Personal Development- week 18

Week 17-  24^th-31^st May 2012

Bags packed, goodbyes said, and it’s time to leave our little home in Copenhagen.  As Ali and I walked home from university today we found ourselves reminiscing about the last 4 months. Thinking back to the first time we tried to get the train and the bus, how confused we were and how easily we got lost, whereas now it has become second nature. We have realised how much we have grown and changed over these last few months, and how beneficial they have been not only to our future careers, but also to ourselves and to how we cope and react to new situations. It has been a strange but busy week as we prepared to leave, trying to fit in last minute souvenir shopping, goodbyes and even a trip to Stockholm!

On one of our first nights in Denmark Ali and I made a list of all the different things we wanted to try and do over the four months, and when we looked back on it recently we realised that a visit to Sweden was something we still hadn’t had the chance to do, so we booked a last minute train to Stockholm for two days. Although it seemed like the longest train journey ever, five and a half hours later we arrived in Stockholm ready to do some sightseeing! However as we were exhausted our first day mainly consisted of a visit to the TV tower, which you can go to the top of and look out over all of Stockholm, and a walk down the main shopping street. We had planned to go on the canal tour on the Tuesday though to make sure we were able to visit all the different places we wanted to go such as the palace, the old town and the city hall. Stockholm was a beautiful city and it surprised me that it was surrounded and lay on so much water! The canal tour was a great way to get around and to not only see the city from a different angle but to hear about the history of it also.

These last four months have provided me with so many opportunities to go travelling and visit places in Europe and it is something I have really enjoyed being able to do! Previously I would have been quite a nervous traveller, but I have learnt to do it myself and have proved to myself that I can cope and even though we might get lost or read the map wrongly there will always be someone you can ask to help.

ERASMUS has been without a doubt one of the best experiences of my life. I have made friends all over Europe, I have travelled to so many different places, and I have learnt so much about myself and about Denmark. Copenhagen is an incredible city and I feel so privileged to have been able to call this beautiful city home for the last four months, and I hope that someday I can return here. It has been an unforgettable four months, and I can’t believe this is my last blog and my last night in our little basement home, I really am going to miss the Danish way of life! (And the pastries!)

Trying traditional Swedish meatballs!

Week 17- Personal Development

Week 17-  18th-24th May 2012

Looking back over my blogs from the last four months, I can hardly believe the time has come already to write the penultimate entry! I have had the opportunity to see and do so much over my time in Denmark and it truely has been an incredible experience.

This week the sun has come out, and we have finally got the weather we have been hoping for! This week has averaged at least 20 degrees every day, and due to this Ali and I have been making the most of our last two weeks to try and do all the things we had been putting off due to the cold! We have finally had our first BBQ, gone to the beach and visited Hamlet’s castle in Helsingor amongst many other things! These last four months have been some of the greatest experiences of my life, but naturally it hasn’t all been easy, but I am impressed with how well I have managed to cope with all the changes I have faced and the difficulty of being away from home and from my friends! There have been times when I have wanted to go home, or felt like I was missing out on everything back in Belfast, but looking back over my time here I realise that although these feelings are natural I am so glad I came away on ERASMUS.  Before coming I wouldn’t have described myself as an overly confident person, and would have come across quite shy and quiet, but due to being thrown totally out of what I was used to I have had to change and have discovered that I am now much more confident in my abilities and have developed so many important skills while being here. I have become a lot more independent, and enjoy being able to do everything on my own time and when it suits me! I almost think it is going to be strange to go home again, and not have to make my own dinner every night or do my own washing! (Not that I won’t welcome that again though!)

I have met some incredible people during ERASMUS, some of who have already left and more that I will have to say goodbye too over the next week. I am dreading having to say goodbye to the friends I have made here, but I know that from this experience I will always have friends all over Europe who I can visit, contact and talk to. We have all made plans to try and meet up over the next year, and I really hope this happens, as from talking to them I have not only learnt so much about their different countries and their views but also about their universities and their schools!

With only a week left in Denmark, it is going to be busy, but with assignments handed in, and only a day or two more in college, it is definitely going to be a good last week, a great ending to four months I will never forget!

Night time concert at Tivoli!

Week 16- Cultural Development

Week 16- 10^th-17^th May 2012

From the Opera to the football stadium, we really did manage to see everything Milan had to offer! Even though we were only in Milan for four days, Ali and I managed to pack so much into our time.

