school day ends at 6pm. After school, I usually come home and eat dinner before going back to planning for my next lessons and correcting student assignments.

Toulouse is a charming little city in the southwest of France. It’s filled with culture and it’s considered to be a “student city”. What I love about living here is that it’s still small enough to get around on a bike and by walking. The people here are very attentive when it comes to having a healthy lifestyle. I guess it’s to balance out the smoking.

The biggest challenge that I face as a teacher, which I’m sure most teachers can relate to, is having a work-life balance. It can be difficult having to turn down plans made by loved ones due to a heavy workload. It is especially tough teaching final year students, since they’re prepping for the baccalauréat (national exams), which requires extra attention.

Even when not prepping for exams, many of my students need extra attention. It’s only since becoming a teacher that I’ve realised how many young people have learning difficulties and mental health issues. When I was a student, I don’t recall having friends dealing with these sort of issues, but I believe it was probably due to our lack of vocabulary of being unable to “name” how we feel. Nowadays, the conversation around mental health and learning difficulties has increased so much, so students don’t feel as if it is taboo and are actively seeking out help from school counsellors.

Rahavie Ravi is an English teacher at Lycée Sainte Marie de Nevers, Toulouse, France

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