Peanut Letter 3

Peanut's letter about Valborg

Dear Class,

Ms. Rogers and I chose to cancel our trip to Chamonix, France. We only have one month in Sweden so we decided we want to spend as much time with our students here as possible! But don't worry! This just means now I get to write you letters about all the awesome things in Linköping!

Today school was closed for Valborg! This is a special holiday to celebrate the first day of Spring in Sweden. Swedish Winters are very long so when Spring finally arrives Swedes are very excited! Can you believe the first day of Spring in Sweden is over a month later than the first day of Spring in America?!

To celebrate Valborg we walked to Kinda Canal where we watched choirs and marching bands perform!

It's Swedish tradition to build a great big bon fire on a raft and send it floating down the canal! This represents burning up the Winter months to make way for Spring! Oh and by the way, don't try this at home!

Lots of vendors come to the Canal to sell raffle tickets and cotton candy! Our cotton candy vendor measures your head and makes your cotton candy at least double the size!

After my cotton candy I was still hungry but Max wouldn't share. I think he's still mad because I ate all his lunch when he wasn't looking!

 

We had a wonderful time. My favorite part was the fireworks show at the end! Next time I'm going to tell you all about Ms. Rogers' favorite place in Sweden. But right now I've got to put first things first  and help Ms. Rogers plan her lessons!

Hejdå!

Authentic Engagement: Disco Style!

After school Max met my fellow teachers and I at Stora Torget for Fika to celebrate Simon's birthday! We had a wonderful discussion about the differences between our education systems. 

After Fika Max and I caught the bus back to Folkungaskolan for the talent show. Many of my fourth and fifth grade students sang, danced, and played instruments. It was not like any Elementary School talent show. These students are extremely gifted in music. It was really fun to get a chance to show my students off to Max. They are so talented! We video taped all of the acts performed by my kids. This talent show was a very big deal for all of them but for one student in particular. She is one of the students I ride the bus with. This morning we had a long talk about how this talent show would be her first time singing a solo. She was so nervous! She wouldn't tell me the song because she wanted it to be a surprise. When she got on that stage she sang like an angel. As a matter of fact, she won 2nd place!!! I was so proud! From the time Max and I arrived to the time we left we were surrounded by a crowd of my students. They were so excited to finally meet Max and talk to us together!

After the talent show there was a disco for the kids! They begged Max and I to come so we decided to stay. This was by far the most fun I've ever had at a school dance! The kids were so excited to teach us all their dances. We all had a blast. One little girl who has been very shy in class stuck with us the whole time and talked our ears off in English! This was so wonderful! Many of these children are used to learning English the way we learn Spanish in Elementary School. They learn from a Swedish teacher and if they don't understand they can ask in Swedish. So many of them are nervous to speak to me (someone who speaks only English) because they don't even realize how fluent they are. But when I get these opportunities to spend time with them outside of class and ask them to teach me to dance or other fun things, they are able to realize just how easy and fun it is to speak English with me! After they realize this, they are so excited to talk to me about anything and everything! Very few teachers were at the dance (Sweden is much more laid back about chaperoning). This turned out to be a great thing because instead of talking to the teachers all night, we spent the whole time dancing and having fun with the kids. In my education courses we studied different ways to create authentic real world situations for students to apply the skills they learn. I think having fun with your English teacher and using English to teach her to dance is as real world as it gets! This is so much better than just reading out of a textbook because they are applying English the way they would in real life: to have conversations, not staged conversations, real conversations about how "dreamy" Justin Beiber is, how weird Lady Ga Ga's clothes are, and everything else kids love to talk about at a school disco. Had I not been there, they would've had a great time speaking Swedish with their friends, but instead they got to have just as much fun with each other and with me in English!

It was a fantastic way to end the week!

Peanut Letter 2

Here is the letter Peanut sent to my American placement from Amsterdam.

Dear Class,

Hallo from Amsterdam! Wow this city is busy!! Everywhere you look there are bikes, trams, and cars zooming by! Amsterdam feels like they took New York City and crammed it into a smaller place that is now bursting at the seams!

The first thing we saw was the Van Gogh Museum! Van Gogh is a very famous artist who happens to be Ms. Rogers’ favorite! Unfortunately, her favorite painting, Starry Night, was on tour, but we did get to see 500 other paintings including his famous self-portrait! We couldn’t take any pictures in the Museum because the flash can damage these priceless paintings. But we made up for it by taking lots of pictures around town! Here is one of us at the enormous “I Amsterdam” sign! 