Having never been to Italy before, I was really looking forward to this trip, not only for the sunshine and the food, but also because it would give me the opportunity to discover a bit more about the culture of another country, something I am really enjoying having the opportunity to be able to do while on ERASMUS. As we arrived at our hostel, we were immediately welcomed by the owner, who was so keen to tell us the best places to go, to eat and things to see. This immediately made me feel a lot more settled and we knew that if we had any problems or confusion we could always ask him.  He recommended that we go to Lake Como for a day as it was only an hour away by train, and this was something that we decided to do, to give ourselves a day away from the city and to totally relax and enjoy the sunshine. To get away to somewhere so calm after being in so many busy cities over the last few months was something I really appreciated, we were able to just lie by the lake and totally relax!

However I did feel that even in the city, Milan was very relaxed and had a lovely atmosphere. In Italy it seems that people enjoy just being able to sit in cafes and drink coffees and enjoy the Italian food and chilled out atmosphere, and again this was something that Ali and I took advantage of whenever we could. It surprised me how well the Italian people we had to communicate with spoke English, but after talking to one of our Italian friends here she explained that often to work in restaurants or shops in areas of Italy where there are high numbers of tourists you need to have a good level of English. We noticed and appreciated this especially after the language issues we experienced while in Spain the weekend before.

We managed to visit the Duomo, and took the elevator up to the roof, where not only could we see for miles around Milan but we were also able to appreciate the amazing architecture of the building. We were lucky enough to also manage to go the opera, as we were told that they release 140 tickets on the day of the show for only 12euro! Although our seats were as high up as they could possibly be, it was something totally different and I really enjoyed this experience even though it was at times hard to understand what was going on! After deciding we wanted to go and visit the famous Milan football ground, we arrived only to discover that there was a match on that day...so naturally we decided since we were already there we may as well get tickets and go! (We were the only ones who didn’t understand the rules, and were very obviously tourists as every time Milan scored and the whole crowd started singing and chanting whereas we were too busy trying to take photos!)

At the football match!

Spinning on the bull to make a wish!

Milan was a great trip, and we have definitely improved our map reading skills, and I feel I have learnt to be a lot more independent when travelling and having to organise things, ERASMUS has taught me so much already, and I am excited to see what new surprises and challenges my final two weeks in Copenhagen will bring.

Week 15- Cultural Development

Week 15 3rd-10^th May 2012

With time flying in until our ERASMUS experience is over, and due to the fact that we have no classes for this whole month, Ali and I decided to treat ourselves to a few trips away, and take the opportunity to explore a bit more of Europe.

This week we headed to Madrid for a short break, and we head to Milan on Thursday for four days. I was excited for both these holidays, not only because they were two cities I had never visited before, but because I was finally looking forward to getting away from the changeable Danish weather and enjoy some proper sunshine! As we had such a short time in Madrid, we knew that we needed to decide exactly what all we wanted to see and do before we went. This city was not what I expected at all when we arrived, as we discovered it was actually not that big and we were able to walk to see all the different sites, even though they seemed to be spread over our whole map! We visited the palace, the cathedral and the theatre in the morning as well as visited the Temple of Debod, an ancient Egyptian temple which was rebuilt in Madrid. These were all really interesting and gave us a bit of an insight into the history and culture of the city. We managed to spend all morning exploring these different buildings before moving to a park at the opposite side of the city where we enjoyed the sun that had finally come out as we tried to “row” on the lake in its centre!

Ali at the Temple of Debod.

One of the main differences that stood out for me between the culture in Madrid and the culture both at home and here in Denmark is the police presence in the city. There were a lot of beggars, prostitutes, and homeless people about which is perhaps one the reasons for this enhanced presence, and although at first it seemed a bit unnerving, it actually meant that we felt safe as we explored and constantly could find someone to ask for directions when we needed!

Before going, our Spanish friends from ERASMUS here had warned us that people in Spain tend not to have good English and would find us difficult to understand, however apart from a few difficulties when ordering food we seemed to manage to communicate fairly well, perhaps due to being used to slowing down when we talk and using a more simple language and hand gestures from being out in school and meeting people in Copenhagen.

These four months in Denmark have provided me with so many opportunities to explore other cities and places in Europe that I would have otherwise not have had the opportunity to, and I am loving learning more about all these different places and gaining a better understanding of the culture and how people there live. Madrid? Done, now bring on the next few days in Milan!

Enjoying some Spanish food!

Professional Development- Week 14

Week 14-  26^th April- 3^rd May 2012

Classes over, the sun is shining, but sadly the work still continues here in Copenhagen. For this last month we have to complete an Individual Assignment, in which we compare an aspect of our home countries education system with Denmark. We have all of May to complete this and it involves not only writing the paper, but visiting a variety of different schools and talking to teachers and pupils to enable us to gain a deeper understanding of the Danish system.

