Adjusting to School - Halfway through the week - Wednesday, 7 October 2009

Adjusting to School
Two things annoy me most about this school. I can handle quite a bit, whether I like it or not. But two things might make it impossible for me to stay another year, or for a long time. 1) Sophia's education. 2) The lack of creativity I am able to use. Perhaps this can change. I can sense that the vice principal who is in charge of curriculum has a long-term vision that is more in line with how I want to teach. But still... The classroom environment seems so stifled, teacher-created materials are frowned upon. Sure, I don't want to be in a school where the teachers must create everything. But I like to create somethings! The students are more engaged by things made by me especially for them, than something bought in a store. And student-created things are the best. I was talking to Christie as we walked to school today, and she said they had the same problem last year--the Russian-speaking vice principal did not like anything they put up on the walls. Christie & I have similar views on how to teach. The school is not there yet. I can handle a chaotic, new school that is trying to be international and IB. But a chaotic, new school that pretends that it is international and IB, while being national and stifling--not inquiry-based and internationally-minded as the IB program is--that is something different!

But in the end, we shall see. Christie said she thought Sophia would do fine in her 2nd grade class, and the principal said he had been concerned about Sophia earlier, since her English is so much better. Plus, he had originally thought she should be in 2nd grade, as her birthday is 2002. So tomorrow she starts in Christie's class. We'll see if that helps.

In music class the other day, Sophia said that the music teacher was thrilled to have an English-speaking student, and had Sophia sing songs in English. In drawing class today, Valerie tried to introduce Sophia to the teacher, who speaks no English and did not even acknowledge Sophia's presence. For drawing, he copied, on the board, pictures of animals out of a book, for the students to copy into their notebooks. Not very creative. Not very international-minded..