Bloomsberg, 27/9/2007

Although not my first time at this side of the ocean, I was still impressed by the overwhelming New York. After a day of sightseeing, we visited Baccalaureate School for Global Education in Queens. The students were really polite and it was very obvious that the staff had taken uttermost care in order to give us a great experience.

Later we traveled to Hartford in Connecticut, to visit another school: The Metropolitan Learning Center. This school is equipped with almost everything a teacher (and student!) could wish for. The students here were very polite as well. We shared views about our countries, both the students and us have learned from this. It was really interesting to see some differences and similarities between our schools. For example, in the Netherlands students haven’t to wear uniforms. Here the students have to follow a certain dresscode. Also, the students here begin their day saying the pledge of the school. On the other hand, having visited some lessons, American and Dutch students have lots of things in common. I visited a biology lesson, where the students learned to work with microscopes. Being a biology teacher myself, I helped the students out. Obviously, it doesn’t matter where you are on the globe, but getting a clear view with the microscope is hard at the beginning.

What impressed me even more, is the incredible friendliness and hospitality of the school and the teachers we are working with. Everything we could have wished for, was arranged. One college even went golfing with one of the American teachers in another state!

I’m really looking forward to have my students learning together -and from- the students here.

Tanne Hoff