The Level of Life

Today I was interviewed as part of a teacher's evaluation process (hers not mine.) Even though I was just the guinea pig, it was still nerve wracking to sit down in a room packed full of French teachers (who were all observing this woman who was being evaluated) and hearing the scratching of their pens every time I said anything. I think the deal was that they were going to ask her how she would have instructed me on what I had done incorrectly and evaluate her on her ability to hear mistakes in a student's oral expression and to correct them. But still, jeez. If ever I felt put in the spotlight, it was then.

At one point, I did crack a joke (in French nonetheless) and I got a pretty good laugh from the room. I wondered how to say, "Thanks, folks, I'll be here all week" in French. Anyway, upon leaving, while the head evalutor was filling out my cute little certificate proving I participated in this whole business, he praised my French. I scoffed. "No, no," he said. "You're at what we call 'the level of life.' You can basically communicate in any situation you need to."

I just wonder who came up with that oh-so-specific term and what exactly the other levels are. I suppose chugging along at the level of life is better than the alternative, so I'll take it.