Visiting practise

On thursday we went to visit some Danish schools.

Caroline and Ine went to a kindergarten in Haderslev. We went to Bornehuset Sct. Georgs Garden. We went together with Siv Hege and Mette. 2 girls from Norway. We found the school pretty easy. First we saw the groups of little childeren. There were two groups with childeren from 0 until 3 years old. When we came in the groups the children were taking their breakfast and it was very cousy. There were three teachers for each group. The children slept outside in a babycarriage. Then we saw a playroom and than we walked to the groups with the oldest childeren. There were two groups with children from 3 until 6 years old. Each group has 25 children. The children have two or three teachers. The group looks very much like a house. The people are all very close and there is this kind of cousy atmosfere. It’s totaly different than a pre-school in Belgium. Here in Denmark the children can do whatever they want and play with whatever they want. If they want to play outside in the snow they can, if they want to play inside it’s also good. The teachers don’t give that many activities as in Belgium. Their filosophy is that the children learn more when they are playing. The children are welcome in the groups from 6.30 AM until 5.30 PM. The children and parents walk in and out the group whenever they want. The parents put the food of the children in the fridge and say goodbye to their child. The children can take their breakfast in the group when they are hungry. But when it’s lunchtime they eat all together in the group. The children don’t wear shoes in the group, they wear slippers. The children don’t understand English, but we had the profit that the Norwegian girls could translate the things that the children said to us. It was a very strange and shocking experience to be in a kindergarten in Haderslev. The difference with Belgium can’t be bigger!

Loes and Marie went to a Primary school. It was are first meeting with the schoolsystem here in Denmark and I was really surprised by the way they teach and work here. We visited a 1st grade class. You can compare it to the 1ste leerjaar in Belgium. We joined the dancing session. At first the two dancers gave a little introduction dance, the kids were all very excited and entertained. The next thing that was happening was doing all sorts of things with the children like hanging on to each other when they both lean backwards, the children had to move like a statue, … Marie, Kari (a Norwegian student) and I helped the children out with some moves. At first they liked it but after an hour they really got bored of it. They just didn’t do what they were asked to do, some just sat down,… But the two dancers just kept going even if it didn’t work anymore. Very strange. After two hours and a half it was time to play outside. When they came in back in class we got introduced to the children, they learned how to introduce themselves in English that was very sweet. Marie, Kari and I introduced ourselves in Danish, and the children thought it was really cool. Then every child had to write a card to a person who lives somewhere in Denmark. The children new what was expected of them to do. The atmosphere was so relaxed, so loose, kids could walk around,… They don’t have to call the teacher miss, they just say her first name. At the end of the class some children prepared to sing the song ‘Brother Jacob’ for us in Turkish, Polish,…
After the visit I was a bit confused.. It is so different then in Belgium. At first I couldn’t really find peace with it, but then after talking to my friends about I learned that you have to see it in his culture, in their way of living and being.
(Module 5: School Experience)