City : Lincoln, Nebraska Host Family : Kathy Philips School : Southwest High School Mentor Teacher : Travis Brady

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2 Name : Chesneaux Thomas Birth Date : 25 novembre 1984 Discipline : Histoire-Geographie Middle School : College Louis Blanc, Creteil City : Lincoln, Nebraska Host Family : Kathy Philips School : Southwest High School Mentor Teacher : Travis Brady

3 AKRON We have spent the first three weeks in Akron, in a wonderful hotel close to the university. Not that close the few mornings when it was -25 Celsius. Large rooms, nice service, nothing to say except some French people that use to come especially near dinner time Among the numerous hours spent at Union Student, third floor, we had a lot of English classes, twice a day, and two lectures. The topics were very different, from the public transportation in Akron to the multicultural issues in education, or also many simulations. ZIPPY After the classes, some meetings were organized, like the day we met Zippy.

4 Washington After one week, everybody went to Washington, a week before Inauguration Day. So we assisted to the preparation for Obama s first day as president. National Mall was upside down, as Lincoln Memorial. As good visitors, we went the first night, before a great concert at the Kennedy Center, to see the White House. Chicago During the Valentine s weekend, almost all of us went to Chicago to enjoy the pleasure of a great and large city. Subways, skyscrapers and museums were of course on the weekend s schedule. Such as a romantic restaurant for Saturday. Ending the tour by climbing into the Sears tower was a wonderful idea.

5 Visiting the schools The Stuart Elementary School (Akron) is really different from everything I know. It s an afro American based school. According to studies, one of the problems for the black youth in the USA is that they don t know (and so they're not proud of) who they are. By linking past and present, the school offers an answer to cultural segregation in the future. Boys Town is a full complex, based in Omaha, that takes care of students with problems. It s a strict education models school, but all the students are volunteers. For some of them, it is a deal with the judge (instead of jail).

6 Lincoln SouthWest Lincoln SouthWest is a new High School, built less than eight years ago. Everything looks new, so it s really pleasant to work there. The classes are blocks of ninety minutes so the students have only four lessons a day. With a thirty minutes break for lunch, days start at 8h15 until 15h00. The same for the teachers. You teach three blocks a day, but you are here during the four. Time to grade, to plan, I never got bored during my empty blocks. As my mentor teacher got an AP class, I only took care of blocks two and three. But I started very soon. We all arrived on Wednesday, and Friday, I was alone in the classes. Obviously the others French teachers were jealous. So I was in charge of two 10 th graders classes, which means World History. In eight weeks, we covered the world from the Renaissance to the end of the 19 th century, for what the help of Travis Brady, perfect mentor teacher, was essential.

7 Lincoln SouthWest But the High School lives outside the classes. As a foreign teacher, it would be a waste to miss the opportunities to meet the extracurricular life. Especially in such a good High School. Go to the peep rally for example. If LSW is famous for the soccer, the golf, the speech teams, when I was there, everybody focused on the boy s basketball team. After a perfect season, 21-1, there were 1 st seed for the State Tournament, that took place in Devaney Center in Lincoln. For the first round, on Thursday, the school has been closed. And on Friday too, because of the victory in the first round. I was there, the victory was real but only occurred in the fourth quarter. I have, of course, bough the T-shirt made for this event. Can you recognize what the student are screaming? NO SCHOOL FRIDAY!!

8 My Host Family If you have read that the others were jealous because of my classes in two days, it s nothing compared to their jealousy for my host family. Kathy Philips is a teacher in the college of education of the UNL, specialized in Elementary School and Children literature. Her three children are working or will get graduate during spring As her husband was working in India, we shared together her huge house. But everything is huge in America, so I will say her American house. Four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a special small flat in the basement. She is one of the kindest person I have ever met, and the two months we spent together were perfect. Anytime I needed her help, she was there for me. I could do what I wanted, invite who I wanted, she was always going for it. All our discussions about education, the American society or just my feelings about my experience, are one of the moments I will keep with me for a very long time. We already planned her to come to Paris to visit me probably during Spring 2010!!

9 What else? As would say the Nespresso Guy, What else? Of course our lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, were not only focus on our classes. We had to find several occasions to meet together, to complain, to laugh, to protest A lot of parties had been organized by our host families : the Super Bowl, BBQs, Mardi Gras Night and the Banco Game!! Barry and the marshmallows fire. Go STEELERS! Full concentration around the Banco table where a win leads you to the golden table while a loss is a direct ticket for Hell!

10 The Midwest Yaaaahouuu!! Time to go to the far far west, where Indians and cowboys used to live. Custer, Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hickok and Crazy Horse were in our dreams, now there are in our memories.

11 No! The End

12 Starring : In order of appearance Denver Myself Camille Roomie Bataille Susan Colville-Hall Zippy Sarah Eloire Pierre Matheron Aurelie Meanie Dugue Guillaume Martel Aude Daubas Travis Brady LSW SilverHawks Kathy Philips Barry Marchant Sarah Parkening Robert Sibal Wild Bill Hickok Poor dying Macintosh