 

Here is a replica of Starry Night we found. A replica is like a copy that isn't made by the original artist. This one looks convincing though!

 

We spent most of the afternoon in this beautiful park! We climbed lots of trees and enjoyed the gorgeous day!

This was my favorite tree! Look how big it is! I never see trees this big back home! That's Ms. Rogers standing in front of it.

We came at a perfect time because all the tulips were beginning to bloom!! Amsterdam is famous for its tulips and I can see why! I also found this giant ice cream but for some reason it tasted like plastic!

In Europe they have chips just like we do, but they have different names and flavors. I found “Cool American” Doritos and bought them for Ms. Rogers because she is the coolest American in Amsterdam!

Well, that’s all for now! We have a big day of travel ahead of us to get back to Linkoping! I’ll write again soon!

Hejdå! (goodbye)

A Glance at our English and Art Lessons

I'd like to start this post with an update of what we are working on in the fourth and fifth grade English classes. The fourth graders are in the middle of their "Members of a family" unit. They are learning the English words for each family member. I showed them a powerpoint with pictures of my mom, dad, brother, and a few aunts, uncles and cousins. They recently finished their "I like ____" unit which introduced them to various hobbies and interests. I tried to incorporate this to review what they've learned while supporting what they are currently learning. When I showed my powerpoint, I introduced each member "This is my uncle, his name is John. John likes hunting." Then I had them partner up and describle one member of their family.


Last week Karin saw me painting with one of my students and asked if I would pick up the fourth grade art classes as well. I jumped at this opportunity so now I am teaching six classes. I've decided to use this opportunity to integrate some English practice into the Art classes. Monday I taught the students how to draw a self-portrait. I'm going to have them draw a portrait for each member of the family. In English class they will use the portraits to introduce their family members to each other, "This is my sister. her name is Beearta. Beearta likes to play soccer." 


On Monday Karin also informed me that Martin Widmark (famous Swedish author) and Louise Hoffsten (famous Swedish musician and co-author of the book Dar Orgiernas Dansar) will be visiting the school on April 9. Sara has been reading Dar Orgiernas Dansar in Svenska class with the fourth graders and the whimsical illustrations are very beautiful. I thought it would be fun for the students to paint something reminiscent of the book's art style to share with the authors when they visit. One of the class's favorite pages in the book has a beautiful illustration of an enormous and powerful tree. This inspired me to have the student's paint elaborate trees to show the authors. They will glue the portraits they've been drawing to their trees to make their own family trees!

In the fifth grade English classes we are working on group presentations. Working in groups of 3-4, the students will organize and deliver a presentation on a favorite hobby or activity. The presentation must compare and contrast how the activity is used in Sweden and how it is used in America. Every group member must have a speaking role in the presentation and it must be completely in English. Björn's students are used to working with "task lists" so below is the task list I designed for this project:

1. Brainstorm a list of at least 3 activities with your group.
2. Vote to chose an activity.
3. Talk together about what you know about your activity in Sweden (take notes in your note book).
4. Generate a list of questions you want to know about the activity in America.
5. Interview Nikki to learn about your activity in America (take notes in your notebook)
6. Choose at least 3 similarities and 2 differences and organize your presentation.
7. Present to another group using the Peer Review sheet.

I chose this project because it gives the students a chance to use English in an authentic situation. It also promotes engagement by allowing the students to learn English by using it to discuss an describe the things they love to do. This assignment allows them to practice speaking English with each other and practice speaking English to a native speaker during their interviews with me. Additionally this gives me a chance to talk with my students in a small group setting so I can assess their level of fluency. This presentation also has a cultural connection, because they are comparing the American and Swedish cultures in regards to their chosen activity. 


We'll finish this by next Wednesday, then we will turn our focus to lessons that feature whole group discussion. The kids love talking to me and it really strengthens their english. I will bring in a box and everyday they can write a topic on slips of paper and put it in the box. I will draw topics and we will discuss what that is like in America. They have already asked many questions about graduation, holidays, college, etc.

The students keep talking to Björn in Svenska and when he asks them to repeat in Engelska (English) they say things like, "This is the best week of English ever" and "We don't want you to ever leave" and "Can you stay and be a teacher here?" They really love having me here and I love being here! I even love the way they say my name. My name is confusing to them because they aren't used to the short "i" sound. They also have trouble because in Sweden you never find girls names that end with a long "e" sound. They've sort of invented their own pronunciation. So when I come in every morning I hear them down the hall, "Neeka! Neeka! Komma Neeka!" I've come to love the sound of them mispronouncing my name.

