Week 17 ¦ Hard work pays off ¦ Professional and Personal Development

As Monday morning approached, the fear and nerves for our presentation dawned on Poppy, Leah and I. Despite the fact that we were well prepared and knew the topics and areas we wished to discuss, oral presentations are not something I’m particularly fond of...meaning I was apprehensive to say the least. But with some reassurance from Poppy and Leah and knowing that we worked well together, I swallowed my fear and we entered the examination room. 

We decided to focus on the main differences from home and how we would reflect on these to develop professionally at home, each talking about our different areas; the classroom, the SFO and the playground. Once we began speaking my fear completely faded away, we knew what we wanted to discuss and that’s exactly what we did. Our teamwork proved to be a winning success as our tutor informed us after our presentation that she was very pleased with our delivery and awarded us with a high distinction!

Unfortunately official celebrations had to wait one more day as the other half of the class had their presentations on the Tuesday, but I decided to treat myself on a smaller scale. After getting my conch pierced in early March, I was ready for another! So for another small memoir of Aarhus and passing my presentation I got myself a little helix piercing which I was chuffed with, can't say the same for my Mum and Dad though!

On Tuesday night the Studenterhaus, (the students union for Aarhus University) held a rap battle party, we weren’t expected much, we were just ready to be free from the work pressures! It turned out to be a good night, and even better when we heard a very distinct Northern Irish voice from afar. Jessica and I were the only Irish of the group out that night, but once we heard the accent we both turned to each other in shock, we followed the voice and found a young Bangor woman serving behind the bar. Despite not knowing anything about each other, the simple connection of Northern Ireland had Jessica and I feeling as though we could talk to Louise the whole night. After the generic facebook add, we agreed to definitely meet up with Louise again, whether that be in Aarhus or at home in little Ireland!

‘Sometimes you meet people and you feel like you’ve known them for a long time.’ – John Cusack

On Thursday we had class as normal, although we were all pretty drained from the presentation and portfolio work it wasn’t long before the class was hyped again with the help of planning our overnight shelter trip. 

We each split into groups, organising and planning the next part of diploma which was to carry out an activity for the whole class that lasted an hour and a half. The thought of trying to keep our class entertained with an activity for that length of time seemed quite impossible to Leah, Paolo, Stefania and I but once we started coming up with ideas, we knew it would be a fun-filled day!

On Friday night we all gathered at Álvaro’s to host a giant 22^nd birthday party with the help of his dorm mates. Lea treated us with nothing less than perfection in the form of a cake, we decorated his dorm, lit candles, signed a flag and of course made a crown pronouncing him the one and only ‘King of Spain’! After the party we all headed to our regular, Skjoldhøj Bar and continued the celebrations.

Sunday brought around the 1^st May, which although it doesn’t be made a big deal of back home, it is certainly highly thought of across Europe…probably due to the fact that it’s the start of their summer weather, whereas it symbolises more rain and perhaps the occasional sunbeam at home! So in light of the ‘start of summer’ we all made our way to Ian’s dorm for a BBQ, we sat out all day eating and talking and as the sunset we all made our way into his giant common room for some foosball and card games. It was the perfect end to the very long and stressful previous week and the perfect start exciting adventure we had planned for our shelter trip.

                                                                                                                  

References

John Cusack - http://www.picturequotes.com/sometimes-you-meet-people-and-you-feel-like-youve-known-them-for-a-long-time-quote-528595

Week 16 ¦ All Work, Some Play! ¦ Professional and Personal Development

Week 16 unfortunately brought around the end of our placement and time to work on the dreaded portfolio. After having gone so long with, let’s say having spent more time on the social aspect of Erasmus rather than the work aspect, it was difficult to get started and try and maintain focus and concentration on actual work.

For our portfolio, we were expected to present to our tutors a document divided up into five main sections; the introduction, description of institution, observations during the first week, the activities we carried out and the new perspectives we had gained from our time in the different placement settings. The two main focus points of the portfolio were the activities and our reflection on how they went and how we could carry out the same situation only better, in the future. 

The second focus point was the observations; similar to home they play a key role in the development of an Early Years Professional. However the difference between the two were the planning techniques that followed observations and led to activity plans, at home we use the Early Years Planning template however Pedagogues and other teaching professions in Denmark, greatly favour the SMTTE model. This particular model consists of five different elements; Context, Goals, Initiatives, Signs and Evaluations. Encouraging pedagogues to pull together their thoughts and observations in regards to their aims and aspirations, what they witness during observations and reflections on the outcome of the observation or activity. I have found that having access to both similar, yet different models can improve my observational techniques hopefully resulting in better application of theories and planning of activities in future placements.

