School in Spain vs. US. The Alkor auxiliares spent time with family and friends from the United States during holidays, and while we are so thrilled to be back with our students, it definitely reminded us how different the two countries are!
Specifically, while working at Alkor, we have learned so much about how schools operate in Spain, and have been able to compare our experiences here with our schooling back home in America.
Some examples
What are some examples, you ask? We´ll explain a few of the major ones to you between School in Spain vs. US!
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School in Spain vs. US
1. Schedule/Transportation:
In the United States, most high schools start around 7:30am and end around 2:30pm. This is because a lot of students work jobs after school! We also begin driving at age 16, and usually drive to school once we have our licenses.
Unfortunately, in most places in the United States, it is almost impossible to walk to school like our students at Alkor!
(In fact, after doing the math, it would have taken me four hours to walk to and from my high school in the U.S… no thank you!)
2. Language Natives:
Can you believe that in public schools in the United States it is only required to take two semesters of language … throughout your entire high school career? Furthermore, there are no native language assistants from other countries to help us learn! (Lame!)
Maybe we’re a little biased, but we much prefer the language education found at Alkor.
3. School Layout:
In the United States, each teacher has their own room, and the students take five minutes between each class to move to the next room. You ́re with different people in each class – sometimes you ́re even with students who are in a different grade than your own!
This has its pluses and minuses, as it can be refreshing to switch classes, but usually students do not become as close of friends with each other as at Alkor.
4. Teacher Names:
In Spain, our students refer to me us by our first names, “Anna¨ and ¨Karla”, but in the U.S., we would always be “Ms. Mills¨ and ¨Ms. Smith”… yuck! In the United States it is considered very disrespectful to call a teacher by only their first name.
Want proof? Check out this video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APkK4hd4JO8
Overall though, through the differences, several things remain the same: Passionate, caring teachers, enthusiastic students, and a resilient sense of school spirit. We feel so lucky to be here, and cannot wait for the second half of the school year! Ciao for now!
Best, Anna and Karla
