Since beginning my teaching placement the most observable
difference I have noticed with teaching abroad is the relationship between the
teacher and the students. The students within the school refer to their
teachers by their first names, enforcing a more informal relationship than
those I have observed while teaching in America. Although the students call
their teachers by their first names, the level of respect given to the teachers
is not undermined, but rather the dynamic of teacher and student is more
malleable. The students have a more “argumentative” relationship with their
teachers, but not in the sense of hostility, more of a forum for disagreement.
For example, one student, Student A stood up during a lesson to go to the
bathroom and the teacher asked the student to wait until the main content of
the lesson was finished. Student A began to strongly disagree with the teacher
and they had a lengthy discussion with the student outwardly arguing with the
decision of the teacher within the classroom. Neither of the two individuals
were notably angry or heated, more so they were talking through a disagreement,
but the dynamic of the discussion definitely varied from student-teacher
relationships I have seen in America.
A second
difference I have observed since commencing my teaching placement abroad is the
classroom layout of the classrooms. There have been the standard desk clusters
for students to engage with one another and the content being presented within
the lesson, but there is a greater sense of fluidity in the classroom layout.
The students do not typically remain in their desks for the lesson in question.
The students actively move their chairs to talk with different students
throughout the day, but the teacher does not initiate the pairings, rather the
students make the choices predominantly on social motives.
A
similarity I have noticed while teaching abroad is the collaboration between
teachers; the collaborations mirror those I have observed while teaching in
America. The collaborations vary from formal interactions about explicit
material and more informal discussions, talking through ideas and difficulties.
The teachers in my placement abroad and those within my placement in America
understandably have similar obstacles to address in the classroom and utilize
their fellow educators to solve the difficulties. There is a more notable sense
of tranquility within the Corazza School compared to my placements in America and
the general atmosphere does contribute to the teacher collaborations as well.
The informal collaborations are more frequent than the formal interactions, but
nonetheless the similarity is prevalent. A second similarity I have noticed
within the Corazza School abroad compared to my teaching abroad in America is the
student requirements. The behavioral and academic expectations were clear
within not only the classroom setting, but also the school as a whole. Throughout
the lesson expectations were stated, along with smooth transitions within the classroom
and class changes. The requirements of the students were clear and explicitly employed
in diverse facets of the school.
Hi Jess! A lot of your similarities and differences mirror those that I have seen in my classroom. In Spain too, the kids refer to their teacher as their first name or just "teacher." I also agree with how you talked about that this informal relationship doesn't prevent any difference in authority. The kids in my classroom still respect their teacher (and any other adult that comes into the room). In Spain I know (especially from my professors), the last names can be long. They use the mother's maiden name and then the father's last name (so essentially have two last names). I wonder if this at all impacts how students addressed their teachers, as to remember a long last name might be difficult for a child. Also in Spain, it is interesting now how kids address their teacher more informally. In one of my classes, we discussed how not too long ago, the kids were using the term "Don(a)" before addressing their teachers. "Don" is used to give the utmost respect to the person, but it seems that trend has gone away.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you discussed the disagreement between the student and the teacher. I haven't noticed anything like this in Spain. But, I am now curious to see if this is the case here as well. Observing that must have been an interesting cultural experience; I think I would have been a little flustered by it. But, is there something to be said about teaching kids to speak for themselves and argue (debate) for what they believe?