After our special needs modules and placement we had at home this year, I realised that this was an area of education that I was interested in, and therefore decided to do my project based on special needs, and how schools here dealt with pupils with SEN as well as integration policies. It is an area that I have a good understanding of within the Northern Ireland system and therefore I felt it would be beneficial to look at how other countries cope with the same situations. However, contacting and getting into schools has not been as easy as I first thought, as many schools do not reply to emails, perhaps due to the language barrier or because they are so busy. I have been lucky enough though to be able to go back to the school I did placement in and visit a Special needs unit there. After two weeks in that school, I wasn’t even aware that this unit existed, so I was really looking forward to going in to visit and to meet the teachers and the pupils!

There were only 6 children in the class, 5 boys and 1 girl, and two teachers. Their classroom was in a separate area of the school and I discovered that other than break and lunch times they were never integrated into the rest of the school. There was such a calm and relaxed atmosphere within the classroom and I immediately relaxed as the teachers made me feel so welcome! At first it was difficult because I could not speak to the children and they were shy, however it didn’t take them long to try and say the few English words they knew (even though these were often animals and colours!) just to try and make conversation. I learnt a lot that day about how the class worked and the different activities they take part in. Every Wednesday the teachers take them on a trip using the train, to help integrate them into society and learn about how to travel. I was lucky enough to join them on this day and we went to a playground where we could enjoy the sun, and they made me go on all the slides, ziplines and climbing frames!

Overall, my first experience of being in a SEN school/unit in Denmark was great. It really made me think about the differences between this classroom and the mainstream, as well as the differences and similarities to this type of classroom at home. I can’t wait to have the opportunity to visit more classes like this and hopefully deepen my knowledge and understanding of this type of education.  This was one of my best days of being in school in Denmark, as I finally felt more useful and had the opportunity to connect with the pupils- hopefully if I have time I might even get back to this class before I come home!

Enjoying the sunshine- finally!

Visiting the Copenhagen Icebar!

Personal Development Week 13

Week 13-  20^th-26^th April 2012

This week marked the end of our classes here in Denmark. Our university here offers both a three and a four month ERASMUS program, so as of this week 15 people will be leaving our group to return to their home countries. Over this next month we will not have any concentrated class time but will be required to write an individual assignment in which we will be comparing aspects of our home countries education system with that of Denmark. To do this we will need to visit schools, interview teachers and carry out a lot of research, so class might be over- but the work definitely isn’t!

With so many people packing up to go home, this week has made me reflect and think back over my time here in Denmark. We had a final class on Wednesday in which we brought out our posters we created right back in week 1, and had to add the new things we had discovered about ourselves since being here. Immediately I could identify so many ways in which I had not only changed, but matured and grown. I came here as a quite shy person, who often sat in the background, but now I realise and can see myself that I have become much more outgoing and definitely more independent! Other things have changed about me too over these last 3 months; I do cooking, cleaning, washing, and can figure out directions and where I need to be by myself. Once you are “thrown out” into the real world you begin to realise that you really can cope. I was so nervous before arriving here, I didn’t think I would be able to manage, and to stay on top of everything, I thought I’d be living on cereal for a lot of my meals! I’m out of my home comfort zone, but honestly I feel like I’ve settled here, and now living like this has become second nature to me. I have a more developed understanding of Denmark’s culture, and their education system, and I know that over this next month as I go out myself into new schools and environments I will further my understanding of this even more, and this is something I am really looking forward to having the opportunity to do.

This has been a reflective week, I have thought about how those 15 people I have become friendly with over the last few months are returning home, back to reality, and although part of me is a little jealous, I know that I am not ready to leave Denmark yet. I am still growing and maturing, and being here is encouraging me to do that. It might be strange here, how when we arrived things like the language seemed so scary, the food seemed strange, the accommodation wasn’t what I expected, but I have managed to cope. I can’t believe how much I have changed over these last 3 months, how much I have developed and therefore I look forward to seeing what I am going to be like, and how much more my views and opinions will have changed by the time I return home!

Week 12- Professional Development

Week 12-   13^th-19^th April 2012

This past week has been one of my busiest and most tiring since I arrived in Denmark. We had our final few days of our school practice, and I had the opportunity to experience “project week” something that features a lot in the Danish school system. I automatically assumed that the week would take place around a specific theme as this was the sort of thing I am used to at home, but we were told that the during the week each day would focus on a particular subject and all the activities would not be linked to any overlying theme.