Our Field Trip to Norköping

Yesterday I chaperoned the fourth graders on their field trip to Norköping! We went to a museum and learned all about the working class revolution in Sweden. At the Museum I saw a sign and was actually able to read and understand it! I was so thrilled I called over a few students who have been teaching me some Swedish. They were even more excited than I was. They took me all around, pointing to signs and words and teaching me what they mean by drawing and pantomiming. They are such wonderful little teachers. I am so proud! This is the sign I read:

Svenska: "Vi som hoppas. Vi som längtar efter. Vi som vill ha. Vi bär på idéer om framtiden, i det stora och det lilla. Vi behöver varandra och vi behöver kunskap. På denna väg, vad drömmer du om?" 
English: "We who hope. We who yearn. We who want. We are carrying on the ideas of the future, in the large and the small. We need each other and we need knowledge. On this road, what do you dream of?"
I'm really glad that my first read words in Swedish were so beautiful.

After the Museum we visited the famous Swedish Orchestra who will be celebrating their 100th anniversary this Saturday! 

We got to go on stage during rehearsal and meet the orchestra! They played for us and even let the students try to play on their instruments. This is not something that is allowed for any class on a field trip. As a special school for students who are extremely gifted in music, Folkungaskolan gets to do a lot of exciting field trips like this. 

 

The students even got to try their hand at making and playing their own instruments using household items.

Many of the children who were still very shy, really opened up to me on this field trip. We had such a great time! My favorite part was when we all sang and danced the "YMCA" song together. 

There is one little girl I've been meaning to mention. Every time we are standing somewhere whether it's in the cafeteria line, in class, or outside before school, she is always dancing. The girl has got some moves. I love to watch because you can just tell she is going to be an incredible dancer one day. She has music in her heart. In many schools, this behavior might have been stifled rather than facilitated. She may've been reprimanded for not sitting still or waiting patiently and she could have even ended up with a false diagnoses for. She would've been taught that this passion she has is nothing more than inappropriate behavior. I'm really thankful she is at a school that encourages her creativity. This little girl is a reminder to me of the creativity children are capable of, as long as we give them opportunities to express it.

Peanut Letter 1

My students responded to my first letter! They have chosen the name Peanut for my class elephant! Today Peanut sent them his first letter from Linköping!

Dear Class,

Hej (hello) from Sweden!!! Sorry it has taken me so long to write! Ms. Rogers, Max, and I have been so busy exploring Linkoping (Leen-cha-ping), Sweden! It is such a beautiful town! We got to visit the Linkoping Cathedral and light a candle by the Tree of Life!! Each piece of glass fruit on the tree represents a different virtue!

School in Sweden is very different than school in America. All the teachers wear jeans everyday and the students call them by their first names! Ms. Rogers’ school is very special. The students there have to audition to be accepted. Every student has to be very good at singing. They take many music classes and many of their classes use music to learn about English, reading, science, and even math! The students are very nice here and they really seem to like Ms. Rogers, even though she can’t sing as well as them. I think you all would really like the students here! They watch American TV shows and they love drawing, horseback riding, and American pop music. Here is a picture of Folkungaskolan (FOLK-oon-gahs-skoo-lahn). The students here are all very excited to Skype with you! But they don’t have Activboards here and their computers are very old. Hopefully we can still get Skype to work while we’re here! Have a great day! Next time I write it will be about our trip to Amsterdam!

Bus 3 and Cloud 9

I was planning to rent a bike to get to and from school everyday. That was before I found out that four of my students ride Bus 3 (the same bus I ride). Now we ride together to school in the mornings and from school in the afternoons. We even made up a little game together. On the ride to the Parksgatan stop, the student point to different things they see and I teach them the English word. Once we reach the bus stop, it's my turn. During the five minute walk from the Parksgatan stop to Folkungaskolan, I point to things and they teach me the Swedish words. I really look forward to these bus rides. Everyday I come home on Bus 3 and cloud 9.

First Day of Teaching Practice!

Yesterday I began my teaching practice at Folkungaskolan. I couldn't have asked for a better placement! The school is even more beautiful than the photographs. I arrived about half an hour early by accident (like my dad says, "there are two times: too early and too late." and I was NOT going to be too late on my first day). My supervising teachers weren't there yet but the headmaster, Of (pronounced oof) invited me in for fika. Can you guess what was on the coffee mug he gave me? That's right!

