AS EVERY SINGLE MORNING, THEY STARTED THE DAY SINGING ALTOGETHER AND OPENED A NEW WINDOW FROM THE ADVENT CALENDAR. AFTER THAT, CHILDREN COULDN’T IMAGE THAT THEY WOULD LEARN A CATALAN CHRISTMAS TRADITION. 

EXPLAINING A CATALAN CHRISTMAS TRADITION: ‘EL TIÓ’ USING A PRESENTATION WITH SOME REALS VIDEOS RECORDED BEFORE GOING TO DENMARK. 

STUDENTS BOTH LISTENED TO AND WATCHED THE EXPLANATION. 

A TEACHER TRANSLATED THE PRESENTATION INTO DANISH FOR THE LITTLE ONES.

THEN, THEY WENT TO THEIR CLASSES WAITING, QUITE IMPATIENT, FOR THE BREAK TIME, BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT THEY HAD A MISSION, A VERY IMPORTANT MISSION: LOOK FOR THE TIÓ FROM CATALONIA IN THEIR FOREST. 

UU = THIS IS A 3-LEVEL-MIXED GROUPING (GRADES 4-6) WHEN CHILDREN DO DIFFERENT FREE TASKS IN DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE SCHOOL, BECAUSE SOME OF THE TEACHERS HAVE GOT A MEETING.

6th GRADERS WERE REALLY KIND EXPLAINING THE WAY THEY LEARN AT THEIR SCHOOL, SHARING HOW THEY CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AND ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS.

THEY HAD A HIGH LEVEL OF ENGLISH. I WAS SHOCKED BECAUSE OF THEIR FLUENCY AND RICH VOCABULARY. 

THE REASON: TO WATCH THE TV EVERY DAY IN ENGLISH; SINCE MOST OF THE PROGRAMS IN DENMARK ARE NOT TRANSLATED INTO DANISH.

AT 11a.m., AFTER THE BREAKFAST BREAK, THEY WORKED ON THE UGANDA PROJECT, LIKE THE REST OF THE SCHOOL. THEY LOOKED FOR INFORMATION ON THE NET TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT A TYPICAL ANIMAL FROM UGANDA.

THEY ALSO DREW THE ANIMAL FOLLOWING THE DIFFERENT STEPS FROM A MODEL GIVEN.

HAVING LUNCH IN THE STAFFROOM! AND FOR DESSERT…A SURPRISE FOR MY COLLEAGES! THE TYPICAL CHRISTMAS DESSERT FROM OUR COUNTRY: ‘TORRONS’. THEY FOUND ‘TORRONS’ VERY DELICIOUS AND THEY REALLY APPRECIATE THAT GIFT SINCE THEY CAN’T FIND THIS PRODUCT IN DENMARKS’ SHOPS. 

MOREOVER, I BROUGHT THE TYPICAL PRODUCT OF VILAFRANCA DEL PENEDÈS: ‘CATÀNIES’. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE A SIMILAR PRODUCT IN DENMARK, BUT NOT AS GOOD AS OURS. 

• Being in contact with a language every single day is the key to learning it! Students watch TV in English every day and they have a high level of English.

• Cooking as a subject! Every two weeks they have a cooking session. They can develop many skills with it.

• Less is more! Danish students do less lessons per week than our students, but they have good results.

• No homework, no exams in Primary Education! Only those students who don’t finish or don’t work properly at class have to do homework at home.

VISITING THE CHRISTMAS MARKETS. THEY HAVE A UNIQUE DESIGN AND CRAFTSMANSHIP AND I MET JULEMANDEN WALKING ALONG THE MARKET! AMAZING!