The days we observed and took part in were art, maths and physical education orientated, and each one was organised by a different teacher for the entire second grade year group. Normally in this grade the pupils do not have one teacher for the full day, but different teachers for each subject, which I think is one of the reasons for the relaxed and often disorganised and chaotic atmosphere within the classroom, as each teacher has different rules and ways of teaching. However the stability that this day provided as they stayed with one teacher allowed the class to understand what was expected and how they were required to act. At first I had thought that I could never deal with being in the classroom here, because of the totally different atmosphere but I have begun to realise that it entirely depends on the teacher, and if or when we are involved the children have respect and will be keen to listen and try to understand what it is we are going to say. Due to normal classes being taken by different teachers this limits the amount of cross-curricular work the children have the opportunity to take part in as everything is kept so separate. This was something else I found strange as at home the curriculum provides so much emphasis on cross curricular skills and themes.

However this first art day quickly changed this as the children were introduced to basic geometric shapes and were to create collage pictures using these shapes which they were to draw themselves using a variety of methods, such as compasses, tracing, drawing round other objects. The maths day was totally different again as it allowed the children to come out of the classroom and work in teams to find and solve various maths problems which were hidden around the school. This was something the pupils really enjoyed and the children were mixed into random teams to develop their social skills and interaction with people they didn’t know previously. The final day was the sports day and again the children had different tasks to complete in teams as they competed against each other. Overall I found that although this week was totally not what I expected it to be, it was enjoyable and allowed the pupils to move outside their normal classroom environment.

I have noticed so many similarities and differences between the Danish and Northern Irish school system over these last weeks, and I really enjoyed and found it beneficial to have this opportunity to learn and find out more about their ways of teaching. Although there were times when it was difficult and frustrating as we couldn’t make the pupils understand what we were saying, I am going to miss my practice school here in Denmark. (Although, I can’t say I’m going to miss those 6.30am starts!)

Week 11- Professional Development

Week 11 - 6^th-12^th April 2012

The last two years of teaching practice have taught me that no two days will ever be the same, and to expect the unexpected! This has been no different during teaching practice so far here in Denmark!

The main classes I am to be in are Maths for second grade (aged 8/9) and English with 4^th and 5^th grade (10-12). Our first day began with a maths lesson with a class we have visited before and here I knew that although I was not going to be able to actually teach anything due to my limited vocabulary and their lack of English, I was going to be able to work as a type of classroom assistant for these two hours.  Using different techniques and the little Danish I know I was able to help the children with any problems they had with their work. Although this was challenging, I felt proud at the end that we had been able to cope and to help the children, and some of the girls even managed to learn the words “You are very good teachers, thank-you” in English to say to us at the end of the class!

On Wednesday, Kai, the teacher who we follow the majority of the time had told us he was taking his 4^th grade class on a trip to visit all their houses and their pets! This seemed a little strange to me, especially when he explained it was for a Science lesson, but I thought it would all become clear on the day.  Having witnessed a totally different attitude to learning inside the classrooms than what I am used to seeing at home, I was intrigued at how this walk would work, especially when it came to crossing roads and arriving at the children’s houses! It was a totally different experience to what I expected, the children ‘followed’ Kai as we walked, although they were often running ahead, lagging behind, climbing trees or walking on the other side of the road from every-one else. It was a complete contrast to what I expected, or what you would witness in Northern Ireland where consent forms would have to be signed, children would be paired up and counted continually during the walk, instead Kai just had faith that the children would follow him, or at times even lead him to where we were going. Although this was an interesting experience, I felt jumpy and nervous the whole time, constantly wondering if all the pupils were with us, or were walking safely. Education here is totally different and has a much more relaxed atmosphere which it is definitely taking some time to get used to! I kept thinking how a walk like this would go down at home, some parents didn’t even know the whole class was going to turn up at their house!

I have also had the opportunity to do small group work exercises with a 4^th grade English class, just basic conversation skills encouraging the children to try and work together to figure out words they didn’t know and to ask and answer questions. I really enjoyed this as I got to work with three different groups and it was nice to finally be able to communicate and get to know some of the pupils a bit better as this is something I am finding strange as we move around so many different classes each day.

Overall I am enjoying the beginning of these two weeks, and although it is pushing me out of my comfort zone in the classroom, it is a challenge I am keen to face. Teachers may not know where all the pupils are, they may not know what they are going to do each day, but somehow the whole system seems to work, and with a relaxed atmosphere meaning the pupils can enjoy themselves. Next week brings a whole new challenge as we embark on a project week, so I look forward to seeing what new challenges this brings!

