1-2-19

I can't believe it is my last full week here in Barcelona! It has been a blast and I have learned so much about the school system here in such a short amount of time. It was apparent from day one that there are a lot of differences between the schools here and schools in the US. However, there are still some similarities!

Differences

One difference I noticed initially is how loud students are in the hallways, in the classroom, EVERYWHERE. On our first day at St. Isabel, we had three students give us a tour of the building. It was almost impossible to hear anything they were saying because there were students running up and down the hallways screaming, laughing, talking, etc. Students are given so much more freedom here. As we know, it is absolutely unacceptable to run, talk, or freely walk around in the hallways in the US. Students are always expected to be in a straight line and at a voice level zero. They do not have that same expectation here.

A second difference between St. Isabel and schools in Kentucky are the amount of breaks students and teachers have throughout the day. Students have recess for 30 minutes in the morning and have an hour and 15-minute lunch break; some students even go home for lunch! Teachers are allotted multiple planning periods throughout the day and coordinate with another teacher for each subject. The school hours are also very different here; school doesn't start until 9am and doesn't end until 4:45pm.

It is also interesting to note that the students do not rotate classrooms; the teachers do! Teachers do have their own classroom, but they move to teach different classes within the same grade and in different ones. My teacher mainly teaches second grade (boys) , but also teaches a few 4th grade classes (girls). The classes are separated by gender.

Finally, a huge difference found here is the amount of languages the students learn! All students begin to learn how to speak Catalan, Spanish, and English. Students may also choose to learn German and French if they wish. It is truly amazing to observe these students speaking 3 different languages. In certain classes, students are required to speak only English. If they are caught speaking in Spanish or Catalan, they have to give themselves a cross (similar to a negative dojo) on the speaking chart that is displayed in their classroom.

Similarities

I have seen similar behavior management techniques with the teacher I am placed with. She uses the clapping call and response technique that is often seen in schools in Kentucky. My teacher also does not allow her students to call out during class; they must raise their hand. This isn't so much the case with all of the teachers here. I have also seen some teachers use class Dojo, which is very popular in Kentucky. My teacher uses a clip up/down chart to manage behavior throughout the day.