Life with Students

There isn't any real direction given to study abroad directors about their interactions with the students. And for me, as the spouse of the director, I have no real role.  I thought about that a lot before we came to Paris.  I didn't want to come and just be the director's spouse and the children's teacher.  I wanted to make sure our kids felt part of the program not just that they were following their dad while he worked in Paris.  I knew I'd be interacting with the students a lot and wanted to have a relationship with them as my own person.  I see this as an ongoing struggle of women, to be viewed as a person outside of our companion role to someone else (someone's wife, someone's mother, etc.).  I haven't figured out how to address this in my real life but on study abroad I had a few ideas.  

The kids and I went to most of the study abroad prep classes that were held in the spring before we came to Paris.  I wanted to meet the students and have them be a little familiar with us.  I also thought it was important that they see that this was going to be a family experience for us.  While Chris would be their professor and the one teaching them and giving them their grades we would all be traveling with them and involved in the program in some way.

I decided to host a book group.  I love book groups.  I first joined one when we lived in Chicago.  It was an intimidating experience.  This group had been meeting in one form or another for something like 20 years.  I would have to plan ahead what comment (just one) I would make.  Every year in October they chose the books for the upcoming year through a complicated voting process.  I was warned that it could take years for one of your suggestions to be voted onto the list and so was thrilled when a book I recommended was chosen.  For the past couple of years I've been in a book group in my neighborhood.  Talking about books and hearing about the books that people like is a unique way to get to know someone.  So I thought a book group with the students would be a fun way to interact and a chance to read some Paris themed books.  We read My Life in France by, Julia Child and The Paris Wife by, Paula McLain.  Both were great books and perfect to read and discuss in Paris.  Each time only a handful of students came but it was a nice break for me and I'm glad I did it.

We also decided to host weekly dessert nights.  Each week half of the students would come to our apartment for dessert and games.  This helped us get to know the students and for them to get to know us and our children.  For our final week in Paris we decided to have dinner with everyone.  We provided salads and asked the students to bring appetizers and desserts.  It was a little tight with 31 people, but it worked.

Getting ready.

We had chairs set up in other rooms but they
preferred to be on the floor in the same room

I don't know what is going on here.

We have been really lucky to have a great group of students.  We have not had any problems (at least we aren't aware of any problems).  They've gotten along with each other.  They've been kind to us and to our children.  They are fun to be around and they at least act like they like to be around us.  They really couldn't be any better.