The First Week---Scuola!

My first week in Italy has been so many things; spiritual, exhilarating, insightful, and a LEARNING experience for sure ... I have had brief moments of panic and anxiety when I'm alone at school or at Camilla's dance class, or when I'm trying to purchase something....I now know how it feels to be a minority and it can be very scary and frustrating at times. I can especially identify with the non-Italian speaking students in my classroom, I am very sad for them. I know that it is very hard to find the funds to help all of the ESL students in America but we always find a way to separate them and make sure they are learning. It frustrates me that in my Italian classroom there are two different students who are recent immigrants from the Middle East (Pakistan, I think) and they dont receive ANY special attention, at all. They just sit there and zone out all day. They just can't keep up. I wish I could do something. Although I am frustrated in my class about that, I am also learning so much about different teaching styles. I love the interaction hat happens between my host teacher and her students. It is very encouraging and everyone is always actively engaged. The class doesn't seem boring at all, in fact I look around and every single student (except for the Pakistani boys) are thoroughly enjoying everything!  Learning seems so fun. The thing that was a little shocking the first day was how loud that they allow there classroom to get! It is a very active classroom so the teacher is constantly asking questions and getting verbal feedback from the class. Like America, they do raise their hands but they don't wait to be called on they scream and jump.... now just imagine twenty-five ten year olds in a tiny room all doing that at once, to be called on. It gets so loud. My ears were almost ringing. But the atmosphere is so much fun. Although it gets very loud they are so engaged in what the teacher is saying she can lightly signal for them to sit down and be quiet and they all do it right away.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=3864136558824&saved

Here in Italy I have noticed the extreme respect for any kind of authority that the kids have, much different that America... it's very refreshing.
My teacher told me that she doesnt believe in homework but she has to give it because the parents want it. The parents here in Italy are soooo much into there children's life and act as a teacher at home also. Daniela sits down for almost  two hours every evening (even weekends) to work on homework with Camilla. My teacher, Mariachristina says that there in no curriculum for them to follow in Carpi so she decides what the kids need to learn.This is VERY different. I couldn't imagine it. She also does not specialize in any specific grade but instead starts in First grade with her class and stays with them every year until fifth, when they move on to Schola Media (middle school). I can see the true bond that everyone has developed and I actually really like that method, I really think it creates a safe learning environment, and they are more open to express themselves. For example, along with the homework Mariachristina assigns for the kids every night  she encourages them to come up with their own game for the lesson, and then teach it to the class the next day in class. I watched as a boy stood in front of the class acting almost as the teacher. Everyone loved this, It is just amazing to me how engaged they are, all of the time. They are so positive and love school.
At my school in Carpi they dont have a principle at the school or a front office. They teachers work at colleagues, my teacher said, they make the decisions together.
On Wednesday, for the music section of the class, Mariachristina taught the students how to read music with  the recorders. She drew a music staff on the board and asked a few kids to come up to the board and add their own note. It was very non-tonal so she competed the line with a "sol" "do" and smiled at me! ;)

After they played the recorders for a little while she opened up the classroom for anyone to come up and sing or play a solo. They would come up and sing for each other (pop songs) It was soo cute. They all love each other so much.
I think what I appreciate most is the sense of community and joy that I see everyday with such little resources. These schools don't have a library or cafeteria. They don't have a playground with a jungle gym and the families purchase the school books, they aren't just rented out for free. But these kids LOVE to learn. Of course, they don't know any different. But especially now, I can see the amazing impact a good teacher can make.

I am learning so much!

And this week I GET TO TEACH!

Much love,
Melissa