Week 10- Cultural Development

Week 10- 30^th March- 5^th April

This past week has been a busy week of sightseeing and being like a proper tourist. I have had the opportunity not only to be a tourist in Copenhagen but also in Berlin where Alison and I went, along with two Italian girls and a Spanish girl from our class for our Easter break.  This week I have seen so many new things and had the chance to visit a variety of different places and developed my cultural awareness of both these countries.

The week began with a visit from my Dad and my younger sister! This was something I was so looking forward to, as I knew it would give me the opportunity to show them where I have been living for the last two months, but also to show them how well I have learnt to navigate myself through this totally different city and to finally go to many of the places I myself have not had the opportunity to visit. We went on a canal tour which not only showed us the various famous sights of Copenhagen, but also provided me with new information and understanding of these areas.  I really enjoyed getting to see Copenhagen in a totally different light, as over these past months I have become so used to the culture and way of life here it was interesting to see it again through the eyes of a tourist and to see how well I have adapted to this way of living.

After my busy weekend with my family, we took off for Berlin early Tuesday morning.  This was a trip I was really looking forward to as Germany is a country I have never visited. As we landed we discussed all the different things we wanted to see, and I quickly realised that our 3 day visit was not going to be anywhere near enough time to see everything! We however managed to squeeze so many different activities in, visiting Charlotteburg palace, the East side gallery, and the Olympic Stadium, as well as doing a 4 hour walking tour which showed us sites such as Hitler’s bunker, the Brandenburg gate and Checkpoint Charlie.  Germany has a well known history, but I discovered that I actually knew so little about the people living there and the conflicts that occurred within the city boundaries.  This trip was so informative and I have a whole new awareness and appreciation for the city.  I found we were all constantly asking each other various questions, eager to develop our knowledge and understanding of the culture in this city.

Sights like the Berlin wall, the east side gallery and the concentration camp we visited really hit home about how life was here, and how recently the conflicts ended.  We met a group of people who were on a trip from Northern Ireland to compare the conflict at home with the conflict between East and West Berlin.  This was something I had not previously considered but after talking with them I was able to recognise many similarities between the two places. 

Berlin was an amazing city, filled with things to see, and is a place I will want to visit again, as I feel we only scratched the surface of discovering the culture of this place.  Going away with girls from other countries was a great experience also, as we were all able to learn from each other about how things are in our own countries.  I loved asking them questions about their home lives and discovering more about these countries as well.  Our only issue was over meal times, as the Spanish and Italian prefer to eat so late at dinner, and Ali and I were always far to hungry to wait until 9pm!

This week has been a week of learning and developing my knowledge and understanding of a variety of different towns and cities, and I am now defiantly keen to get more sightseeing and discovery in during my remaining time here! 

Professional Development

Week 9- 22^nd-29^th March 2012

Half way there. As I think back over the last nine weeks I can’t believe how much I have learnt, How much I have done and how many people I have met along the way. Without a doubt this has been one of the best experiences of my life so far, and there is still so much more to come.

Day visits and observations are done, and after Easter I will be beginning a two week block of teaching practice in my school here. This is something that although I am looking forward to, I am worried about the challenges I will face. I will mainly be attending and teaching maths and English classes as I have discovered from my three observation days these are the classes I can participate in the most.  Due to wanting to work with children in the younger grades communication is an issue, as many of them do not speak much English, and I don’t speak much Danish (apart from the numbers, which is why the maths classes will work!)   However, I am looking forward to these challenges, and have already had the opportunity to work with the pupils in maths and have discovered that even though there is a language barrier, there are so many other ways to help explain what I mean.  This is something I really feel will benefit me in my teaching as I find I am constantly looking for different, simple methods to explain things to enable every child to understand. 

Although Denmark is renowned for having one of the best education systems in Europe, every time I am in the classroom my eyes are opened. Teachers and pupils here have a totally different way of working together and relating to each other.  Pupils are allowed more freedom in what they do, and are not constantly told to be quiet, or to listen to explanations! There are even times when the children don’t carry out the work required and nothing is said.  This is something I am having trouble coming to terms with, as I can’t get my head around how the pupils manage to actually learn anything! However, I was talking to the teacher of the English classes, and explained my thoughts, and was pleased to see he often had the same questions! Having attended school in America, he understood where I was coming from in my views, and explained that although it seemed so strange to me now, it was all the pupils had known, and that the learning does still take place, the atmosphere is just so much more relaxed.

