Ciao amici!
It’s been a while since our last update but that’s only because we’ve been busy bees attending to school work and taking advantage of various cultural experiences. Since the beginning of the month, we’ve been spending our time at a highschool that focuses on science and technology named Istituto Pascal. It is one of four types of high schools found within Italy, as the other three focus on subjects related to pedagogy, classics, and linguistics. Our time at Istituto Pascal has been mostly observation as opposed to teaching. We’ve had the opportunity to sit in on various levels of classes that are taught in English such as history, literature, information and communication technology, and of course English language basics. Some teachers (which are actually referred to as professors here, even at the high school level) are more flexible and actually allow us to interact with the students while others prefer we stand-by and provide them feedback on their teaching. It has certainly been interesting observing the differences between Italian and Canadian teaching, which I will further address later on in this blog post.
As we both want to maximize our time in Rome and indulge in the rich history and culture it has to offer, we’ve spent our free time in the last month exploring museums, monuments, and going to events among other things. My personal favourites include going to:
- Galleria Borghese and the Borghese Gardens to admire the craftsmanship of marble sculptures and the lovely greenery, respectively
- Florence for a day trip to see the statue of David and appreciate Botticelli and Carvaggio’s art
- An opera titled “Alceste” that was so emotional it moved me to tears
- The Vittorio Emanuele II monument which has some of the best terrace views of Rome
- The Capitoline museums, known to house some of the most important preserved works of Ancient Rome
- A Van Gogh art exhibit that had 50 of his works on display, lent temporarily by the Kröller-Müller Museum located in the Netherlands
- The Domus Aurea, Pantheon, and other historical sites
While I absolutely enjoyed all of these experiences, I must say the highlight of our trip so far (and MacKenna agrees on this), was attending a pasta making and wine tasting class! Let me tell you, anyone that happens to be in Italy needs to participate in one of these classes. It was very enjoyable and the best part about it was that you actually got to eat the pasta you made right afterward either as a carbonara, cacio e pepe, or amatriciana dish. Also, I highly doubt there’s anyone out there who is able to say they got to do a pasta making class in which they were also able to explore an underground cave network beneath the building the class is in. Needless to say, I can’t wait to start making my own pasta when I get home, yum! I’ve provided the link to the particular class we did below because I truly can’t stop raving about it. Next time you find yourself in Rome and you happen to do it, you’ll thank me later.
https://www.fromscratchexperiences.com/
Future TAB Participants, This One’s For You:
I want to dedicate most of this blog post to writing about my overall experiences and perceptions as a TAB participant in Rome. I know that around this time, students that are considering doing TAB are looking into which country they would possibly like to be placed in, and I would like to help them get an idea of what to truly expect if they were placed in Rome. While everything may seem picture perfect the reality is that there are some bumps behind the scenes that come up along the way. That being said, as a TAB participant, you need to be flexible and open-minded. You will definitely be pushed out of your comfort zone regardless of the country placement you are in! Of course, keep in mind that every individual will perceive their experiences differently, depending on who they are as a person. Here are some of my thoughts regarding the TAB experience in Rome:
The Teaching Across Borders Aspect
- We did not immediately start teaching upon arriving in Rome. Our first month was dedicated to “lesson-like” meetings with our wonderful liaison at YMCA Roma in which we would learn about Italian history, the judicial system, and educational system among other things. During these lessons, we would also prepare mini presentations that are essentially the Canadian version of these topics
- It was only during the second month that we started sitting in on classes at the high school. The extent of being able to teach in the classroom is minimal at best as we have only been observing and/or interacting with the students to some degree. Some examples of this include doing a mini-lesson on the educational system in Canada, hovering around the classroom and helping out students with their English work, and participating in a lesson that had to do with describing images found on What Do You Meme? cards. The highest extent of teaching I personally got to partake in was doing oral and comprehension testing with the students. The professor would then ask my opinion on what grade I would assign to the students’ English reading and speaking skills
What does this mean for you?