Finally I got to meet the teachers I'd be working with. Karin arrived first. She was so kind and welcoming. I also met Sara, Karin's Swedish student teacher. Sara worked with the class during their Svenska class (Svenska means Swedish. This class is like our English/Language Arts classes in America). Sara speaks Swedish and English and has been so helpful to me. We love discussing the similarities and differences between Swedish and American Education, not just in Elementary Schools but also in how the teachers are trained in Universities. Sara has two more weeks left in this placement, so she will leave halfway through my placement.

My supervising teacher for the fifth grade classes is Björn Lorenzoni. This teacher has charisma that sets a room on fire. His personality is so big that it wasn't until later that I noticed the tattoos covering his arms. As Lena had told me, piercings, tattoos, and street clothes are not as frowned upon in the Swedish culture. I knew I would enjoy working with Björn. He is one of the most enthusiastic teachers I've ever met! He immediately greeted me and told me how excited he is about me being here. I never considered that they are just as thrilled about this as I am! I gave Björn and Karin the gifts I brought for them from Kentucky (a Kentucky Derby horseshoe, a miniature Louisville Slugger bat, and a bag of modjeskas).

I met Karin's fourth graders first. They were very shy but also very excited. I showed them the powerpoint I made to introduce myself then invited them to introduce themselves in English.

After the introductions I had to run straight to Björn's room. His students are a year older than Karin's. I was amazed by their English! They were much more fluent than the fourth graders. It's amazing to me how much English they must learn in only one school year. I really enjoyed watching Björn with the students. He has such a great energy and rapport with his students. They absolutely adore him. When I walked in I could immediately tell how much the kids had been looking forward to this. Many of them had never met an American. Björn teased them saying "Why don't you get this excited when I walk into the room." They were on the edge of their seats during my powerpoint. They loved all the pictures of my family and friends. After my powerpoint they hit me with a waterfall of questions. I loved it! They were just so happy about me being here and so am I. 

Björn told me that he and the students spent the last month working extremely hard to get a full month ahead in their curriculum so that when I come, they are completely free to spend this entire month as MY class. This was exciting but also very intimidating. Due to the nature of the exchange program, no one had really explained to us what to expect. I just met these students who are only in their second year of learning English and now I was told I would take over their entire English class starting tomorrow, without any knowledge of their classroom procedures or standards! I was caught completely off guard. I'm used to everything being so structured, this is very different. But I know I can handle it. As scary as it is, I am thrilled for this opportunity to be thrown straight into the deep end. What an incredible learning experience this will be for me as a teacher!

After meeting all of the 110 students I will be teaching for the next month, Björn invited me to the Personelrum (teacher's lounge) for a brainstorming session to generate some ideas for this month's English classes. When he said brainSTORM he wasn't kidding. We were both so enthusiastic, our pens couldn't even keep up with our ideas! There are so many teachers out there who seem to have burnt out and I never want to let that happen to me. That is why it is so inspiring when I get to work with a 10th year teacher who still radiates with a passion for teaching and a drive to be the very best for his students.

This experience is going to be more rewarding than I ever could've imagined. I could really tell this school puts a strong emphasis on student engagement. Björn and I have already come up with some wonderful ideas to help our students learn English through the exploration of their passions: art and music. One of the foundational ideas behind my personal teaching philosophy has always been that the most profound and effective way to learn something is by using it to do what you love. By incorporating my students' passions into their learning I will help them to develop a passion for learning itself.

     

2 + 2 = 5

This is Folkungaskolan. Starting tomorrow, I will be doing my teaching practice in Karin Uhrberg's grade 4 classroom and Björn Lorenzoni's grade 5 classroom. In the Swedish education system, students apply for a profile and are placed in schools according to their profile. A profile is an area of study that your learning will be centered around. For my students, the profile is Music and Visual Art. These students have additional singing and art classes and their teachers integrate music and art throughout the curriculum. I guess Howard Garner would say I have quite a few musical/rhythmic and visual/spatial learners on my hands! I can't wait to begin planning my lessons. What a fun and creative challenge this will be!

The school's motto is "2 + 2 = 5" this was originally graffiti scribbled onto the entrance of the old building. It has been adopted as the schools motto and legacy, and a replica of the original graffitti now permanently resides above the main entrance, welcoming all students who enter. The meaning behind this motto is "Många är starkare" which translates to "Many are stronger." It basically means the same as a common saying in America "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." I believe Aristotle was the first to coin that one. Sounds to me like this school is all about Synergizing! I love it!

