Week Two: Similarities and Differences

St. Paul’s School and Barcelona have many differences and similarities to Kentucky and the schools there.

The school is set up quite different. There are 24 students in my class, which is what schools in Kentucky strive for, although it is typically larger than 24. The school day starts at 8:45 and there is a 30-minute break for second breakfast starting at 10:45. During second breakfast, everyone eats a snack provided by the school and the kids can go outside and play until 11:15. At 13:15 (1:15), everyone goes to lunch. There is an hour and a half for lunch. When the students are done eating they can go outside and play until 15:45 (3:45). The lunch is very good! The teachers usually get served slightly different food than the students and there is always dessert and wine (yes, they give the teachers free wine at lunch) on the tables for the teachers as well. Class resumes at 15:45 (3:45) and ends at 16:30 (4:30). This is much different than the schools in Kentucky. It makes for a longer day since everything is spread out, however, it is really nice. The kids seem to be more focused in class with the breaks throughout the day. It is also nice having more than 20 minutes to eat lunch (not something that us American teachers are used to).

The school follows the English Standards, and grades are given by teacher’s discretion. Behavior is a huge factor in the student’s grade, and I have never seen students with such great behavior. The students and parents look at education as a privilege, rather than a requirement. The school is also considered a “private-public school”, which means the parents pay tuition and the school receives some money from the government. I am sure if I got to see a public school here in Barcelona they would be a little more like the schools I have been to in Kentucky. The teachers also switch classes instead of the students. This saves a lot of time with transitioning; however, it is hard for the teachers to bring the materials with them for the lessons. The students here play football (soccer) all the time. This reminds me of my fourth-grade student teaching placement because everyday the guys would get a soccer game going. It is crazy how good the students are at soccer at a very young age.

My role in the school has remained very similar to my role student teaching in Kentucky. I work with small groups, teach whole class, and assist the teacher when needed. I have to make sure to learn the different content before the lessons is all that is really different. For example, we are learning about the European Union in social studies and temperature in Celsius in math. Therefore, I have been able to learn a variety of things while I am here, as well as improving my deliver of content.