Cultural shock would best describe my feelings, when I started to work in school in the UK almost three years ago. Since then I have gone a long way from rejecting, comparing, praising, hating or enjoying either features i missed from Slovakian schools of my place here. This was and still is a fantastic experience and no university or training could give so much.
Now, when I look back in my experience in Slovakia, I know what and how much I would miss, if I started to work there again. Here is my list (I do not mention the pay):
Commitment of the teachers and the way school can use their time.
Teachers in the UK are employed on different basis and schools pay for certain amount of working hours, they spent. Therefore can decide how this time can be used during school day or after school. In Slovakia we have given amount of teaching hours and equivalent of non contact time. If teacher's lesson finish at 12 o'clock, he or she is usually free to go home. Very few teachers give up their time to stay longer at school.
Tutor time
It is small amount of time. 15 min three times a week in the morning. and it can make such a difference. I would introduce this instead of tutor time in form of rolling tutor once a fortnight. This gives tutor time and opportunity to react on any issues raised day before, give last minute notices, speak to tutees and manage the administration of the group on the go.
Briefings
Much better than staff meetings. Happens in the morning three times a week and gives overview of what is happening in the school, opportunity to pass notices to the student, inform about events either past or future ones etc...
Permanent classrooms for teacher
In Slovakia teaching group is fixed and has permanent base in one classroom. The group moves only to go to PE or a special lab. Teacher moves around. Although it seems a difficult task to move so many pupils around, it gives teacher a benefit - opportunity to stay in the class and welcome students, making the classroom his/her personal space, has resources ready and no need to carry everything around (Students have their own books, so teacher does not need to carry these)...
Behaviour management
Use of different methods of praise and punishment and clear rules. Also the information route, where everyone concerned is posted without the need to spent time to repeat the same information few times. And the steps in the use of detentions and exclusions. Slovakia does not know exclusion (expulsion is possible but rare) and after school detentions are rare. Break or lunch time detentions do not exist...
The use of receptions and admin staff
Something rather expensive for the schools in Slovakia, but the impression on the visitors and the help when there is somebody, who can deal with emergency situation from first aid, through calls and letters and photo copying is invaluable.
Target and goal setting and assessment towards them not only towards attainment levels
The fact that here even when you give just one grade or level you actually assess students in two different ways is fantastic. An eye opener for me. The grade tells where he/she stands against standard and levels, but it tells also whether he has been working hard and made an improvement or not. The existence of personal target is so personalised and helps to give the right feed back. I believe the motivation is strong here. And the element of personal responsibility too.
Now, when I look back in my experience in Slovakia, I know what and how much I would miss, if I started to work there again. Here is my list (I do not mention the pay):
Commitment of the teachers and the way school can use their time.
Teachers in the UK are employed on different basis and schools pay for certain amount of working hours, they spent. Therefore can decide how this time can be used during school day or after school. In Slovakia we have given amount of teaching hours and equivalent of non contact time. If teacher's lesson finish at 12 o'clock, he or she is usually free to go home. Very few teachers give up their time to stay longer at school.
Tutor time
It is small amount of time. 15 min three times a week in the morning. and it can make such a difference. I would introduce this instead of tutor time in form of rolling tutor once a fortnight. This gives tutor time and opportunity to react on any issues raised day before, give last minute notices, speak to tutees and manage the administration of the group on the go.
Briefings
Much better than staff meetings. Happens in the morning three times a week and gives overview of what is happening in the school, opportunity to pass notices to the student, inform about events either past or future ones etc...
Permanent classrooms for teacher
In Slovakia teaching group is fixed and has permanent base in one classroom. The group moves only to go to PE or a special lab. Teacher moves around. Although it seems a difficult task to move so many pupils around, it gives teacher a benefit - opportunity to stay in the class and welcome students, making the classroom his/her personal space, has resources ready and no need to carry everything around (Students have their own books, so teacher does not need to carry these)...
Behaviour management
Use of different methods of praise and punishment and clear rules. Also the information route, where everyone concerned is posted without the need to spent time to repeat the same information few times. And the steps in the use of detentions and exclusions. Slovakia does not know exclusion (expulsion is possible but rare) and after school detentions are rare. Break or lunch time detentions do not exist...
The use of receptions and admin staff
Something rather expensive for the schools in Slovakia, but the impression on the visitors and the help when there is somebody, who can deal with emergency situation from first aid, through calls and letters and photo copying is invaluable.
Target and goal setting and assessment towards them not only towards attainment levels
The fact that here even when you give just one grade or level you actually assess students in two different ways is fantastic. An eye opener for me. The grade tells where he/she stands against standard and levels, but it tells also whether he has been working hard and made an improvement or not. The existence of personal target is so personalised and helps to give the right feed back. I believe the motivation is strong here. And the element of personal responsibility too.
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