It All Begins Tomorrow!

Today is Orthodox Easter so many things in Linköping were closed. This gave Max and I time to get prepared for our first day of teaching practice tomorrow! In Linköping, Student Teaching is called Teaching Practice.


Alvaro, an exchange student from Barcelona has invited Max and I to an international dinner tomorrow. Everyone is bringing a dish from their homeland. We are supposed to make a dessert. So after school tomorrow I'll have to run to the grocery and see if I can find any ingredients to make a traditional American dessert to share with the other exchange students at Ryd. I'm thinking apple pie!

I am very excited to meet Karin Uhrberg and Björn Lorenzoni tomorrow. They will be my supervising teachers at Folkungaskolan. I'm especially excited to meet my students! I just learned that our classroom will also have a Swedish student teacher named Sara. I am thrilled for this opportunity to work with a her. This will be a great opportunity to synergize with a Swedish student teacher! I'm confident this will be a wonderful learning experience for both of us, but most importantly, for our students!

The Beautiful Linköping Domkyrka

Today we met up with our friend Kristina at Stora Torget (Great Square). This is a beautiful city square in Linkoping with lots of sites, shopping, cafes, and parks. It was pretty rainy so we decided to save the parks for a sunnier day, but we did get to visit the breathtaking Linköping Domkyrka (Linkoping Cathedral).

On this day, there were several canvas paintings displayed on easels. These were created by amateurs who were asked to paint their favorite gospel. These ranged from serene landscapes to abstract paintings with vivid colors. It was so inspiring to see how each painter interpreted the gospel and translated it into a work of art.

The cathedral also hosted a small garden right in the middle of the sanctuary. This is something even Kristina hadn't seen before. We believe it was added recently in celebration of Easter.Below is the newest art piece to be added. It begs the viewer to consider those in today's society who are suffering. Those who need compassion and understanding. The artist hid the subject's face from the viewer for reasons left to your own interpretation. I like to think he is prompting us to "fill in the blank" with the identity of someone we could be helping. Someone familiar to us, or several who are familiar to us.

This was by far my favorite. A Tree of Life! The branches are lined with small candles and the tree itself is framed in a ring of candles lit for loved ones lost. Each piece of crystal fruit on the tree represents a different virtue.

After the Cathedral, Kristina took us to her favorite coffee shop. a cozy little house filled with character. We sat here for hours discussing the education systems of our cultures, the aqcuisition of second languages, and the amazing experiences we have had through this program. I still can not believe how blessed I am to be a part of something so incredible.

A Word about our Exchange Program

We are Finally Here!!!

After months of preparation and anticipation, We have finally made it to Linköping, Sweden! It’s going to take us a while to get over the excitement. You see, right up until the Friday before we left, Max and I were swamped with our student teaching placements. We really didn’t have time to stop and consider what an incredible journey we were about to embark on!


We registered at Linköping University (our host university) today. The campus is incredible. Lots of unique art and several unique coffee shops, and thousands of bicycles! There is just such a great atmosphere here.


Lena Örnestrand, our coordinator, helped us get set up in our housing accomodations. She also debriefed us on a wide spread philosophy movement. In the Swedish language there are two words for "you." "Du" is the informal term and "Ni" is the formal. In the Seventies there was a revolutionary movement in Sweden centered around equality. The people of Sweden feel that no human being is inherently entitled to more respect than another. Regardless of job or status, we are all equal and should be treated as such. Thus they did away with the word "ni." This movement also affected several aspects of culture that will be relevant to my teaching experience. For example, teachers and faculty members go by their first names. Many professors at the University will even become offended if you address them as Mr. or Mrs. Another result of the movement is that everyone wears street clothes or whatever makes them comfortable. I think this will take some adjustment because I am used to such an emphasis on professionalism. But I am interested to see how these things influence the dynamic between teachers and their students.


It is still Easter Holiday so we won't begin teaching until Monday. I can hardly wait! Tomorrow we’re having fika with our friend and colleague, Kristina. Fika is like a coffee break but longer. Kristina described it best, “Fika is to Sweden as tea time used to be to Britain.” I’m really excited to try my first Swedish coffee…I know I’ll be having a lot of those ;)


Here are some photographs we took of LiU's campus!

In Sweden they use a lot of American pop culture references. recognize any of these?

Way to be proactive and take charge of your life, Purple Blob! 
 
One teacher used post-it notes to make a pixelated Mario in her class window.

Not the most comfortable sofa I've ever sat on.