La Scuola Italiana
Yesterday and today, my school sent me over to a Liceo Scientifico here in Viterbo. It is called a "Liceo" because in Italy, teenagers go to specialized schools where they offer classes that are specific to a certain subject. Other examples are Liceo Classico or Liceo Linguistico where students study closely The Classics or Linguistics, as opposed to Science like the school I visited.
When I first walked past the crowd of Italian students who looked at me as they gathered outside the school building yesterday, I was greeted by the school English teachers. They appointed students to show me to my assigned classroom. I was initially puzzled by what they meant when they sent me to one classroom, and one only. In Italy, students don't actually change rooms! The professori come to them. I did not walk past lockers or a cafeteria, for students leave things at their designated seats and finish school by one o'clock, so they eat lunch at home or at their own expense around town.
I was shocked at the lack of discipline in the Italians schools. The kids were very rambunctious, and didn't really pay much attention to their teachers. However, they all did their work and seemed to know what was going on, so I have to admit I was disappointed and impressed at the same time. I witnessed two interrogations, or oral exams that are basically oral pop quizzes which are a huge part of an Italian students grade. Essentially, these kids had to memorize parts of their homework and anticipate being quizzed as a part of their voto.The teachers also don't usually write on the board, and there is no projector or any other resource in the classroom. There is one desktop computer they all log in to at the start of class to submit attendance, but otherwise these kids were lectured all morning long.
They have one break after the first two hours of school for about 20 minutes. They have a cool coffee vending machine they buy espresso out of and one with biscotti right next to it! Also, a local pizzeria comes with pizza everyday and many students walked around and made the halls perfume of fresh wood oven deliciousness. It was during this time I really got to talk to the students, and they were so nice and friendly! Although, I did question their taste in fashion when I saw almost everyone owned a Spongebob Squarepants, Duff Beer, or Hard Rock Cafe sweatshirt. They were surprisingly interested in my taste in music, life with my host family, but most of all my graphing calculator! I was shocked to be in a scientific school and in a crowd of people who didn't know they existed! It worked out well though because I was happy to share.
My favorite class I had the opportunity to sit through twice; I loved the philosophy course. They were talking about Licio Vanini and atheism, which was interesting in a classroom full of Catholics. The teacher was from Napoli and had the best accent I've heard my whole time here. He was so friendly and even if I couldn't understand everything, he nodded at me and made me feel with it. I wish SYA had filosofia!
I'm so glad I got this opportunity, and I can't wait to go back and see my new friends again!
When I first walked past the crowd of Italian students who looked at me as they gathered outside the school building yesterday, I was greeted by the school English teachers. They appointed students to show me to my assigned classroom. I was initially puzzled by what they meant when they sent me to one classroom, and one only. In Italy, students don't actually change rooms! The professori come to them. I did not walk past lockers or a cafeteria, for students leave things at their designated seats and finish school by one o'clock, so they eat lunch at home or at their own expense around town.
I was shocked at the lack of discipline in the Italians schools. The kids were very rambunctious, and didn't really pay much attention to their teachers. However, they all did their work and seemed to know what was going on, so I have to admit I was disappointed and impressed at the same time. I witnessed two interrogations, or oral exams that are basically oral pop quizzes which are a huge part of an Italian students grade. Essentially, these kids had to memorize parts of their homework and anticipate being quizzed as a part of their voto.The teachers also don't usually write on the board, and there is no projector or any other resource in the classroom. There is one desktop computer they all log in to at the start of class to submit attendance, but otherwise these kids were lectured all morning long.
They have one break after the first two hours of school for about 20 minutes. They have a cool coffee vending machine they buy espresso out of and one with biscotti right next to it! Also, a local pizzeria comes with pizza everyday and many students walked around and made the halls perfume of fresh wood oven deliciousness. It was during this time I really got to talk to the students, and they were so nice and friendly! Although, I did question their taste in fashion when I saw almost everyone owned a Spongebob Squarepants, Duff Beer, or Hard Rock Cafe sweatshirt. They were surprisingly interested in my taste in music, life with my host family, but most of all my graphing calculator! I was shocked to be in a scientific school and in a crowd of people who didn't know they existed! It worked out well though because I was happy to share.
My favorite class I had the opportunity to sit through twice; I loved the philosophy course. They were talking about Licio Vanini and atheism, which was interesting in a classroom full of Catholics. The teacher was from Napoli and had the best accent I've heard my whole time here. He was so friendly and even if I couldn't understand everything, he nodded at me and made me feel with it. I wish SYA had filosofia!
I'm so glad I got this opportunity, and I can't wait to go back and see my new friends again!
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| The magical espresso machine! |
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