By working with the other two girls; Poppy, Leah and I we able to share our opinions and views making it a lot easier to complete the portfolio! After a consultation with our tutor, the girls and I had decided to split the observations and new perspectives aspects of the portfolio into three different topics. I based my observations and new perspectives on the classroom, discussing what I found different to what we see at home and how, after my placement experience in Denmark, I can use their ideas to develop my thinking and hopefully portray their effectiveness in settings at home. Likewise, Leah based hers on the outdoor facilities and playground and Poppy discussed her views based on the SFO. Having to complete a portfolio seemed like a pain at the time, but now that  I think about it, it gave me a chance to reflect of my time there and really think about the differences of the schooling system here in Denmark as opposed to home.

We worked really well and effectively as a team, knowing when we had to knuckle down and definitely knowing when to take a few occasional breaks and treat ourselves ;)! These girls are definitely two I would be more than pleased to work with again, it was a pleasure!

'Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress and working together is success.' - Henry Ford 

The weekend had finally arrived and so did the sunny weather at last! The class as a whole decided it would be a good idea to go to Brabrand Lake and just sit and chill, seeing as it had been so long since we were altogether, what with all the hard work we had to do!

When we were leaving the lake, I was surprised to feel someone small hug me, aw I so delighted to see none other than little Maria, a pupil from Åby Skole. Of course Poppy and I stopped to say hello and get a wee photo with her before heading off. 

Later that evening, my class and I went to my dorm and cooked dinner together, then left for the Skjoldhøj bar.  Saturday brought around another daunting workload, this time we had to work on a presentation that was to be delivered to one of our tutors along with a member of staff from a local SFO club. Unfortunately these things have to be done but our super group would make light work of it no problem ;)!

References

Henry Ford - http://www.picturequotes.com/team-quotes/49 

Week 15 ¦ Goodbye for now ¦ Professional and Personal Development

I cannot believe I’m now writing about my final week of placement, initially I dreaded the thought of attempting to communicate with children that didn’t speak or understand much English, and as for my Danish, I’m afraid to say that, that peaked at ‘tak’! But much to my surprise I really, thoroughly enjoyed my time at Åby Skole and am genuinely sad to be leaving the children I became so accustomed to over the past three weeks.

After our first observational week in Åby Skole; Poppy, Leah and I had become more aware of the children’s interests and what sort of activities they thrived best in. After some planning we decided to carry out two separate activities at the campfire and the other in the 4^th grade base.

For our first activity we decided to bring a bit of Ireland to the children and hopefully educate them about the country we are proud to originate from! We thought the best way to do this was through some traditional Irish stew…cooked on a fire! Not completely traditional but it worked very well even if I do say so myself.  It wasn’t as straightforward as throwing all the ingredients into a pan because we had to bear in mind the different ethnic backgrounds and nutritional needs that we were working with. We had to ensure the children were cutting vegetables and meat separately and that all allergies were taken into consideration. 

Apart from this the main idea in our heads was to promote nature, health and democracy, as after all that was the backbone of our whole diploma. 

We incorporated the nature aspect through the use of our outdoor surroundings, the health aspect by promoting the nutritional benefits of the different vegetables and of course the democracy aspect came naturally to the children as they are well used to the freedom of choice and they all worked well together as a team. After this activity turned out so well, the girls and I were chuffed! Despite the language barrier, we really connected with the children and were even able to have a laugh with them…well more them laughing at us trying to say potatoes in Danish!

‘Everybody laughs the same in every language, because laughter is a universal connection.’  - Yakov Smirnoff  

On Tuesday night, my classmates and I met up for our weekly pancake Tuesday. However Poppy, Leah and I came with a motive, to use them for manual labour and help us draw international flags for our next activity.

The next day we set up the 4^th grade base with the international flags and a giant Ireland flag that they could all sign for me to take home as a little reminder of my time in Åby Skole. 

Again we based our activity around cooking, as it was something that interested both us and the children. This time it was sweet treats, traditional Northern Irish fifteens and scones! The children loved baking and they all got really involved, they also seemed so comfortable around us and it’s funny but something so simple had such a great effect, the fact that neither of us could speak each other’s language was a thing of the past!

‘As soon as children find something they are interested in, they lose their instability and learn to concentrate.’ – Maria Montessori

The main aim of this second activity was to encourage discussion about the children’s home countries, as the girls and I came to notice that a large number of the children had different ethnic backgrounds. As well as this we wanted to educate the children more on Ireland, mainly due to the fact that there weren’t so sure about our country and were eager to learn more. But our overall aim was to make sure the children had fun, after all it was our last week and we wanted them to know how much we enjoyed the time we spent getting to know them and on our placement as a whole.

