Aero: Alaina Steensma – France 2018 – Life at School
Aero: Alaina Steensma – France 2018 – Life at School
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Alaina Steensma
The schools in France are both similar and different in many aspects of either.
To begin, the class size seems to be about the same as an average high school here in America. The learning materials however I feel are mostly different here in America it feels as if everything is geared to be more technology based. Online homework, textbooks et cetera however in France I really only saw the students working or reading out of workbooks while the teacher used the over head projector. From what I saw the classes somehow seem to be more interactive. Perhaps the teachers just don’t lecture a lot or the students are just really engaged in the lecture and keep interrupting it to ask questions.
As for attitude and behavior I feel like the students were extremely well behaved for being in class for the amount of time that they were. Me and my student were on the train to school every morning at 8:30 am and didn’t get back on the train to go home until 6 pm. That to me just for high school is absolutely ridiculous. But compared to even my college schedule now I wouldn’t be able to be in class that long. While in class students aren’t on their phones sleep or eat while in class, this was very saddening to me personally because I was starving.
As a habitual eater I wasn’t sure how they made this lifestyle choice work for them but, they seemed fine with it. I asked one of our exchange students (Tom) about the schools rules and he told me that if a student is caught on their phone they can get it taken away for three days. That to me was honestly laughable not because I think it’s a bad rule but because that kind of rule would never work in America parents would be outraged that their child wouldn’t be able to call them in case of an emergency or even just for taking it for an extended period of time.
Another point id like to make even though our class has already exhausted it is the ability to go outside. They can go outside whenever they want!!!!!!!! How amazing is that. And its honestly probably really sad how amazed I am by that but imagine how relaxing that is, to be able to go out and get some fresh air or sit in the sun when its nice out, to be able to go for a walk and clear your head without getting screamed and chased back to school. They even have an accommodating spot for students to smoke which also to me is insane because in high schools in America we have undesignated designated smoking areas near schools where me and my friends would meet after school but they were always just off school property because its illegal. So, the thought of an American public school promoting an unhealthy habit or even accommodating it is ridiculous but I mean, thoughtful. However, I don’t know if there is a legal smoking age in France.
In way though it is also the same, kids yell and talk to each other at its base its still just a regular high school and while I am kind of idealizing it, these small basic things were the most amazing and experience changing to me.
Alaina Steensma
Study Abroad – France 2018 @ FLCC
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