Finally in a school… Professional

07/03/2012

So this week I finally got to see the inside of a Swedish school and experience it first hand, and I have to honestly say I loved it.

The classroom was very basic which I was kind of surprised at; the classrooms back home are fairly large with easily enough space for 30 or so children and are decorated with lots of children’s work. However in Sweden the classrooms are small with just enough room for 20 children, there was no carpet reading area or in classroom library which is very common back in Northern Ireland.  But even with all this I loved every minute of it.

Childrens work on Irish sports

I was with a class of 16 students aged 12-13 so they would be year 9 back home. It was interesting for me to try and reflect on what the children at home would be studying compared to these children that are still in Primary school. I really enjoyed the freedom within the class and how the teacher Lasse went about teaching. He let the children move where the liked when they liked. He also gave them the freedom to eat whenever they were hungry during class.

William drawing the Northern Irish flag for his work.

Me making a copper dish in the work shop.

The children standard in English was amazing I was so impressed with how willing they were to give it ago. I just couldn’t help think when I was that age in secondary school and how much I disliked learning German and French, I feel that a lot of our student back home in the UK are just too lazy and ignorant to speak and but English and I feel this is something that we as teachers have to change from an early age. So I am looking forward to French being brought into primary schools more often as it will become normal for the children to at least try and be willing to learn a language. Especially at a younger age the mouth hasn’t full formed the muscles so the children are able to adapt and learnt the different movements need for other languages. In Sweden they roll the R’s and I just find it so difficult but I have given my buddy a good few laughs with me trying to do it anyway. In addition I feel that is the main point we should give to our students is that you may not be good at but at least be willing to give it ago.

The children in my class had to give presentations on Ireland and Turkey. They could pick different areas within that, for example, Irish food, and Turkish music. They then had to present this to the class using English.

My time there was short but full of learning experiences. Hopefully I get to go back before I leave to see them again.

Me and Lasse the teacher.

This is the class website the teacher set up.

http://www.freewebs.com/ljungfalle/