As Friday came around; Poppy, Leah and I felt a sense of disheartenment as we made our way to Åby Skole for the last time. It was an honour to be a part of such a welcoming school for the three short weeks we spent there, I learnt so much and for that I am genuinely grateful.

To finish our day, Niels and the other staff members all met in the staff room for a final farewell session, with tacos and Irish Coffees, of course! Niels presented us with a little gift and letter, wishing us all the best of the future, the girls and I then made our way out of the school gates for the last time. But one thing’s for sure, if ever I’m in Aarhus again, which of course I will, I’ll definitely be paying Niels and the children a little visit!    

References

Yakov Smirnoff - http://www.picturequotes.com/everybody-laughs-the-same-in-every-language-because-laughter-is-a-universal-connection-quote-122780

Maria Montessori - http://www.picturequotes.com/interests-quotes/17

Week 14 ¦ Sitting around the Campfire ¦ Professional and Cultural Development

The fact that we had now reached our second week of placement was overwhelming! Our time Denmark is moving all too fast to say the least!

Although we were thoroughly enjoying our time at Åby Skole we had to start thinking professionally. For part of our diploma we have to complete a final portfolio in which we carry out activities with our 4^th graders. After our first week of observations we were ready to start building on their interests and hopefully come up with good activity plans!

Monday was pretty normal in terms of class; we just went with Niels to both the fourth and fifth graders’ class and sat in on their classes. Niels kindly translated everything that was going on and the conversations between the teacher and pupils, so needless to say we would have been completely lost without him!

This week we spent a lot more time in the SFO, Skolefritidsordning, which is similar to an after-school club at home. However a lot more time and expenses are put into the SFO, which stays open all year round for the children to attend. 

Within the SFO, pupils have their own ‘base’ for their year group where they can play games, listen to music or play out in the courtyard. We soon came to realise that the older the children the get, the greater the privileges they receive…and by privileges I mean food! Niels brought to our attention that that’s the main reason most of the pupils stay on after school, so they can get fed and then head on home when they please!  

Something that I found interesting within the SFO was the ‘checking in’ system. There was a big touch screen in the central part of the SFO, where the children came and checked in and then checked out when they were leaving. I found this quite extraordinary because I know if this existed at home, children would definitely forget to check in and would be more excited to get home, not thinking twice about checking out. It demonstrates again the independence the Danish children have and the responsibility they are given. It’s a system that maybe wouldn’t work so well at home, due to the health and safety aspects of letting children come and go when they please, but it gives me an insight as to how children can be trusted at this age and they are far more capable than we give them credit for!

On Tuesday Poppy, Leah and I went with Niels to the campfire, where every week Niels and Mikkel, another member of the SFO team, cooked up something delicious for the children. When we went outside we were surprised to see the children were cutting vegetables and chicken with sharp knives, something that definitely wouldn’t pass at home! They all seemed more than capable of using the cutlery and again made me think that if we give children this responsibility at a young age, it might promote their learning and reduce the risk of accidents, that we’re so afraid of back home. 

Giving children the opportunity to use these resources allows them to encounter different experiences and outcomes and who knows, this type of teaching could be more beneficial than telling them about it in a classroom!

‘A child learns how to be responsible by being given responsibility, and he learns accountability by being held accountable.’ – Denise Rowden

After our experience at the campfire and witnessing how enthused the children were about cooking, helping to prepare the food and the pride they showed with the end result, we were sure we wanted to plan one of our activities in this setting and couldn’t wait to get started.

Once again Friday had arrived meaning more social time with our classmates! We all headed into a small bar in the town, Bodegaen, to meet up and talk about our busy week in placement which soon turned into a night in Skjoldhøj bar once again, which I couldn’t complain about!

Seeing as our days off only occurred at the weekends now due to our full time placement, we took it easy on Saturday and Sunday, starting to think of activity ideas and getting some rest before our final week of placement began!

References

Denise Rowden - https://www.empoweringparents.com

Week 13 ¦ Back to Porridge ¦ Professional Development

After the Easter week at home it felt quite surreal to be back in Denmark, almost as though I was starting all over again but I didn’t have much time to spend thinking about it as I was due to begin my three week block placement at Åby Skole on Tuesday.

Niels, our mentor, had given us a timetable of the hours we would be in placement for the next three weeks but that was about the height of preparation we had received so we arrived at the school with some nerves but mostly I was excited about the days ahead. When we arrived Niels showed us around the school so as to give us an insight in to the places we would be spending most of our time, especially with the fourth and fifth graders. 

