Lillian's class of 33 kids went to the Musée Cernuschi. There were lots of parents, which is important when you are taking the metro. The girls and I visited this museum in September, so Lillian was a pro. The kids where split into two groups and we traipsed after the museum teachers up the stairs and into the museum.
First, the woman in charge lectured the kids on three different objects in the museum. The kids were expected to be quiet and to listen. And they could not sit, they were expected to stand while she told them her exhaustive knowledge on each subject. If the children wiggled or talked, they were shamed in front of the entire class. "Pierre, you are not listening. Do you think you are better than everyone else? Did you hear what I said? Listen!" I remember my teaching training classes about classroom management that took the equally extreme and exactly opposite approach. "I like how Bonnie is sitting. Oh, look how Johnny has his hands folded." In other words, you would never directly talk to the child who was wiggly. It seems like there must be a happy medium. I must say that the kids do not seem at all disturbed by these reprimands. I, on the other hand, jump, my heart starts beating double time, and blush each time a teacher raises her voice and embarrasses a child.
Next, the students made a moving dragon. The different parts o the dragon were attached by brads (une attache parisienne). This was serious stuff ; the kids needed to copy the teacher exactly. If someone was having a hard time, it would be pointed out that theirs did not look like hers.
Lillian made a very cool dragon.
We walked back through Parc Monceau and to the metro. I guess I didn't stop walking, because this is one blurry photo.
In other news, Sylvia is losing all of her teeth! The other top front one should be out by Christmas.
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