There is a definite difference between school systems in America and school systems here.
Scratch that, almost everything is different. All the same factors apply, but the way those factors manifest is completely different.
For example, textbooks exist in both places. In America every kid has one. Totchka. (Period, my russian vocabulary grows...) In Moldova, maybe most have them. Maybe some of those remember to bring em. Of those who do, maybe half of them have their exercise books as well in order to record the lesson. Of those that have both, half will be any state of repair and at least two editions will exist in the group or bunches of 6 pages at a time will be ripped systematically from them or... god knows what. I am learning grant writing. This will be rectified.
Another example is discipline. In America, it is enforced. In Moldova, it sometimes exists, and then a kids eye gets beat out of his face by another kid (in my single best behaved class I might add) and people are surprised.
The most interesting thing though, is that I live out in the country. My friends live in cities. Their students sound like images of angels eager to pour grammar into their hopeful and well fed ears. Mine, well, mine act like creatures from Detroit or Baltimore. The inversion, is this how America was 100 years ago? Were country school houses unmanagable and big town schools full of eagerites? How big does a city have to get before it gets its inner-ness?
4 comments:
Darling!
I saw Stephanie at the Blue Moon on Saturday night and she gave me your blog address. It's so good to find you here.
Wow. School sounds... rough seems a mild word. Isn't Moldova where Chekhov's "Three Sisters" takes place or am I making that up? I just read it for the first time.
How close are you to Transylvania? You should get together with Krisztina sometime in your time there.
I love you and I hope that you are doing well. Keep blogging!What's your address?
Faith
ah yes the lack of discipline... my favorite part of teaching here so far...
Never smile before Christmas.
A small but disciplined force will always defeat a Mob.
Just a couple of Bobisms.
Schools everywhere have been rough. The key component is parent involvement. If parents are involved, classroom management, i.e., discipline, is always easier. Hundreds of studies have shown this across multiple countries and cultures.
It's hard to generalize about city versus country schools. I get your point on the inverse situations in Moldova and the U.S. vis-a-vis country and city.
Historically, I think country school childre have always been rougher here in the USA, that is, more independent and prone to punch each other out. But, in the country you can always track them down. That leads to at least some sense of civic responsibility. In the city, they just disappear. Oh, and they might bust a cap on your ass.
So, the pendulum has swung, relatively speaking.
I don't have any firm numbers on this, but I guess I could find some. Your comparison/contrast between US and Moldovan city/country classroom management situations could be the basis for somebody's master thesis, me thinks. Take notes.
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