International evening: Belgium - Hungary

Yesterday we had our first international evening. It was up to us to present Belgium and Viki presented Hungary. Loes had put her creative mind at work and made a quiz about Belgium. The questions were fairly simple. Every country was represented in a group. After seven questions, they learned more about our culture.

Then, it was time for some real beer and chocolate! Lynn and I made sure we had some chocolate for everyone. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough beer for everyone.

 
 
 
Viki presented her home country with a lot of pride. She made a powerpoint presentation about her home country. After that, it was time to move our feet! We heard some Hungarian folk music and were taught a typical Hungarian folk dance. We enjoyed ourselves! It was wonderful to learn about a European culture, other than my own.


For that reason, I am reserving a place in my blog for every international evening. I think it’s important to be open for other cultures. It can just enrich your point of view over Europe.

My stay in KØbenhavn

1. Wednesday morning, bus station Haderslev.
Everyone had their bags packed and was ready to go to Copenhagen. We met at 10.30 and surprise, surprise, everyone was on time. On the bus to Vojens, it was an invasion of Erasmusstudents. The locals didn’t know what happened to them. So many people, and so much luggage.
After a three hour train ride, we finally arrived at Copenhagen central. The energy from the city hits you in the face once you step out of the train. So many people, so many different cultures. The difference between Haderslev and Copenhagen is striking. Copenhagen is a large city, you can feel the people’s energy and you can feel that the city is alive. In a way, it feels like home.

After we had unpacked our bags and settled in to the rooms, we went to the Rundetaarn, an impressive building.
I find it amazing how you can walk up to 38 meters without any stairs. After a few minutes we reached the top and were able to enjoy the beautiful view over Copenhagen.

 After the Rundetaarn, we visited strØget, the longest shopping street in Europe. With its 1.1 km distance, there’s a shop for everyone. The rich and famous, but also the humble people. At the end of strØget, you find the town hall square. It’s a square that is buzzing with activity! Many lights flashing, people walking (trying not to fall down), hot dog stands, … To make a long story short, I love that square. It gives a magical

feeling when you see it at night.

2. Thursday, the first whole day.

On Thursday, we had a whole day planned. First, we went to the Royal Library (a.k.a. The black diamond). In this library, they have a copy of every Danish book ever published. It’s an enormous building, that leaves an impression. At least it did on me. Danish people are very proud people, and it shows in a building like this. I love how they incorporate old history with the present time. The black diamond exists of two buildings, that are combined with a bridge.

When you look to the older part of the building, you can still feel the effort that people have put in. Maybe, in a few hundred years, they will think the same of the Black Diamond, and it will have a historian value for them. I hope so, because it would be a sad to let this building go to waste.

Nyhavn is another place that impressed me. I love the romantic feeling it exhumes. I can see myself sitting here on a sunny day, with a coffee in one hand and a book in the other. It’s nice to know that you can find that piece of calm in a capital city like Copenhagen.

 

 (Other viewings of the day were: The little Mermaid, Amalienborg and Rosenborg Castle.)

3. Friday, more sightseeing and bag packing.

On Friday, we visited the National Museum in group. I enjoyed the fact that we were free to look around and explore.

I visited three exhibitions: The rainforest, the children’s museum and the history of Denmark.

This museum represents everything Belgian museums lack: interactivity. There is so much to do, to explore, to touch, to smell. Even I, at twenty-one years old, feel like a child that learns trough activity.

I enjoyed the children’s museum the most. It was a bliss to see how the children were able to climb on to the furniture, into the little stores and learn so much without them even knowing. We visited the museum in small groups. The people in my group couldn’t resist it to try out what was there. They jumped on to the horse, dressed up as knights,… You name it, we did it! If only the kids from my practice class could experience what I have experienced that day. I wouldn’t be called a boring teacher ever again!

4. What have I learned in Copenhagen?

People have high expectations when they go to a capital city like Copenhagen. There is so much to see and so little time to see it. I learned a lot about myself. I enjoy the vibe that other people, nationalities give me.

You can learn a lot about a country by just keeping your eyes and ears open. Active learning is always a key word. This is something I have experienced a few times in my short stay in Denmark, and is something I want to pass on to the pupils in Belgium.

