I think the first thing I noticed about the school is that there are two separate buildings. The older kids (3rd-6th graders) are in one building while the (Prep-2nd graders) are in another. It's a pretty nice set up because it allows the younger kids to be bullied by the older kids. It also allows teachers that are in the younger years to work together and plan and set up their building to fit their needs and the same with the older students. However, they do interact with one another at lunch which allows for students to learn from one another. Grades here are also mixed, except for Prep; so grade one and two are mixed, grade three and four, and five and six. I was told that it was because the school is so small and it works better in terms of number and classes. However, it is a nice idea that the older kids can help the younger kids, which allows them to learn the information on a more comprehensive level.
Another really interesting thing was that students call teachers by their first name. It's so interesting how things are so casual here versus in the States. I remember when I asked my kids to call me Miss Dorine, my supervisor told me that I should not do that and should have the kids call me Miss Yang. I much prefer being called Miss Dorine or Dorine than Miss Yang. Although I do understand that being called Miss Yang is probably more respectful and proper, I think that being called Miss Dorine or Dorine makes kids feel not as intimidated.
The structure of the day is also quite nice. Students get two play times; once in the mid-morning and one after lunch. Students have two classes and then have snack and play time, then they come back for two more classes and then have lunch and play time, and then come back for two more classes and then go home. Kids have snack and lunch in the classroom on the floor. They sit in a circle and eat together. Students all bring packed lunches and they can order food on Fridays if they like. There is no cafeteria for students, which can be both a good and bad thing but the system they have works out quite well. Students are also required to wear hats with a brim around the whole thing or hates with side flap covers during Term 1 and 4, which are the summer months. It's quite interesting since there is nothing like that in the Boston. However, it is due to the strong sun and many kids will come back sun burned.
I was also really lucky to be able to sit in on a planning meeting today. My teacher plans with the other Prep teacher and they plan out the schedule for next week despite it being a Monday and they have barely started this week. They actually do quite a detailed schedule and it's very organized. It's quite amazing and they said that it has worked out really well for the year so far.
There is so much that is new and different here in Melbourne. The school, staff, and students are quite different than those in the States, but I'm really loving it. I think that the U.S. should look at the Australian teaching methods just like many are looking at Singapore math. The Singapore math education is excellent and many U.S. schools are trying to adopt the curriculum. I think if they adopted some methods from the Australians, it may be very helpful.
To end on a funny note, Australians have an accent, which is sometimes quite different than the American accent. I was talking with one of the girls in my class today and I said to her, "Now draw a picture." She responds, "HAHA...picTURE...HAHA". I said to her, "Picture?" and she just continues to laugh at me and say "picTURE". I guess I must've said picture weird. Getting laughed at by a 5 or 6 year old on my first day because I spoke "funny".
P.S. I added some pictures of my classroom.
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