I could write a book about school, but I don't have a publisher, so I'm stuck writing a blog post. Super. I hope you realize this is just "informative" more than anything else. It's a blog post I've been dreading to write for quite some time- due to the large quantity of necessary information that I feel like I need to cover, and the lack of school related pictures to make it look more interesting. But it sets the pace of my experience here in Spain, so it is necessary that I start with this:
HELLO, AMERICA!
Did we figure this one out or what! How DARE we accuse our country of doing anything wrong simply because of the fact we FIGURED OUT HOW TO RUN SCHOOL! If we get everything else wrong, IT DOESN'T MATTER! We have THE school!
THE SCHOOL!
Phew. Glad I could get that out of my system. So what am I talking about... THE school? Isn't school extremely boring? Don't we complain about how we would rather be doing other things? Sure. School is school. You sit, and learn. But I do not ever, EVER want anyone to forget how fortunate we are in the states.
Let's start with the basics. I'm breaking this up into sections. If I had a publisher he or she might say it looks more "appealing" to the reader. I would also like to point out how one thing relies on another, like a domino reaction.
School- I walk ten minutes to my school, 8 if you pick up the pace. One metro stop exactly. My school is 1 ESO through 2 Bachillerato, which is equivalent to 7th-12th grade in the states. 1 and 2 Bachillerato are optional in Spain. Let me add that failing a grade is common, and it is not unusual for more or less 1/4 of a class to have failed. In my grade, 1 Bachillerato, there are two classes. Science and ...arts? My class has 34 or so students, and the other is about equivalent. I'm in the science class. Both classes have mandatory subjects, and then specified classes. For example: we all have to take language & literature, but we take another science class while they Greek and Latin. Then, within our class we can pick Biology or Technical drawing, and English (different than the required) or French. Students from either the arts or sciences can be together during this time. Minus physical education, these two classes are the only times we have to switch classrooms. The teachers change classrooms instead of the students. Interesting, eh?
We do not have lockers at our school. We use our backpacks to carry around all of our stuff. There's actually a hook on the side of all of the desks to hang your backpack.
Schedule- Everyday is a different schedule. School days start at 8:45AM, and end at 2:30PM. Minus Wednesdays and Thursdays. Those days we get out at 3:30PM. Well, I lied. We get out when class is done, so if we are done early we get out early. And if the teacher is as hungry as the students, we go home early.
Hungry? We don't eat lunch at school. Yep you read that right. I go from 8:15AM to about 2:45 or 3:45 without lunch. Lunch is eaten in the house. We get a 25 minute "recreo" (recess) from 11:25 to 11:50AM, but at my school no one really brings food. I've talked to other exchange students from other schools who do, but for some reason eating at my school just isn't "the thing."
During "recreo" students in 1 & 2 Bachillerato can leave campus. We end up talking in a "park" (which is a swing set in the middle of a cement area with benches...) for a little bit before returning to class. I am appalled at the number of young smokers. And it's not just cigarettes.
Classes- are 50 minutes long, with 5 minutes for the teachers to change classes. I still haven't figured out how the tardy/absent system works, as school starts at 8:45AM. Today, for example, I was still walking to class as the bell rang. I walk into class, and there are 4 people in the room. No teacher in sight.
That would be a heck of a lot of absent players on the field that game day.
So after people come to class, (and finally the teacher) students who are "late" knock on the door and ask for permission to join class. Depending on how late they were, the teacher says yes, or if they are in a grumpy mood the students have to go to the library.
WHAT?! If you are late to class you just might get to skip it? Yes. BUT! Keep in mind, any exam would be a zero, any notes you would not get, and finally- being in good terms with your teacher just might determine if you pass the class or not. That leads me to my next topic...
Material- All books are purchased by the students. And don't get me wrong, it's $200-$350 for books. The ironic thing about books is we don't actually use them. The teacher just talks and talks and talks, writes on the board occasionally, and not much more. We don't get homework like we do in the states. It's a: take-your-book-home-and-study-on-you-own type of deal. It's interesting when we do get a handout, because they are always handwritten by the teacher.. minus some papers for English class. Those are copied from something. And since no actual photocopy is legit, you usually struggle to understand what the black and grey blotches are on a page.