I have no idea what all will happen over these two weeks, but I can be sure that no matter what I will come away with my eyes opened, and with some many new ideas and opinions that I can bring into my teaching when I return home.  It will be tough at times not to get stressed at the different way the children react in the classroom and the seeming lack of respect for the teacher, but if it was going to be easy I wouldn’t have the opportunity to learn and develop as a teacher, so I am looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead! Wish me luck!

Week 8- Personal Development

Week 8- 15^th-21^st March 2012

St. Patrick's Day parade in Copenhagen!

There have been ups and downs, but now at week 8, all our classes have began, school placement and visits are underway and I am finally finding it easier to deal with the language barrier, both in class and in Denmark in general.

Checking on our Shepherd's Pie!

This week has been busy, filled with St. Patrick's Day celebrations, school visits and an international dinner! As a class filled with students from at least six different countries we decided to host an international night, in which we would all cook a dish from our home country and let everyone try it! As I am not the best cook, I was nervous for what we could possibly make that everyone would enjoy, and that we wouldn’t burn, as Ali and I seem to do with all our food here! After a lot of discussion and confusion between everyone, we decided to join with the two girls from Dublin, and together the four of us made a massive shepherd’s pie! Our first choice was Irish stew, or Beef and Guinness pie, but after much discussion we decided the shepherd’s pie would be easier to make in a large quantity! We arrived at school, excited to find out about all the other different foods we would be trying, and found out there was going to be so much choice, Spanish omelette, Belgian chocolate mousse, German apple cake, American chocolate brownies, Italian pasta, Austrian pancakes and Slovenian breads! I have to say, it was probably the best meal I have had, and the most I have eaten since I arrived here 8 weeks ago! It was such a great opportunity to try different foods, that I would otherwise probably not have even thought about trying and have even taken some of the recipes to try to make the dishes again myself when I get home! Although, a lot of people did admit that the shepherd’s pie was their favourite, so it seems we aren’t such terrible cooks after all!

Trying a little bit of everything!

This week also marked the end of my Science module, a class I have definitely struggled with, often due to the language barrier as well as the fact it was something totally different to what I expected when I picked it! However, I do feel that although this was a challenge, it was a good opportunity to try something totally different, and to push myself outside my comfort zone even though it was difficult at times.

I can barely believe that I have already been here 8 weeks, nearly half way through my time here, and although I have had the opportunity to do so many things, I look at the list Ali and I made on our first day of things we wanted to see, and realise that instead of it getting shorter, we keep adding new things! I am loving having the opportunity to explore this amazing place, and to learn more and more about where I am living. There are obviously barriers and issues that I find difficult, but it seems my Danish is improving more than I thought, as this week when I returned to school, the pupils all remembered my name, age and where I came from, something which I tried to tell them in my basic, broken Danish last week! I am excited for what more there is to come over the next few weeks, the sun has come out and suddenly I realise just how beautiful a place this is, and am so grateful that I have the opportunity to call this country home for these few months!

St. Patrick's day, three legged race through the city!

Week 7- Professional Development

Week 7- 8^th-15^th March 2012

First Danish hotdog!

Week 7 and many things have happened for the first time since I arrived here in Copenhagen; the sun has come out, I have finally tried the famous Danish hotdogs and most importantly I have had my first visit to my school for teaching practice!

Ali and I at the top of the Round Tower, Copenhagen.

Before our two week block of placement we have the chance to visit the school for observation on three separate occasions to let us get to know the teacher, the pupils and how the school works.  On the train on the way to my school for the first time I was so nervous, my mind was going through all the different possibilities of what all could go wrong, my main worry being the language barrier as children here don’t begin to learn English until they are 8 or 9.  However, upon arriving at school, we were all pleasantly surprised as all the staff seemed very friendly and immediately made us all feel very welcome.  I am doing my placement with three other students from other countries and for the most part we will all be in the same classroom. At first this seemed strange to me as I am used to being on my own, but I feel that I will actually be able to learn a lot from each of them and their different teaching methods.

