new friends and extraordinary parents

And so friends, it is true.  I have made some new friends that I should probably introduce you to.  Their names are Kleenex, C-Vitamin, and Zicam.  We met last Sunday.  Ironically, I never got sick during my practicum or student teaching experience back in the States; but, three days into my teaching adventures in Sweden, wham.  It must be the Swedish germs.

My new friends...Kleenex, C-Vitamin, Zicam.
I'm not sure that Swedes believe in tissues.  That is
the largest box of Kleenex I have been able to find.

Aside from my runny nose and mild case of laryngitis, classes are continuing to go pretty well.  In science, students are exploring cells and tissues.  As students peered through the microscopes to view various samples of cells, it was fun to hear their reactions—exclamations of awe about matter so small.   And to be honest, it was kind of handy to be sick this past week because my Kleenex box became a good prop to distinguish tissues in science from tissues for everyday use. 

When I went to find slides for my science class, I was
met with the challenge of deciphering Swedish labels.  

In math, we are venturing into a world where, as one of my students so nicely observed, there can be “less than nothing.”  We are adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing positive and negative integers.  Students have especially been enjoying the use of technology in this class—some of it being more high tech and some of it being more low tech.  On the high tech end of the spectrum, I have been experimenting with using my iPad as a document camera.  Basically, I connect the iPad to the LCD projector and switch it on camera mode.  Then, anything I put under the camera is projected onto the screen.   On the low tech end of the spectrum, I have introduced “clickers.”  Rather than those fancy little electronic devices that allow students to click in their responses to questions, I have given each student a set of laminated A, B, C D cards which they use to flash up responses to questions I ask. 

Here is my homemade document camera.

Here are my low-tech homemade "clickers."

In other news, I should let you know that I have the best parents in the world.  Yes, it’s official.  And yes, I have always known it, but what they did this past week is icing on the cake.  About midweek, I arrived home to find a large package sitting outside my door.  I may have mentioned once or twice over Skype that I was having trouble getting basic supplies for my class.  So what did my parents do?  They went back-to-school shopping for me and sent me a whole box of goodies.  I now have a class set of markers, a class set of glue sticks, a class set of scissors, a dozen or so whiteboard markers in various exotic colors, and an assortment of science supplies (activated charcoal, turkey basters, green food dye, peppermint extract, eye droppers, film canisters, etc.)  Best parents in the world.  No, yours can’t even compete.

My parents packed up Target and sent it to me in a box. 

It has been a good week.  A bit rainy, but good.  Nothing a rain jacket and rain pants can’t handle.  

Ms. Marshall

Wow, what a week.  I’m not really sure where to begin, so I guess I’ll just start from the beginning.  On Monday, I got to go on quick trip to Stockholm.  All the new teachers from our school boarded a train at 6:00am and traveled across the country to hear from the folks at headquarters.  I should probably pause and explain that the school I am teaching at is part of a larger company which is setting up English schools around Sweden.  (All the schools in this company are public schools and accept students on a first-come, first-serve basis.)  The trip to Stockholm was intended to give us new teachers an introduction to the culture which the company tries to instill at its schools.  Probably the highlight of this trip was meeting up with Ryan, another teacher who was part of the same science program I went through back at the U of M.  Ryan will be teaching at a school in Uppsala.  While I spent most of the day inside a school building, the glimpses I saw of Stockholm were lovely so I will definitely need to find time to get back and explore the city a bit more. 

Having been out all day Monday, my return to school on Tuesday was met with an extensive to-do list.  The excitement in the hallways was palpable as teachers busied themselves with last minute lesson preparations.  The day went by quickly, and in the evening, all new students and their parents came to visit the school.  It was at this point that this job finally started to feel real.  The names on my class lists started to have faces and little personalities.    

And then it happened.  Wednesday came.  The first day of school. As I rode Lena (my bike) to school, I reflected back on a conversation I had several years ago with a teacher in New Zealand.  The first day is unlike any other in the school year.  You have to be harder on the students, otherwise it will be an uphill battle the rest of the year.  My success for the rest of the year depended on this one day.  Gulp.

I arrived at school plenty early, fastened my name badge neatly on my shirt, and got myself a cup of coffee.  (I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but in Sweden coffee seems to be the only liquid refreshment available.  To say that the Swedes love their coffee is a gross understatement.) 

I like how my name tag is one of those magnet kinds. No holes
in my shirts.  Sometimes, it's the simple things that count.

At five past eight, the students began lining up outside the classroom door.  At ten past eight, the students filed into the classroom as I greeted them one by one.  Good morning.  Good morning.  Good morning.  At twelve past eight, the students all stood behind their desks, waiting for me to begin the lesson.  Good morning class….Good morning Ms. Marshall…..You may be seated.  And so the day began.  (While this start-of-lesson routine is customary in the school, I still can’t say I’m fully accustomed to it.)