Tests- OK, so no homework for students, how cool, huh? NOT! Since the teachers talk, students take notes from them, and occasionally from what is written on the board. The chalkboard. But we'll talk about that later. Tests are made up by the teachers, and since there are no grades for homework, tests more or less determine your grade. And tests here are definitely the most unfair and unreasonable thing I have encountered here.
The grading scale is from 1 to 10. Well, scratch that- it's possible to get a zero. A 5.5 is passing. Please do not even try to think of a '10' as an 'A', a '9' as a 'B', .....as 10's just do not happen and 9's are a rarity. Passing is considered just fine.
What I don't understand is how a student can receive a 5.55 on a test when there are no multiple choice or fill in the blanks. Like really, how can a teacher determine the grade when each question isn't a set-determined amount of points? So when one student gets a 1.5 and another gets a 1.25, how is it even possible for the teacher to know a .25 difference? This is where I have noticed teachers here are just incredibly terrible. Favorites and "who they think are smart so they just get a good grade" is practiced... a lot.
Teachers- Not only has my view on specific teachers changed dramatically since day one, I would like to point out I have a whole new respect for American teachers. Teachers here don't even get to class on time. Teachers in the states are in school before school even starts.
Not only are teaching methods different, but the level of respect for students is incredibly low. In a nutshell, teachers aren't concerned about students here. In fact, they don't even know their names half of the time. The kid next to me always says "Good morning" and never once gets a reply. It's kind of a joke now. Teachers come in, lecture, and leave. They aren't nice and, open for questions. It's interesting- because bachillerato IS optional, if you don't come to school it's not the biggest of deal. But- if you happen to be drawing something, or doing something else (starting out the window, looking at something else...) teachers will get all offended and scold the student to "behave better." Another exchange student got yelled at for stretching in class.
It's almost as if the teachers know the topic they are teaching, but fail to do a good job...teaching. Connecting with students. Being a person people can go to for help. Being a teacher with...character.
Mrs. Bladholm, you are my hero.
I would like to throw out the teacher on the first day of school that I thought would be the meanest turns out to be the one helping me the most. And the one I thought would be the nicest turns out to be the one I could talk some serious sense into. And I'm convinced my English teacher (who happens to be the most hated teacher in my whole school) is scared of me, knowing that my English is far more advanced than hers. This results in her being extremely rude to me, which to me I find almost funny. I mean, if someone was being over the top rude to you in broken English that makes no sense, you have to wonder- Who's teaching who what?- sometimes. English class makes me so angry it's ridiculous. It's my least favorite class. I always thought it would be fun, and I would be a big plus to the class, there to answer questions about cultural differences, etc. But no. Nothing.
Let me also add that if this teacher were to teach in the United States she would be sued by someone in less than a day by the way she talks to students. You can't yell and scream at a class to shut up the way she does. I tried to explain to a student that this behavior wouldn't be tolerated in the states.
He laughed.
My English Exam:
Revise the following sentences.
I had a dog when I was younger.
I______________________________.
(WHAT THE HECK?!)
I was also told to speak slower multiple times, and when my teacher doesn't understand something it's very obvious. For example, obviously I don't need to:
"Go and there you explain to the class how the exam."
She meant to tell me:
"Go to class and I will explain the exam to you."
And when she doesn't know how to say something in English, she starts speaking to me in Spanish... which is just strange.
I only mention this particular teacher because of the level of offense and disrespect I have received. Never in my life has I been treated like this from any other person, much less a teacher.
Exchange students- That's the other thing. Exchange students here aren't a big deal. Nothing like kids in the states. In fact, week 2 of school I found out that there were about 6 or 7 other new kids as well. Since all the schools are the same, no one really cares. It's not a big deal if you are new. I'm the first exchange student in my school. Ever. And the teachers don't know...what to do with me? Something like that. I was very rudely asked countless times why I was in Spain. And why I was enrolled at this school. I was told I was in the wrong place. I was told I couldn't be here. I was told that I needed to go to a school that taught in English. And even still, problems continue...
Organization- Does not exist. It's amazing that I could write Book 2 just on how unorganized things are here. I'll save my story on my visa paperwork for another day.
It's not just the fact that things are..."unorganized." It's the fact that nobody cares, and it's not their problem- it's yours. And if you don't know, well then...sucks for you. And if you can't speak Spanish? What the shenanigans are you doing in Spain? Why are you even here??
