A small group of our class went to a public school today as part of our field study. It was a 20 minute train ride out of Copenhagen to what was referred to as the ghetto. The American perspective of the ghetto is drastically different than what Danish people would consider the ghetto. Although the ghetto is a place that is considered impoverished, neglected, or disadvantaged, there is still a typical landscape you would expect to see that changes based on your culture. The walls along the train station had a little graffiti here and there, but nothing more than the average city. As we walked towards the school along apartment complexes there was no trash to be seen on the ground and the buildings looked relatively new. It wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing city I've seen in Denmark, but by America's standards this was your average looking town. By simply labeling this town as the ghetto, there is a negative connotation associated with the community which dictates the attitudes of those living there.
The public school was difficult to find at first because there was a great deal of construction out front. We soon navigated our way through the unpaved path and past the chain link fences to where we saw kids chatting in groups and playing soccer or ball wall. We walked right past the children and into the office without anyone stopping us to ask for identification and we didn't need to be checked in or get name tags. As soon as you walk onto a school campus in the United States it feels like you are being followed with your every move being watched and criticized. In Denmark, the security was inexistent or practically invisible. The teachers were in casual clothes like jean shorts, fun skirts, and tight tank tops.
We got a brief introduction from the 8th grade English teacher who told us how we would be spending our day. There were 12 students in our group at the field site, so we broke up into pairs to talk to the 8th graders. The class then divided themselves into three groups for us to rotate through and get to know the students.
Carla and I were first paired with a group of about five guys and one girl with a teacher sitting in the classroom with us. It was like pulling teeth to get them to talk. We asked about school, their classes, after school activities, their future, music, movies, and we couldn't get more than a couple of words out of them. After 17 minutes of complete and total awkward conversation, the teacher left the room to see when we would be switching groups. Almost instantly the boys started talking our ears off. I thought the language barrier was part of the reason we weren't getting through to them, but it was really the teacher creating a block in the conversation. For the last three minutes of our time together we had a great conversation and were busy talking and laughing.
We later learned from the other two groups that the teacher creating the block in conversation was very disliked. There was not one person we talked to that liked her, and we talked to at least 20 students. By establishing ourselves as allies, the students were able to open up when we created a safe space for them to speak out. Although talking badly about your teachers isn't an ideal setting when volunteering or working somewhere, but for purposes of getting the students to open up to us, this appeared to be working. We learned that the woman teacher was disliked because she gives a lot of homework but doesn't check it and the German teacher spits while he talks so the students have to sit back. We also learned a lot about their education system and demographics of the school population.
When initially signing up to go to a diverse school and meet with older children, I was apprehensive. I believed the stereotype about 8th graders being rude, disrespectful, and difficult to work with. I am happy to say that all my preconceived notions were incorrect. Once we were able to talk to the children one on one, they weren't as frightening as they are often made out to be.
I noticed an interesting trend when asking the 8th graders what their favorite classes were. Several children in each of the three sessions said their favorite class is English or physics. It was hard to believe that so many kids had similar interests, especially in difficult subjects like physics. After further inquiry about the reasons they like these classes, the 8th graders said that they really like their teachers for these subjects. It never ceases to amaze me that one good teacher can dictate the course of your education and potentially the rest of your life.
As we were getting back together in a big group, one of the boys from the first group of students came up to Carla and I and told us that we were their favorite. I was pleasantly surprised to get this positive feedback from these boys when I wasn't sure we were getting through to them for the majority of our time together. This was a nice reminder that in order to work with children it is important to get through to them in a space and at a level they are comfortable with. Once you provide the safe space, the children will take it from there.
I was sad to say goodbye, but it was time to go. I would have liked to spend more time getting to know each of the children individually, but with only three short weeks left in Denmark I knew this wouldn't be possible. After class I headed straight to my bed. Feeling the symptoms of my cold sneaking up on me, I laid down and took a 6 hour nap. I woke up at 10pm and thought my clock read 10am because it was still light outside. After a moment of panic, I realized I slept half the day away. This didn't bother me too much because it was exactly what my body needed. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be healthy as a horse.
No comments:
Post a Comment