Behaviors

There are so many things that are different in cultures. I have been blogging about many of those differences that I have noticed between Spain and the southern United States. Student life is another one of those differences I have seen. 

When I first arrived, I expected the system to be much better than our own. I expected students to be better behaved. After looking at the schedule I thought the students had to be more committed to their education. But some things transcend cultural boundaries.  Students here try to find ways to delay tests (or parts of a test). Students like to talk to each other. Honestly, what I have seen turns out to be even more lax than in the United States.

On Thursday, the local police came to give a presentation to level one and two students. It was in the gym so the level four class I was with that hour also attended. There were not enough chairs for everyone so some students sat in the floor in the back, others stood along the edges of the gym. Many of those students were talking to each other ignoring the police. Others were rolling around in the floor.

Something else we have noticed is how the students address the teachers. In the United States we refer to our teachers (and elders) as Mr. or Ms. (last name). Here that is not the case. Students call teachers by their first names. The first time I heard it I wasn’t sure if I had heard correctly. But later I realized I did.