A note on France's education system: College, I don't have accents but there is one on the first e, is what we would call a middle school or junior high. College is pronounced coh-ledge in French.
That being said, after a rough start in Graulhet I am now teaching in three colleges in Toulouse proper. So. Much. Better. I can walk to one, and the other two are accessible by metro. I still haven't taught anyone English. I did teach someone French in Graulhet, though. France moves slowly, but I think I may teach someone something yet.
By Monday of next week I should have a class of my own. I will take small groups of students aside during their usual English period for conversation, games, and cultural lessons. My job is to act as an assistant to the English teachers in each college.
I found this super helpful chart on Wikipedia. Clink on the picture to enlarge. It's an outline of the French public school system's grade ranges, grades are called niveau here, and the age groups are included in the left-hand column.
The green section is my domain. Originally I was working in the ecole elementaire, which is in the primary education sector. Now I'm a secondary teacher. I'll let you know if middle schoolers are just as angsty and self-conscious as they seem to be in the U.S. I would assume it's just a rough age everywhere. The thought of an awkward French person at any age is hard to wrap my mind around, though.
The first big difference I've noticed between schools in France and those in the States is the lack of distraction. There are no posters yelling, "You're a star!", in bright neon bubble letters. The halls have coat racks, and that's the only decoration. Classrooms have the good old black board with chalk, some have projectors, maps, and if the kids are really young you may have the alphabet taped above the board. Students sit in rows looking straight ahead, and if the kids get too rowdy sometimes a stern look and big eyes are enough to quiet them.
Another difference I've noticed as far as the administration goes: in primary school there is a directeur/directrice who acts as the school's head administrator and teaches on the side. In college the directeur does not teach, but today when I visited one of the schools he gave one student a bandage for her foot. He explained to me that he has a lot of interaction with the students, and he is obliged to move around France to new schools every five-ish years.
The constant movement seems to go for teachers as well. Younger teachers are usually sent to the Parisian banlieux, which are notoriously dangerous. The closest thing in America would be an inner-ctiy school setting. Once you have a few years under your belt then you can move to another region.
The last big difference is the food. I would say the majority of kids eat in the school cafeteria. The meals are gourmet. I kid you not. Lunch lasts for two hours, and everyone stays inside to eat for almost that entire period. The lunch period is seen as just another part of the kids' education; it's a time to learn good manners, conversation, and to taste the flavors of France. For teachers it's a time to relax with colleagues and drink some coffee.
Once I start working for real I can describe my schools- College Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, College Nicolas Vauquelin, and College Alphonse de Lamartine- in more detail. Until then, bonne continuation.
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