UAU! This is the feeling I came with when leaving the high-school in Carcavelos. Just UAU!
We got to the high-school around 09h00 and went straight to meet Adelino Calado, the principle and coordinator of the Agrupamento (schools in Portugal are organized in groups, which normally have elementary schools, high schools and secondary schools). This one, in Carcavelos, has 8 schools that are all managed by a team of teachers, lead by teacher Adelino.
First thing you need to know about him: He is the friendliest man you will ever meet. Always with a smile, greets every student by name and with each one of them you can see a real connection and mutual respect. Even when we are surrounded by teenagers, who call him by his last name, you can still see the very defined line between familiarity and abuse. They know where that line is, and they don't cross it.
In this high-school, classes are still divided by age groups and their setting is still quite "traditional". But only at first sight.
First change you notice: there is no bell ringing to signal the beginning and the end of classes. Everyone has a watch, or a phone, or a device of some kind where they can tell time. And everyone is responsible to get to class on time.
Students are welcome to use their cellphones and tablets in class, as long as they respect the rules and use these tools for research and learning purposes. If/when these devices become a distraction, they know to put them away and continue the activity without them.
There are also no tests, (which is not the same as no evaluations!). Tests don't evaluate. They assess, and these instruments are still used to do so. From time to time, every class has a test, exactly at the same time, to assess their progress. This gives the teachers the information they need to see how the class is doing and who needs more help on what. They are not used, however, to grade students.
Evaluation is made based on day to day work and progress. Students still have grades at the end of the year, but in this school the focus is not on tests and grades. The focus is on learning and on the happiness of the students (and the teachers) in the process.
And this was notorious. In the hallways of the school, we once again saw happy kids, that truly seemed to enjoy their learning environment.
I am hoping to visit one of the elementary schools soon enough, to have a better idea how the guidelines are set at the beginning of their school life. I am sure it will be a very enriching experience and one I cannot wait to have!!
We got to the high-school around 09h00 and went straight to meet Adelino Calado, the principle and coordinator of the Agrupamento (schools in Portugal are organized in groups, which normally have elementary schools, high schools and secondary schools). This one, in Carcavelos, has 8 schools that are all managed by a team of teachers, lead by teacher Adelino.
First thing you need to know about him: He is the friendliest man you will ever meet. Always with a smile, greets every student by name and with each one of them you can see a real connection and mutual respect. Even when we are surrounded by teenagers, who call him by his last name, you can still see the very defined line between familiarity and abuse. They know where that line is, and they don't cross it.
In this high-school, classes are still divided by age groups and their setting is still quite "traditional". But only at first sight.
First change you notice: there is no bell ringing to signal the beginning and the end of classes. Everyone has a watch, or a phone, or a device of some kind where they can tell time. And everyone is responsible to get to class on time.
Students are welcome to use their cellphones and tablets in class, as long as they respect the rules and use these tools for research and learning purposes. If/when these devices become a distraction, they know to put them away and continue the activity without them.
There are also no tests, (which is not the same as no evaluations!). Tests don't evaluate. They assess, and these instruments are still used to do so. From time to time, every class has a test, exactly at the same time, to assess their progress. This gives the teachers the information they need to see how the class is doing and who needs more help on what. They are not used, however, to grade students.
Evaluation is made based on day to day work and progress. Students still have grades at the end of the year, but in this school the focus is not on tests and grades. The focus is on learning and on the happiness of the students (and the teachers) in the process.
And this was notorious. In the hallways of the school, we once again saw happy kids, that truly seemed to enjoy their learning environment.
I am hoping to visit one of the elementary schools soon enough, to have a better idea how the guidelines are set at the beginning of their school life. I am sure it will be a very enriching experience and one I cannot wait to have!!