- If you are someone who wants to do TAB solely for the teaching experience, then this placement is not for you
- I personally did not mind the blend of having “classes” at the YMCA, and being a “learner” as opposed to a “teacher” at the high school. I enjoyed analyzing classroom dynamics, particularly those between the students and the professor through a psychological lens
- While I wish I was able to teach more within the school, I feel as though I have still gained enough insights from their classrooms that I can apply to my own teaching one day
School Experience
- Let me paint you a picture of our very first impression of school in Italy. Upon entering the very first class we were going to sit in on, we were greeted with loud, boisterous yelling. We figured that since the class had not started yet, students were just doing typical things high school students do, which is to fool around, chat with friends, etc. However, once the class had started, the rowdiness continued. Students would get up from their seats to go to their friends across the classroom, continue having conversations (at a normal volume, not even whispering), and throw paper planes across the classroom, all while the professor was trying to teach. Of course she would try to settle them down, often by slamming her hands on the desk or shouting “stay quiet”! I will admit, I was overwhelmed by what I witnessed, as it was quite different from Canadian standards. At the end of the lesson, the professor had then informed us that she uses the students’ (seemingly chaotic) energy to teach them
- Later, I found out that this kind of student behaviour is the norm for a first year high school class. It is a result of coming out of elementary school with no preconceived notion that high school (which includes junior high) is all about learning, not playing. It takes a certain amount of time for them to understand that professors are to be respected and listened to
- Of course, the rowdy behaviour is for the most part contained within the first two years of high school. The older grades (years three to five) practice more self-control and are much more respectful
- I already knew that most TAB placements do not offer a teaching position within your specialization, but when I, an early childhood major, found out that I was going to be working with high school students, I will admit I was a bit worried. I had no experience whatsoever working with older kids. However, instead of putting myself in an anxious headspace, I thought “You know what, whatever happens, happens. Let’s consider it as a learning experience instead,” especially since there were no expectations for what we were supposed to do within the classrooms
- Overall, the students and professors were welcoming and seemed happy to interact with and meet us. Occasionally, I would have a few students come up to me to chat or to ask questions about Canada or things in general
What does this mean for you?
- Forget everything you learned about teaching back home and expect (sometimes organized) chaos. Also, be aware that your school placement can be anywhere between K-12
- I was at first puzzled how I would handle this chaotic class situation. At first I thought I would attempt to approach it in a Canadian way, but I realized perhaps it was better to leave it as it was. After all, I’m only at the school for a few weeks and I’m not trying to “fix” it. In this case, my gut trusted the professor of the class
- As teachers, one of our job requirements is to be flexible. We have to be capable of teaching any grade really because we’re not guaranteed to teach what we want to teach when we graduate. Therefore, while I may have initially been afraid of the notion of working with high school students, I’m glad I ended up doing so
Language & Culture
- If there was one thing I could have done differently before departing to Rome, it would have been learning Italian more thoroughly. For the Italy placement, it is recommended that you know it pretty well. Thankfully (and in my own opinion), it is a fairly easy language to pick up, especially if you already speak a second language. If you learn the most basic phrases, you can get by pretty easily. For example, I would typically ask “parli inglese?” (“do you speak English?”) and if they didn’t, I would use Google translate to assist me and go from there. Simply being surrounded by the Italian language has helped me understand it better, and for the most part, I can get the context of conversation by picking up on keywords and phrases I’ve learned
- That being said, it can feel intimidating when you are in a situation where there is a group of high schoolers speaking in Italian and laughing as you stand in front of the class. You can’t help but think they are talking about you or making fun of you. It really puts you in the perspective of an ELL learner back in Canada, and how they feel when they are in a situation where they don’t know the native language. It is an experience that has resonated with me and consider my understanding of how ELL’s learn
- In general, Italians are really kind. They are outgoing, welcoming, and courteous. In several situations where we were trying to order something in Italian, rather than ridiculing us, they would tell us how to properly say it
- One thing to note however is that they are not as structured and organized as we Canadians are. You can expect weekly schedules to be sent out only a couple days prior to the start of the week and you truly don’t know what you’ll be doing on any given day. On the bright side, the day starts much later than by Canadian standard, so expect starting the day around 9:00-10:00am and finishing around 12:00-1:00pm.
What does this mean for you?
- If you are a future TABer reading this because you want to go to Italy, download Duolingo or Babel right now and start learning Italian, you’re gonna need it!
- If you’re someone who loves to learn languages then this placement might be for you. However, if you don’t want to put in the effort to learning even the bare minimum of the language, then I’m afraid this placement isn’t for you
- If you’re someone who likes to have a structured schedule and day planned out in advance or even structure and organization in general, this placement might not be for you. It took me a while to get used to such a scheduling system but I’ve come to realize the benefits of it
Other
- Aside from wanting to experience an educational system outside of our own in Canada, a large part of my wanting to go to Rome had to do with its rich history and of course the food
- If you are a nerd like myself and enjoy museums, historic sites, exhibits, etc., Rome is definitely the place to go
- In terms of food, you literally get to eat pizza and pasta everyday without the side effects of bloating and weight gain because of the fresh, non-GMO ingredients and from walking so much
- In terms of costs, Italy in general is quite affordable, especially groceries. The only things that will cost you are accommodation and any other extra recreational costs for things you choose to do such as traveling outside of Rome, general shopping, and tickets for all the attractions
- MacKenna and I are in the process of making a living in Rome survival guide that will be made available in the next blog post
What does this mean for you?
- If the things I mentioned above speak out to you, then Rome might be just the fit for you!
I hope that in reading this, it has given you a better understanding of what TAB in Rome looks like. Overall, it’s been truly an amazing experience, and I hope I haven’t scared you with some of the realities I’ve faced here. All in all you should note, TAB in itself is a wonderful opportunity no matter what country you end up being placed in. It has helped me develop new perspectives on the world and I know it will continue to shape things to come.
Ciao for now,
Alex