The rest of the week sailed past as I moved from lesson to lesson.  This year, I am responsible for teaching three sixth grade science classes, two seventh grade math classes and an elective.  Each class meets for three hours a week (with class periods being roughly one hour long).  The schedule has definitely taken a little getting used to.  Some classes last 45 minutes.  Others are an hour and ten minutes.  There are no school bells, and it seems none of the clocks in the school agree with each other.  For now, I’ve decided it is best if I just pack up all my things in the lovely red shopping basket I acquired, and head off to class about ten minutes early to make sure I am ready to greet the students when they arrive for lessons. 

Here is my best friend--my schedule.

With each new class, it has been so amazing to meet the students.  To round off this blog post, here are a few snapshots from my first days of being Ms. Marshall...

• Every day, I find that the students surprise me.  For example, on Thursday when I passed out textbooks to my math students, nearly every student said “thank you” when they received their books.  I was speechless.  What a polite bunch of kids.
• In addition to the more pleasant surprises, sometimes the surprises are more…surprising.  About halfway through my first math lesson, one student’s cell phone rang in class.  However, his ring tone was not just any ring tone.  His ring tone resembled that of a fire drill alarm.  Yes, I nearly evacuated the entire class on the first day. 
• This week, we started learning about the human body in the science classes.  I have really enjoyed hearing all the questions students have.  “Ms. Marshall, if we didn’t have skin, would everything fall out?” “Like, how big are our nerves?” “If I could touch the intestines, would they feel wet?”  I love sixth graders.  Such a great age. 
• On Friday, I asked a class if they could describe what it means to “digest food.”  One boy raised his hand and said, “It’s kind of like melting.”  I smiled and replied, “Yes, some of the food does melt.”  Later in the day, I learned that the Swedish word for digest is “smälta maten” where the word “smälta” means “to melt.”  Hopefully, I begin learning Swedish soon.

Well, that’s all for now.  I apologize that this post is so long.  In case you are wondering, I think I’ve decided that I will update the blog about once a week because I’m too tired on weeknights to write anything coherent.  

just keep swimming

Hi, how are you doing?  Do you have any questions?  Here, let me show you. Let’s go get a coffee, and then meet. These phrases seemed to be the soundtrack of this past week as I dove into my first week of school.  As I attempted to swim through a flood of information, the other staff at my school generously came alongside me to see how I was doing and offer advice.  There were meetings to attend, supplies to gather, lessons to plan, classrooms to prep, and an entire education system to become familiar with.  And, even after all that, I am happy to report that I am still afloat and ready for more.  I probably have a hundred stories I could share with you from this first week, but for the sake of time, here is a rundown of the highlights from each day:

Monday:  Monday was the first day that all staff reported back to school.  The day started with a short pep talk from the principal, and continued on with various meetings to get plans rolling for the year. It seemed that the name of the game on Monday was precisely that—to keep all the names straight.  Not only the names of the 39 other staff members, but also the growing list of terminology specific to the school and Swedish education system.  Lgr 11. STP.  IUP. AC. Yes, I am learning slow but sure. 

Tuesday: On Tuesday, we had a bit more time to sort through the information that was given to us on Monday.  Furthermore, I began to gather supplies for my class.  I should probably mention that one significant difference between Swedish and American schools is in how resources are distributed.  By law, teachers cannot require students in Sweden to bring any supplies to school—notebooks, pens, pencils, paper—nothing.  It is up to the school to provide these materials.  So, on Tuesday, my mission involved securing notebooks for my year 6 science class.  While supplies seem to be in short supply at the school, I had a major victory in scoring 90 notebooks for my year 6 science students.  Success!  It is exciting to think that in the coming weeks and months, these notebooks will be filled with the goodness of double bubble maps, flip books, Frayer Model vocabulary grids and the like.

Wednesday: Wednesday was another day of learning.  In the morning, the academic coordinator gave us a quick introduction to the new Swedish grading system.  Wrapping my head around this grading system was probably one of the biggest challenges this first week.  The Swedes can earn grades of A, B, C, D, E and F where E is considered an average (and decent) grade, and A is considered an out-of-this-world grade.  When grading an assignment or test, teachers are not allowed to mark on students’ papers the points they receive or the percent correct.  Rather, I must create rubrics that allow me to assign students grades based on the extent to which they have mastered a skill.  In some ways, this grading system resembles the standards-based grading system which is very slowly becoming popular in the US.  I like it, but am still learning how to work with it. 

 

Thursday: On Thursday, the administration organized a surprise all-day outing for the entire staff.  At 8:00 sharp, we boarded a bus, not knowing the adventures which lay before us.  After a two hour drive, the bus turned into the town of Lidköping.  With cobblestone streets and red-roof buildings, the town has quite an aesthetic appeal.  It is here that we enjoyed a lovely fika (coffee break) at a nice little café.  We then had about an hour to explore a porcelain museum, shop at some outlet stores and just wander the town.  

Notice the cobblestone streets of Lidköping.  Lovely. 

Before fika, the whole staff wandered down to city center.