Schools here are totally different to at home which was something I quickly noticed after entering the classroom.  Not only do the pupils begin school aged 6 and remain in this school until they are 16, but they atmosphere and teaching styles are totally different than in Northern Ireland.  Although each class has its own classroom like at home, they do not stay with the same teacher throughout the day, but they have a new teacher who comes to their classroom for each different lesson.  Lessons last for 45 minutes, and seem to have a totally different structure than I am used too.  The teacher I am with mainly teaches maths, science and music in the 1^st, 2^nd and 4^th classes, so this meant I got the opportunity to not only see a variety of classes but a variety of subjects.  Although with the younger two classes the language barrier was an issue, I noticed that in the maths classes we were still able to aid the pupils with their work as we could demonstrate and point at the different questions.  The music class with 1^st class was a totally different experience in which the teacher played the guitar and the pupils all sang and danced along! It had such a relaxed feel, with the pupils moving all around the classroom whatever way they wanted! This was totally new to me, and I was shocked at how relaxed the pupils were in every lesson I saw, as they were moving about, talking, shouting and often seemed to be doing whatever they wanted.  The teacher explained to me later, that the pupils call the teachers by their first names and there is this relaxed atmosphere because they want the pupils to enjoy their learning, and want to be at school instead of resenting it.

Rosenborg castle, Copenhagen.

I found this whole day a really interesting and enlightening experience as it was something totally different not only to what I am used to, but what I expected. I am looking forward to getting out again next week, and hopefully visit a few more classes before our block placement begins. Although I am unsure how much I will get to teach the class myself due to the language issue, I feel the amount I will learn from this practice will be invaluable to me in my own teaching career as I discover new ideas, teaching methods and ways of communicating with children even if I cannot talk to them in English!

In Aarhus, another city in Denmark which we visited this week.

Cultural development- Week 6

Week 6- 2nd-8th March

Six weeks have now passed since I first arrived in Copenhagen, and over these weeks my views and thoughts about the culture in Denmark have been changed and the more places I visit and people I meet the more I am learning.

A few weeks ago Ali and I visited Christiana, a freetown in the centre of Copenhagen, where the people don’t follow the same rules as Denmark, and have a totally different culture and outlook on life.  Since this first visit, I have been dying to go back, to ask questions and to learn.  This weekend we were lucky enough to find out about a free concert in one of the bars in this town, and went along eager to see if we could find out anything more.  Going in at night I was nervous of what to expect, or what it would be like, as it is a very secretive place, no cameras are allowed, and due to the lack of restrictions on the people living there I had no idea what it was going to be like at night! However, I was totally surprised, and actually realised that although their culture is totally different to our own in Northern Ireland, it was a very relaxed place, and nothing to be scared or nervous about.  The atmosphere was totally different to what I had expected and the people were all friendly. This more relaxed feel is something I have noticed a lot here, classes are more relaxed, and in general things here feel more laid-back than the hustle and bustle of Northern Ireland, especially Belfast!

The National Museum, Copenhagen

We have also been making an effort this week to get out and about and explore more of Copenhagen now that the weather has warmed up slightly! This week we returned to the National Museum, where we visited on a class trip on our first week.  We knew there was so much more to see and it would be a great starting point to find out more about Copenhagen’s history. (It was also a free day out, and due to the expense of Copenhagen, anything free is very welcome!) We ended up spending the whole afternoon at the museum, until we were told we had to leave because it was closing, and it turned out to be a lot more interesting than we had imagined! It gave me a further insight to the founding of Denmark, and an understanding of why their culture is the way it is. I surprised myself how much I enjoyed my visit to the museum, and we have even talked about returning to finish the other exhibitions! There are so many similarities between Denmark and home at the first glance, but as I learn more and meet more people I am beginning to notice so many cultural differences, and although these are hard to get used to, I feel as my knowledge of the history deepens, it becomes easier to understand and accept.  This has been a topic in our Globalisation class also, about dealing with different cultures and how we react to them not only in our classes here, but when we are teachers.  It has been something that has really challenged me and made me think over the past few weeks.

Viking Runes.

There are so many other things I have still to learn about Denmark and its culture, but after beginning to discover more this past week, and develop my own understanding of the country I am looking forward to visiting the many castles and towers there are in the city.  These past weeks have taught me so much, and as I think back over my time here, already I can see how much not only I have changed but how my views and opinions of other people, other places and this country has changed! I expected Denmark to be all about Danish pastries and fish, but I am quickly discovering that there is so much more to this amazing country!

Elin, our tutor had us round for dinner!A welcome change from cooking ourselves!

