Ireland vs USA

Class size can range between 3 and 25 students. Classes change location and time. Classes look like they're scattered across the week. Classes are 40 minutes long, and they occur at different times on different days. You may have a class twice a week -once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Bells signal the end of class. Classes are organized by year.

Most class sizs are about 30 students. Classes typically have the same room and time. They also occur at regular intervals like block, skinny, or A/B day. Classes typically range between 55 minutes to an hour and a half. Bells signal the end of classes. Classes can be organized by grade, but there's still bleed over.

Students wear strict unifroms to school, and they get marks if they don't comply

Students either have a standard school attire or a relaxed dress code. They are asked to change or given other clothes if they don't comply.

Since our school is so small (~325 students), roll is taken on paper by the school secretary as students enter in the morning. To make sure students aren't skipping, teachers are given a list of absent students.

Roll is taken in each class online by the teacher. Teachers can compare absences from previous classes to determine if someone is skipping.

The expected supplies for students to have are notebooks, pens, workbooks, and textbooks. The notebooks are like large sheets of paper folded in half and stapled down the spine. Most students use the pens with multiple colors in one, and you push levers to change the colors. The workbooks align with the textbook content.

The expected supplies for students to have are notebooks, pencils, a possible pen, laptop, and charger. Notebooks are spiraled down the spine. Most students use mechaical pencils and only use pens if required. Textbooks typically stay in classrooms, as they are only a class set. Laptops are used mainly for notes and projects.

Summer exams are very important to student's success throughout secondary school. All lessons, practice work, and class tests are geared towards perfecting the summer exams. Exams can also be graded on proper presentation like nice handwriting and clean drawings.

There are state exams for core classes towards the end of the semester. However, the exams chosen by the teachers tend to carry more weight. GPA is key to success for high school students. State exams are tossed out on occasion due to problems in delivery. The closest comparison are AP Exams.

Discipline is rare, and typically not effective. If students are talking, a simple, "shhhh" is the only comment you'll hear from the teacher. Back talk is occasionally engaged, and students aren't sent to the principal often. A phone call to parents isn't a common threat either.

Discipline is a major aspect of American classrooms. Teachers must shut down behavior early via private conversations in the hallway, visits to the principal, phone calls to parents, and immediate correction of poor behavior or comments.

School sanctioned sports occur during school hours. For example, the boys Gaelic game began at 11:30, and players missed a majority of the school day. This is done to allow players to take part in club teams after school.

School sanctioned sports occur after school hours. For example, boys football and basketball games start around 6-7 pm. Students almost never miss class time to attend their games.

Security isn't a major focus of school admin. The only drill practiced is a fire drill every few weeks or so. All the doors to classrooms are unlocked.

Security is the biggest focus of school admin. Fire, natural weather, bomb, and shooting drills are practiced regularly. Police are a constant presence in US schools. All doors in the school are locked at all times.