School Days

Today was the first day of school.  The school and classroom environment is sooo different from what I am familiar with in US public schools.

In the US, teachers spend half their time managing behavior: "sit still", "be quiet", "i'll turn your card", "I'll call your parents", and on and on and on.  It definitely has an affect on efficiency, how can you teach if you're spending all of your time trying to control your students???

At C--------- School, the children act like... well children!  They are loud and grab eachother and don't walk in straight lines.  They jump up and down in their desks and chat amongst themselves in class.  The teachers just ignore this behavior, and, get this, use a microphone to counter the loudness of the children.  But you know what?  As soon as there is work to be done, its business time, and without being reminded, the children quietly stay on task. 

There is something to be said for allowing a little chaos, it doesn't seem to heed productivity at all.  On the contrary, the children seem more willing to do their work, school is fun and relaxed.

The teachers are equally laid-back when it comes to planning.  Classes, trips, and lesson plans change on a minute-by-minute basis, and nobody seems to mind or worry about it.  Its a great environment to work in, once one gets used to never knowing what will happen next.