Personal Development- Week 5

Week 5- 23rd February- 1st March 2012

This week has been nonstop classes and work! It has been busy and tiring yet interesting as all our classes have now finally started.  Alison and I chose to do Natural Science as our optional subject, as we felt it would be something different from what we get the chance to do in Stranmillis, however we quickly realised that the classes they do here are totally different to home! Not only are our classes 3 hours long, we also have one that starts at 8.45am (that means leaving the house before 8 to make sure we get the train on time!) Classes here are also taught at a degree level, not at the knowledge for teaching primary aged children as we do in Stranmillis, so this was quite a shock when we went off to a power/recycling plant for our first class! I felt totally overwhelmed and scared at the prospect of this class, as I am not overly strong in science, but it turns out a lot of what we will be doing is a group work project, and our group seem really helpful- and luckily have really good English, and are happy to talk in English instead of Danish.  We have had some language issues this week, where other students talk in Danish and forget we can’t understand, and we get a bit lost, but they are always willing to switch back and make sure we aren’t totally confused!

I feel I have now got used to living here, I know when the trains run, how long it takes to get places and am even beginning to understand the confusing zones for travelling!  It was stressful for the first few weeks as we constantly worried we were getting on the wrong trains or travelling too far which can result in a fine of 750dkk (around £90!) 

Ali's birthday, "Where's Wally?"

I know that over the last few weeks my own views and opinions have been challenged, as I have more of an opportunity to talk to both other Danish students as well as the other international students, both about their ways of living, eating, and education systems!  In one of our classes called Globalisation we were paired up with a student from another country to interview them about their own learning, not only through school but where they grew up and how their childhood activities and interests has impacted them. At first I was nervous having to interview some-one I didn’t know, (especially as he shouted, “I want to be with the Irish person!” so I felt I had a lot to live up to! )but actually found it really interesting to have the opportunity to ask all the different questions that had been building up in my mind over the last few weeks, and to gain some clarity on these from a Dane who it turned out had just as many questions about Northern Ireland!

The last five weeks have taught me so much, I can cook, I can do the food shopping, budget my spending and successfully do my own washing! Not only have I developed many useful practical skills, I feel that I have become a more confident and outgoing person, more willing to take risks and to get involved in situations that I would have tended to shy away from at home. I can’t wait to see how I continue to develop both personally and professionally over the next three months!

Christiania- a freetown in the centre of Copenhagen! Such an interesting place to have visited!

Professional Development- Week 4

Week 4 – 16^th- 23^rd February.

The kindergarten welcome sign.

I have been here for 4 weeks today, and time has flown by, and I feel I have now totally settled into life here in Denmark.  This week I had an opportunity to visit a kindergarten in our local area for a social welfare project we are doing in one of our modules.  I was excited by this idea, as it would be our first opportunity to get out to a school and see how different it was to home.  I already knew some basic facts about names of schools, and what age children start at, but I was looking forward to having the opportunity to get out and actually get to see the school setting.

One of the classroom areas.

In Denmark, children don’t begin school until they are six, and therefore the children that we were going to meet in the kindergarten would be aged from 3-6, many of whom would be old enough to be in P2 at home! I had wondered why this was, and knew that I would be able to ask these sorts of questions at the kindergarten! The first major difference I noticed upon arriving was that we weren’t really asked any questions about who we were, we walked up to the door, knocked and asked if we could come in and observe as we were from Northern Ireland studying here for four months on our teacher education course.  They welcomed us in and allowed us to wander through the kindergarten playing with and attempt to talk to the kids! I was shocked as at home, we would have had to fill out all sorts of police check forms before being allowed in!  This relaxed feel continued throughout our couple of hours there, with the teachers willing to tell us all about the school and the different activities the children do!  We learnt that although they stay here until they are ready for school aged six, they do not have any formal lessons, and the day is not overly structured.  The different rooms look like big classrooms but the children are allowed to move around the different rooms in the building and are only taught to write if they themselves show willing.  The emphasis is on play, and developing motor skills and they have a big soft play area which allows the children to experiment with travelling and climbing in different ways.  I found this a really interesting concept, as it was so different to what we are used to, but the teachers couldn’t believe it when we said we had started school at 4, and they almost seemed to feel sorry for us!  The children are taught basic skills which will help them as the transfer into school such as sitting at a table for their food and listening and interacting with others around them! 

Soft play and climbing equipment

Their whole approach to their schooling is different to ours, and it was really interesting to have this opportunity to visit the kindergarten, especially as I hope to focus in FS/KS1 so the age group was similar to where I hope to teach.  There were difficulties with communication between us and the kids, but luckily our basic Danish skills of introducing ourselves paid off, and there was a little girl who could speak both English and Danish who acted as our interpreter for the morning!

This experience has already challenged my professional opinions, and I look forward to getting out on placement in April in a primary school to further my knowledge and understanding of their school systems, and the differences and similarities between here and home.

Finally got to visit the little mermaid!

Danish food event in uni.