Day with Fourth Graders
Today I spent my day going on one of the annual field trips Israeli kids take towards the beginning of the year. I learned that, unlike America where we wait until the end of the year, they often do a field trip earlier with the idea that it "bonds" the group.
There were some other interesting differences. First, I am not sure there are school buses in this country. We ride these nice looking charter tall buses (but no bathroom). Second, a tour guide (who is really an Israeli educator here) and security (man with a gun) come with us. Third, the tour guide had the kids yelling out trivia answers to keep them entertained on the way to where we were going. It was more like camp that way. "Don't raise your hands, just yell it out" (yeah, I don't hear that much in the U.S.!).
I'm going to quick listing by number here, because I don't trust my ability to count ordinally any higher.
So, then we get to the beautiful Judean hills, which are the mountains outside of Jerusalem. Again, I am awestruck at how rapidly the terrain changes to semi-arid mountains in less than 30 minutes. There bathrooms were closed, so kids had to just go in the "brush" if they had do, and we hiked down the mountain to a spring. Given the lack of rainfall in Israel, natural water sources are an attraction. In the Hudson valley, there is probably one of these a mile from my house, but here, not only is there one, but it's been used for centuries as a water source, as you can see by the ancient tunnels we crawled through. When I saw the doorway, and the 30 children pushing their way through this 3 foot tall tunnel, I thought, "hell no" but I do hate giving into my fears. After all the kids were done climbing through and I could see I wasn't going to be trapped forever surrounded by fourth grade kids while hunched over in a two foot wide passageway that I'm literally almost crawling through, I gave it a try. Whew. I survived.
Culturally, one of the most interesting differences is how snacks are handled. Everyone packs their own food. And we had about three different breaks during the day to eat what we brought. At the first break, one of the parents reminds the students that you can share salty and sweet food and have it all, and to show respect to each other and offer each other your food.
Remember how in the last milennium you could trade food in the school cafeteria without being punished? So, not only are the kids not punished for trading. It's downright encouraged to share your snacks. So kids would open up a coveted bag of oreos or skittles (maybe only I was coveting this american junk), and literally, ask the people around them, do you want one?
My kids have been talking to me for a couple weeks about "packing extra cereal because noam likes that" or "gaya loves those pretzels, pack more in my lunch." and I sort of rolled my eyes. I'm trying to feed my own kids, not the entire school. But now I sort of get it. Sharing food is the culture, not just permissible.
We then went to a stalagtite cave that I have been to about 4 times. It's pretty remarkable.
And then home.
Students are....well, listen, I haven't been around 4th grade boys in awhile, but let me just say, these teachers have it tough. This class was definitely not as obedient (beat down?) as American classes I have seen. They have tons of energy, and things to say!
When the tour guide was going to give out stickers for correct trivia answers, this girl looks at him and says, "what am i supposed to do with those? eat them?"
and the tour guide calmly and quickly said "a sticker is an honor"
5 minutes later kids were battling over those stickers like they were gold.
Elina, my daughter's teacher, definitely can command the class and also has no problem talking to them directly and harshly. But they ADORE her.
There were some other interesting differences. First, I am not sure there are school buses in this country. We ride these nice looking charter tall buses (but no bathroom). Second, a tour guide (who is really an Israeli educator here) and security (man with a gun) come with us. Third, the tour guide had the kids yelling out trivia answers to keep them entertained on the way to where we were going. It was more like camp that way. "Don't raise your hands, just yell it out" (yeah, I don't hear that much in the U.S.!).
I'm going to quick listing by number here, because I don't trust my ability to count ordinally any higher.
Above, tour guide teaches Israeli geography using the boy as the map of Israel (left hand is the golan).
So, then we get to the beautiful Judean hills, which are the mountains outside of Jerusalem. Again, I am awestruck at how rapidly the terrain changes to semi-arid mountains in less than 30 minutes. There bathrooms were closed, so kids had to just go in the "brush" if they had do, and we hiked down the mountain to a spring. Given the lack of rainfall in Israel, natural water sources are an attraction. In the Hudson valley, there is probably one of these a mile from my house, but here, not only is there one, but it's been used for centuries as a water source, as you can see by the ancient tunnels we crawled through. When I saw the doorway, and the 30 children pushing their way through this 3 foot tall tunnel, I thought, "hell no" but I do hate giving into my fears. After all the kids were done climbing through and I could see I wasn't going to be trapped forever surrounded by fourth grade kids while hunched over in a two foot wide passageway that I'm literally almost crawling through, I gave it a try. Whew. I survived.
Culturally, one of the most interesting differences is how snacks are handled. Everyone packs their own food. And we had about three different breaks during the day to eat what we brought. At the first break, one of the parents reminds the students that you can share salty and sweet food and have it all, and to show respect to each other and offer each other your food.
Remember how in the last milennium you could trade food in the school cafeteria without being punished? So, not only are the kids not punished for trading. It's downright encouraged to share your snacks. So kids would open up a coveted bag of oreos or skittles (maybe only I was coveting this american junk), and literally, ask the people around them, do you want one?
My kids have been talking to me for a couple weeks about "packing extra cereal because noam likes that" or "gaya loves those pretzels, pack more in my lunch." and I sort of rolled my eyes. I'm trying to feed my own kids, not the entire school. But now I sort of get it. Sharing food is the culture, not just permissible.
We then went to a stalagtite cave that I have been to about 4 times. It's pretty remarkable.
And then home.Students are....well, listen, I haven't been around 4th grade boys in awhile, but let me just say, these teachers have it tough. This class was definitely not as obedient (beat down?) as American classes I have seen. They have tons of energy, and things to say!
When the tour guide was going to give out stickers for correct trivia answers, this girl looks at him and says, "what am i supposed to do with those? eat them?"
and the tour guide calmly and quickly said "a sticker is an honor"
5 minutes later kids were battling over those stickers like they were gold.
Elina, my daughter's teacher, definitely can command the class and also has no problem talking to them directly and harshly. But they ADORE her.
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