Stereotypes

Before I came to Danmark, I didn't know a lot of the Danish people and their culture. These were my thoughts:
- Danish people are blond and have blue eyes.
- In Denmark, there's a lot of snow throughout the whole year.
- Danish people are very organised.
Apparently, I was wrong. The Danes aren't used to the snow, they only have two of three day of snow per year. And not all Danes have blond hair. I did notice that the Danish women have a similar haircut. I find that amusing.
The Danish people are very friendly and well organized. Everyone is very punctual in their behaviour.
Now, let's hear about some Belgian stereotypes.
I am Belgian because:
- I drink a lot of beer.
- I am very hard working.
- I am perfectionistic.
If you have any more stereotypes about the belgian people, place a comment and I'll confirm or deny it. =) I'm curious..

The Danish school systems and my vision upon them..

On Thursday, the 4th of February, we visited a primary school in Haderslev. Together with five other students, we visited Realskole, a private school.
After a short introduction, we observed a few lessons in year zero. The children are 6 years old.
What surprised me the most, was that the children don’t get a lot of lessons during the day. They only have four hours. In Belgium, children of that age have lessons between 08.30 and 15.30. The transition between preschool and primary school is smoother here in Denmark. In Belgium, when children finish preschool and enter primary school, they only get 1,5 hours of playtime in-between the lessons. In Denmark, there is a lot of time for them to play. I think that’s better.

The classes in Denmark are similar to the ones in Belgium. A lot of theory is visualized, so it’s easier for the pupils to remember it. I did notice that the pace is slower here. In Belgium, we have learning plans with everything a child needs to learn is written down. I think that’s why the pace is higher in Belgium.



In the comparative studies with Iben, I’ve learned a lot! I learned why the pace in Danish schools is much lower than in Belgian schools. In Scandinavian countries, they focus more on the total development of the child, rather than the cognitive development. They have built up their entire school system around the visions of Rousseau, Montesorri, … The child is more important than the adult, the individual is more important than society. The children are challenged to make their own choices, to chose their own path in life. Cognitive knowledge comes second.
This is the total opposite in Belgium. In our country, we put cognitive knowledge first. Children are tested all the time. The outcome of these tests, may have consequences for the child. If a child from the first grade can’t read or write the way he or she should, they are held back and have to do the year again.

What is my opinion about this subject?
I think that both school systems have got their pro’s and con’s. I think the child should be a teachers first priority. If a child isn’t stimulated in the right way, or if he or she doesn’t feel safe with you and in the classroom, it will never come to a good learning process. Still, I place cognitive abilities of a child at a higher place than they do in Denmark.
The school system in Belgium is built in a way that a child will not be able to learn if they don’t have the knowledge of the lower grade. That’s why I still think that the children have to be tested. On the other hand, Danish children get their motivation from within. In Belgium, children learn to please their parents, their teacher,… This might be one of the reasons children don’t like to go to school in Belgium. A lot of children in their puberty are ‘school tired’. They just sit there without learning anything and sabotage the others.

What can we learn from this?
I know for certain, when I go back to Belgium, I’ll try to implement what I’ve learned here. Some teachers are focused on the cognitive abilities of the children, and forget that they are little people, who have to learn from their mistakes. I don’t want to be a teacher that the children are afraid of. I want to be their confidant, their mentor. Children learn from example. As their teacher, you can teach them more from your actions than books ever will. Some teachers forget about this important aspect of the job. They’re only there to transfer knowledge. I don’t want to be that type of teacher. I want to challenge them, appreciate them as they are and give them the ability to grow. Sounds great, doesn’t it? =)
(We are a 4-star class!)

Here we are! Our first day..

Hi everybody!

Sundaymorning, 6.00 AM: A very loud and irritating sound wakes me up. It´s time to go! After my morning coffee, my mother and I tried to put all of my bags in the car.

Sundaymorning, 7.15 AM: I arrived at Lynn´s place. When I saw all of the luggage Lynn had packed, my heart stopped beating for just a few seconds. Is all of this going to fit in that little car? With the help of our parents, we jammed it in.

Sundaynight, 16.30 AM: After an 8,5 hour drive, we arrived in Haderslev. Finally!
Because we left with a lot of snow in Belgium, we were really careful on our way over here.
With every hundred km that passed, we became more excited. Lots and lots of cds were played over and over again.
After a while, boredom sat in.. A little stop here, another cd there... Then, we noticed the funny names of the cities we passed by. Fx: Okselaar is a little city nearby the Danish border. In Dutch, when you add an h inbetween, you get the word "okselhaar" which is the hair underneath your armpits.. Like I said before, bordom sat in. Not a minute too soon, the GPS indicated that we only had onother hour to drive. Our energylevels hit the roof.

More adventures and funny comments are still to come.. So visite me again when you get a chance, so you can follow my tracks.
Blogmessages in the making:
- The adventures of the missing frying pan.
- And many, many more..