Unfortunately, I don't have nearly the time nor the money that they do to devote to a project like this. Also, I'm no professional website developer. What I have done, however, is created a site that hopes to use all of your pooled knowledge to benefit everyone. My goal is a site by the assistants for the assistants; I hope you will aid me in this.
If you have something to contribute(teaching ideas, comments, or even want to translate this site into spanish or german) please email me at lucasinfrance@yahoo.com
Thank you for dropping by!
Lucas
Our salary is about 5700FF/month brut(meaning before taxes). After taxes, your pay is about 4800FF/month(7FF=$1)
Is that enough?
That really depends on you. For me, it was enough(except I had to pay my plane tickets to and from the US with savings). I had enough to go out with friends, travel a bit during the vacations, and buy things every now and then.
What about lodging? Doesn't that eat a lot of our salary?
You can stay in your school's dorm for free. Nearly all schools should offer you this possibility. It's admittedly a bit lonely on the weekends and not big on comfort, but it works. You can also rent an apartment, which could cost between 1000FF and 2500FF per month. You qualify for a government aid called "APL" however than will reimburse you around 80% of that, but you might be reimbursed after many months.
What do we do if we have a problem?
Your first option is a fellow teacher(they can help with students, or help you find a laundromat). Next, talk to your principal(proviseur). Lastly, if your problem is contract-related(you want to quit, for example) or your problem concerns your school's principal is was not resolved by him/her, talk to your "personne-relais" from your Academy. You will meet him or her at your "stage d'acceuil" at the beginning of your service.
What should I bring with me?
This is limited to what you can carry, really. If you bring teaching materials, make them as small as possible(scan articles and put them on disks or cds, for example). Anything that's particular to your part of the world will interest the students, so long as it interests you. Be careful with cassettes, it takes a VCR with 4 heads to read US and Canadian tapes, and those are hard to find in schools. A little helpful hint: If you have too much stuff to fit in your bags before going home, send your books and magazines via the french post office, they have a special rate for those(something like 180FF per 5 kg instead of 350FF per 5 kg for other articles).
Where did you buy your plane ticket?
www.lowestfare.com For plane tickets(Round trip, Dallas to Paris for $450, for example). For european train reservations, try www.eurorail.com
When will I receive my arrêté de nomination? When should I arrive in France?
In June or July. It should be before July 10th or so, though the CIEP makes no guarantees. Come to France in the week of Sept. 22nd to 29th. Your "stage d'acceuil" is around the 29th, though it varies from Academy to Academy.