Taradale Intermediate School

Hello again,

While Vermont is braving some late spring snow and enjoying April vacation from school, I have been spending the week at Taradale Intermediate School doing research and observing teachers as they put some great teaching strategies to use! After returning from Roturua last weekend, the 20 of us from Vermont went our separate ways and moved in with local teachers for the week in order to attend their schools and really get a sense of what school is like here. Two teachers, Ben and Michelle, have graciously opened their home up to me and have been wonderful hosts!

I spend full days at school and have carried my little notebook and camera wherever I go. I have been frantically trying to take pictures and videos and scribble down new ideas, questions and thoughts about everything I have seen! Many of the students and teachers want to know about school in Vermont, so I've narrowed it down to a few big differences I have observed...

1. Students in NZ are often barefoot, in the classroom, walking from place to place at school, and during recess and PE.
2. Students also wear uniforms to public school
   
3. Teachers here teach all subjects. Not only do they teach math, literacy and the rest, but they also teach PE!
4. Everyone gets an HOUR break for lunch and recess! Students have to sit and eat for at least 10 minutes, but then get the rest of the time to play. Clubs and sports teams frequently hold meetings at this time too, so everyone really has a chance to get involved...
5. If the hour for lunch is not enough, students also get a break in the morning. During this time the teachers have tea and biscuits (cookies) together in the staff room.

The last big difference is what I am going to be writing my paper on when I get back to the states-
and that is that instead of teaching science and social studies, students take an "inquiry" class. These classes have themes like "culture and identity," "discovery" and "sustainability," and students get a lot of say in what they learn about and how they learn about it. NZ students learn a lot of the "stuff" we do, just in a different way. I have been spending most of my time researching this by reading about the school and talking with the teachers and the students. It has been very interesting.... I will have to go home and read all my notes again before I have a real opinion to share.

One more day of the "educational" part of our trip before many of the Vermonters head home on Saturday. I'll be headed to the South Island for a "holiday" (vacation) next week, so there are sure to be more adventures to come....


Look Familiar??? Some of the students who have welcomed me into their classroom in NZ "google map" Edmunds Middle School to get a sense of what my school looks like back home...