Oh yeah, classes don't get interrupted for anything. Not even if it's because the school lost your paper that you need for your meeting in two hours(because the principle who was supposed to sign it yesterday (at 2 o'clock...because they don't get to school before then. And school closes at 2:30PM?) went on vacation and nobody has his phone number or cares to look for it because it's on the secretary's desk and she's teaching a class) in order to renew your visa that you had to reschedule after going to three different wrong buildings and asking five people for directions because people can't give directions and you didn't have all the paperwork you needed in the first place because nobody cared to tell me what this meeting was about (because I'm always told different things by different people and my lack of Spanish even added to the whole disaster...) even though we got most of the paperwork my first three days in Spain (which was going to over thirteen different buildings, asked "adonde vamos?" more than two hundred, I stopped at that number because it started to get depressing...)
(I'm pretty sure my publisher would throw this paper back at me and tell me it's the most ridiculous run on sentence they have read...)
Yep. Bienvenidos a mi vida. Welcome to my life. My Spanish...life.
Now with the classroom.
Walls- A classroom is made up of four walls. Four, COMPLETELY BARE walls. No color, no posters, no inspirational quotes, NOTHING!
Windows- Windows have no screens. Therefore, things often get tossed out the window. Papers, nail clippings, gum, spit, soccer ball, you name it. If it's not wanted in the classroom, out the window it goes. I think there's actually some law about safety in the United States, and suicidal hazards. I could be wrong though.
And the teachers! Teachers always are getting mad about the freaking windows. They want them open, they want them closed. They want the blinds up, they want the blinds down. WE CAN NEVER MAKE THEM HAPPY!
Trash cans- are super small. As in, less than two feet tall by one foot in diameter. I tell ya, everything just goes out the window.
Emptiness- The classroom is empty. This isn't a third world country, but you do have to bring your own tissues to school. There are no staplers. Tape. Construction paper. Extra pens. Pencil sharpener. N-O-T-H-I-N-G.
An somehow, it just works. But that's my next blog post.
Bathrooms- ARE CLOSED IN BETWEEN CLASSES! I just found this out today. This in itself I don't think would work in the states. I always wondered why people never left class... Oh yeah- there's usually never toilet paper in the bathrooms (or soap?). Or paper to dry your hands. In fact, there are barely mirrors. Our locker room is worse. One 2 foot by two foot mirror. And nobody showers. Or changes clothes really. But that almost works- as gym class is more or less a joke and nobody sweats.
Let me mention that deodorant could be mistaken for hairspray. &&The strong smell could knock you off your feet! I am very interested in how this European deodorant works...
Technology- Is non-existent. I think there is only one projector (the type that is attached to the ceiling...not the type that is a good 50 years old that physically switches slides like the one we use in biology...) in the school. And the laptop to play it from? We have to bring that and set it up. We are currently doing PowerPoint's, which reminds me of something else. Not only do we have to switch classrooms in order to use the projector- but I have never realized the level of intelligence American students have when preparing "professional" presentations. Most of us know that you can't read directly off the screen word for word, and your 30 or 40 slides should not have a background that's hard to look at. And a good 500 worded paragraph on one slide with symbols and tricks is obviously plagiarism.
There is a computer lab, however. Most of the computer don't work- but hey, it's there.
Sports- THERE ARE NONE. No school sports. No school colors. No school mascot. No school patriotism. There is NOTHING! And since I live in the center of Madrid, it's really hard to find things to do such as clubs for fun, or something on that line. Most things are pay-and-join a club...which is too far of a travel to commute to everyday. If someone finds out what kids do after school- PLEASE tell me. Even though I can't complain, I usually find a place to walk to in the city, whether it's a touristy thing to do or not, there's usually somewhere to go...
Well, this concludes it for now. Nine hours later and countless philosphy classes, and I have finished Part 1. I have so much more to say it's impossible to fit it all in one post. Hopefully you made it to the bottom, as I'm not sure if I would have the patience to sit and read something for that long. I don't even have time to read this back through to edit it haha...sorry.
I guess I can sum up things and say...well...I don't know. I'll leave you to ponder this post and have your own thoughts. Expect more soon.
'Til Later,
-mb
***Oh yeah. Colored chalk is our "new technology."
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