This blog serves to document two experiences:
- My experience as a teaching assistant in Mayenne, France through the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) from October 2016 - April 2017
- My voyage to over fourteen different countries on the Semester at Sea Fall 2014 voyage
Use this page to learn more about the two programs, and read the blog posts from the two trips to stay updated!
Teaching Assistant Program in France: Oct 2016 - April 2017
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| Map of French school districts |
The Program
The Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) is a joint initiative of the French Ministry of Education, the Centre international d'études pédagogiques (CIEP) and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. The program's goal is to strengthen English-language instruction in French schools by establishing a native speaker presence, while also providing American Francophiles with excellent teaching experience and first-hand knowledge of French language and culture.Location
I was placed in the Nantes school district. I will be teaching at a high school in Mayenne, which is about 25km from Laval.
Read more here: Learn More About TAPIF.
Semester at Sea: August - December 2014
The Program
Semester at Sea is a multiple country study abroad program open to students of all majors emphasizing comparative academic examination, hands-on field experiences, and meaningful engagement in the global community.The Countries
The Fall 2014 Voyage goes to the following 14 countries over 108 days:
Embark: Southampton (London), England
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Gdansk, Poland
Rostock, Germany
Kiel Canal Transit, Germany
Antwerp, Belgium
Le Havre, France
Dublin, Ireland
Civitavecchia, Italy
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona, Spain
Bridgetown, Barbados
Havana, Cuba
Debark: Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
The Ship
About 720 students sail each semester, as well as faculty and staff. The MV Explorer is a state of the art cruise ship with a library, student union, classrooms, staterooms, pool, gym, dining rooms, and school store, etc.
All classes and student activities take place aboard the ship. When the ship is in port, classes are halted so that students can explore the port countries, and classes then resume once the ship sets sail again.
All classes and student activities take place aboard the ship. When the ship is in port, classes are halted so that students can explore the port countries, and classes then resume once the ship sets sail again.
