Petra Zemanská
France • Avignon • Lycée Frédéric Mistral
29 June - 4 July
At the turn of June and July 2024, I took part in a one-week job shadowing at Lycée Frédéric Mistral in Avignon within the Erasmus+ programme. The school, part of the larger Cité scolaire Frédéric Mistral campus, focuses on general education and is actively involved in international projects, including Erasmus+. My expectations were clear: I wanted to learn and share experiences with Erasmus+ programme organisation, compare the end-of-year period, and gain inspiration for hosting international events.
My stay took place in the final week of the school year, when the school was no longer running at full capacity. Many teachers were preparing for pedagogical councils, which I had looked forward to, but in the end they were cancelled—the school management was busy with routine administration and especially with preparations for the international student arts festival Le Fil. Nevertheless, I had the chance to observe how the school operates just before the holidays.
At first sight, I was struck by the school’s atmosphere. The buildings are spacious, though a bit old, with a typical French charm. Teachers do not have fixed working hours, which means they spend time at school as needed. The staffroom, used by all teachers instead of individual offices, seemed more like a space for quick arrangements than for long work or meetings. Daily life was less structured than I expected, but that actually allowed me to see the school in its natural, informal state.
School climate and relationships
The atmosphere at Lycée Frédéric Mistral was friendly and open. Teachers, students, and administrative staff seemed natural and approachable. Communication was informal but respectful, creating a pleasant working environment. Students were not afraid to ask teachers questions, and teachers in turn supported their initiatives.
Differences and similarities in teaching
During my stay I could mostly observe the differences and similarities in the organisation of teachers’ work and the running of the school, less so the actual teaching itself. Unlike in our system, where there is a clearly designated coordinator for international projects, here everything depends on the headmaster and his time availability. This can lead to less systematic communication and organisation. Clear structure and long-term planning were often missing. Two major pedagogical councils were scheduled to take place during my stay, but both were cancelled due to preparations for other activities. This created uncertainty among teachers. At home, I can hardly imagine a pedagogical council being completely cancelled. The lack of fixed working hours also meant that in the final week there were very few teachers at school.
Inspiration
The greatest inspiration for me was the organisation of the Le Fil festival. Although its preparation consumed most of the school’s time and energy, it demonstrated how such projects can strengthen team spirit and student creativity. At the same time, it confirmed that such a large event must be planned well in advance. Another interesting aspect was the flexibility of teachers and their ability to adapt to change. The timetable is only finalised at the end of September—students can therefore build their programme according to their own preferences. This gives them a high level of freedom, but also places heavy demands on teachers’ patience and adaptability. Also noteworthy is the system of “personal” inspectors who monitor each teacher’s work. This supervision works more as support than as control.
Shadowing tips & tricks
If you are planning a similar stay, I recommend checking in advance which activities are happening at the school during that period. If your visit coincides with the end of the school year, expect daily operations to be less intensive. It is worth arranging specific areas to observe in advance—whether teaching, assessment, or organisation of school events. And above all: be flexible. Not everything will go according to plan, but it is often the unexpected situations that provide the most valuable insight into the real life of a school.