After exploring Lidköping, we once again boarded the bus and made our way to Läckö Castle.  At this castle, we enjoyed a gourmet lunch which included freshly-caught smoked salmon and vegetables grown in the castle’s garden.  The word delicious doesn’t quite do the meal justice.  After lunch, we went on a guided tour of the castle, getting a quick lesson on Swedish history.  Overall, it was a spectacular day for staff bonding and provided a much needed break from school. 

Professional development at a castle?  Not bad.

From L to R: science teacher from Canada, Swedish
as a Second Language teacher from Poland, me,
science and maths teacher from England. 

Friday: We resumed school work on Friday, attending meetings and planning lessons.  Probably the most exciting bit of news that came from this day is that Science Solutions will be going global!  Science Solutions is a course I created when teaching at Breakthrough Saint Paul.  It includes a number of science labs that aim to give kids an appreciation for the relevance and fun of science.  You can view some of the original curriculum here, or get a flavor for the class by watching the video below.  Anyways, I was very excited to learn that I will get to teach this course as an elective this year.

      

Overall, this past week was a good one.  As a first year teacher, it has been so nice to experience the level of support that was offered by the other teachers.  A similar level of adventure no doubt awaits me this upcoming week.  On Monday, I will be going on a quick trip to Stockholm (for school, not vacation).  On Tuesday, we have a meet-the-parents evening.  And, on Wednesday, the students arrive.  Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.  Swimming, swimming.

hello, my name is...

This past Friday was my first official day of school!  The administration hosted a lovely morning for the new teachers to come in and get acquainted with the school.  The day started off in the staff lounge where the principal, assistant principal and school administrator welcomed us.  We went around one-by-one introducing ourselves and sharing how we came to teach at this school.  The group of new teachers consists of three international teachers (two Canadians and me) and six or seven Swedish teachers.  Surprisingly, I found that the school will be getting an entirely brand new science department this year.  (When I say “new,” I mean all of us are new to the school, new to Sweden, and new to the teaching profession.  It should be good fun.)

Here is the staff lounge.  I like the light fixtures and mailboxes.

After the introductions, we enjoyed a short coffee break or “fika.”  The principal made a point to bring in the best chocolate chip cookies to “make the American teacher feel at home.”  With the caffeine kicking in, we then got a tour of the school.  The cafeteria is on the ground floor.  My office is on the first floor.  My math classes are on the third floor.  And my science classes are on the fourth floor.  Yes, the stairs and I are going to become good friends.  No, I do not think I will need a gym membership this year.

Here is one of the sixth grade classrooms I will teach in.

With a rough working knowledge of the school’s layout, we then each received our laptop and keys.  We also had time to find where our desks will be.   My desk is in a little nook next to a window.  I will be sitting in the same office as two other math teachers.  Conveniently, the office is adjacent to the staff lounge and is only a stones throw away from the coffee machine.  I hear this machine also makes some pretty good hot cocoa.  O' boy!

The morning culminated with lunch.  The principal ordered in some smörgås torta—sandwich cake.  It is a very Swedish dish that is made by layering bread, veggies, meat and cheese in an almost cake-like fashion.  While it isn’t too bad, I think it might have a bit of an acquired texture. 

The rest of the staff will be coming back this next week.  In addition to meetings and lesson preparation, the administration has planned an all-day retreat on Thursday.  We have been told that the bus will leave at 8:30 sharp, and we should dress comfortably.  Beyond that, their lips are sealed.  Needless to say, I am very excited for this week.  I can’t wait to meet the other teachers.  

Here is the school.  It used to be a "Komvux"—school for adults.

rolling along with lena

And so folks, it is time.  I would like to introduce you to Lena—my moderately attractive two-wheeled friend who is eager for exploration and has an easy-going temperament.  Lena has been and will likely continue to be my main mode of transportation here in Borås.  She is my bicycle.

To give you a little history on her, I found Lena after looking at both new and used bikes in several shops around town.  With three gears, two fenders, and a remarkably practical basket, I knew Lena should be the one to accompany me on my adventures in Borås.  She has a frame the color of dusty strawberries, and a seat that rivals the springs of a sofa. 

Since bringing her home, I have equipped her with some lights and a bell.  Not an obnoxious bell.  Just a little ting, ting bell.  Some of the locals have informed me that, come wintertime, I may also need to outfit Lena with a pair of studded tires so she can better handle the ice.  However, I figure we will cross that bridge when we get there.

In the week and a half I have ridden her, I have found that Lena enjoys exploring rain or shine.  Together, we have learned that Borås has a rather mountainous terrain.  While Lena prefers going downhill, she can be coaxed into going uphill with a few words of encouragement.  But, you must remember that Lena only speaks Swedish.  So, until my Swedish improves (and my legs get stronger), we sometimes need to stop for little breather halfway up the hills. 

Lena has told me that she also prefers when I avoid the slugs on the trail.  On the few occasions when a slug has unexpectedly leapt out in front of us, I appreciated how Lena generously volunteered to use her fenders to contain the slug spray.  That’s just the type of bike she is.  And so, there you have it.  Lena. 
Min cykel.  

The other day, Lena and I enjoyed a nice evening by the lake.