From the moment I stepped into the classroom at Manorcroft,
I noticed that the atmosphere of the classroom was very formal, and it wasn’t
just because of the British accents. I was not too surprised however, because
everything in England seems to be more proper than it is in America. For
example, every morning and afternoon the register is taken. Miss Cornick will
say, “Good morning” and then the each student’s name. The student is expected
to say, “Good morning” in return. Hearing this made our American practice of
saying, “here” during attendance seem very informal. Moreover, if students are
talking during the register or during an assembly, they have to stand for the remainder
of it as a punishment.
Another
indication of the school’s formality is students’ handwriting. Students must
join their letters so that it looks like cursive but doesn’t have the tricky
letters that are hard to write. Unlike in America where students learn cursive
as an additional, fancy, way of writing, that is how British students are
taught to write from the beginning. I felt really self-conscious the first time
I had to write for students on the white board in my own cursive handwriting.
However, I can say that I am beginning to pick it back up again with all the
practice I’m doing at Manorcroft.
This past
Friday was Manorcroft’s annual Harvest Festival. Year 4 (third grade) students
acted out the story of the Harvest while all the other students sang the songs.
While I was standing there watching my students sing these songs, such as “Pray
to our Lord” and “Lord of the Harvest,” I was surprised to hear such a strong
religious presence in a non-private school. Then I realized that, unlike in
America, there is no separation of church and state. I had become so accustomed
to separating the two that I completely forgot that there is no split in
England. These songs were the only sign of religion I have seen in my time at
Manorcroft so far, but it seems that the teachers do not have to be as careful
as to completely separate the two.
The British
culture is also reflected in the curriculum; as they focus on one specific
topic at a time. In America it is pretty common to have a science and social
studies lesson in the same day. Here, the entire half-term (about 7 or 8 weeks)
is dedicated to one or the other. The topic this past half-term was “Under the
Sea,” and students did not learn about anything history related. But, this
switches in the upcoming half term as students will be learning about “The
Great Fire” and will not be learning any science. Miss Cornick explained that it allows for a
more focused curriculum and easier planning because she can plan every Topic activity
and lesson for the half-term in advance.
Finally, the
non-academic aspects of school are also quintessentially British. For example,
every day for lunch students have a “warm dinner.” This usually consists of
meat, a vegetable, and a cake or jello. There is no other choice of lunch;
every student gets the same meal. Additionally, for gym class, students must change
out of their uniforms and into gym clothes that are kept in their gym kits,
bags that are brought to and from school each week. And, during the autumn and
spring, students also have swimming once a week. Parents do not pay tuition for
their kids to attend Manorcroft, so it was really interesting to hear that the
school offers swimming, especially during school hours. I’m sure that as I
continue visiting Manorcroft, I’ll discover even more ways in which the British
culture is reflected there.
I found it so interesting that your students sing songs involving religion. It's something so foreign to Americans and I think it would be very cool to see how it affects your classroom atmosphere. In France, where I am studying abroad, separation of church and state is extremely important. In fact, students and teachers are not allowed to wear any religious symbols such as crosses, Stars of David, or headscarves. I wonder how British students would react to these rules.
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