Once we had the tour of the school Poppy, Leah and I accompanied Niels to our first class, in the gym hall. Here the children could choose between three different activities in the gym or there was other apparatus in the playground, either way the children were able to roam free between the two, they weren’t restricted to any given area. 

This came as a surprise to us a students who come from a schooling system were the children are constantly watched and aren’t given the opportunity to choose so freely. Little did we know this was the beginning of our insight into how completely different the schooling system and rules were in Denmark compared to home.

We then went with Niels to a Maths class with the 4^th graders, aged 9 and 10. As we entered the class we brought about an aura of newness with us. Even though there was an evident language barrier between us and the children, we picked up on their curiosity about who we were and they seemed excited to get to know more about the ‘3 Irish girls’.  

‘A different language is a different vision of life’ – Federico Fellini

One thing I found particularly interesting about the setup of the classroom was that there didn't seem to be any ‘hard’ rules as such. The children were allowed to sit on tables, shout out answers, talk to each other and even eat during class! Again it shows how much freedom the children are given throughout the school day and I found that this has both positive and negative aspects to it. 

The children seemed to have a much closer and trusting relationship with the teacher and they all seemed to be comfortable in that environment, but as we came to acknowledge throughout the week, the children appeared to be further behind academically compared to pupils of the same ages at home. But again I have learnt that this works well for both the Danish pupils and teachers and is maybe something I could learn to incorporate in my placements at home and hopefully as a further my career in this profession.

After our first week of placement, we were glad to see the weekend. Better still it was the first time Kate and I had seen everyone since we had got back from Ireland. We all decided to meet at Álvaros dorm to reunite and catch up with each other. Honestly the friendships I have made with them is beyond me! I was genuinely so happy and excited to see everyone again as if I have known them for years. It’s amazing the bonds you can make with others when you’re all thrown into the deep end, and uprooted to a different country. We all have one thing in common and that’s that we took the chance to study abroad and leave our comfort zone and at this early stage I can already tell it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!

‘Greatness begins beyond your comfort zone.’ – Robin Sharma

References

Federico Fellini – http://quotesgram.com/english-language-learner-quotes/

Robert Sharma - http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/comfort-zone

Week 12 ¦ Back to Reality ¦ Personal and Cultural Development

Although I was having second thoughts about heading back home for Easter, once I returned back to Dublin airport I was glad to see some familiar faces for the first time in two months. I was excited to see all my friends and family and begin the endless stories of my time so far in Denmark and thankfully everyone provided a welcoming ear to my continuous talking!

I have to admit waking up in my own double bed was a good feeling as opposed to the little bed in my dorm in Aarhus and after calibrating with my surroundings the first thing I set off to do was meet up with my eagerly awaiting friends. 

We met for lunch and I spent the whole day telling them about my adventure so far as well as answered an abundance of questions about  Danish society, the people and what I’ve got up to so far...so as I’m sure you are aware that took some time!

Reunited!

That night I met up with another group of friends and we decided to celebrate my return by going out in Newry. I missed the nightlife at home so much, but what I hadn’t realised was how much unnecessary time we spent on getting ready before going out! I have to give it to the Danes, they definitely have their priorities in order; half the time getting ready…twice the time pre-drinking! Although it takes a lot of effort I was excited to get dressed up and head out with my friends that I haven’t seen in what felt like so long!

The following day, I received a text from my friend saying she was on her way to pick me up and head to Silent Valley for a BBQ as she wanted to spend as much time with me before I had to go back to Denmark, which was secretly a sadder thought for her than it was for me ;)!  We headed out on the long and windy roads to Silent Valley and the thought dawned on me; being away from home and being given the opportunity to live in a completely different environment, really gave me a new perspective on the country I’m proud to say I’m from. The scenery we have here in Ireland is one of natural beauty and something we should be grateful for!

Saturday came faster than expected, leaving me only one day before I returned back to Denmark! Due to the early flight I had booked for the next morning on Easter Sunday, my family and I decided to have Easter Dinner on Saturday and I have never been more excited for a proper roast dinner in my life! It’s the traditional food that we really take for granted, and appreciate most when we’ve gone so long without it!

Easter Celebrations!

Saturday night brought around some last minute packing and an early night, ready to get up and at it bright and early the next morning!

I met Kate and her Sister in Dublin airport at the unappreciated time of 7am and we headed off back to little Aarhus, this time much more prepared for what to expect than we were the first time around! Although I was saddened to leave my family behind yet again, I so excited to see the group of people I could happily call my friends after just two short months!

‘No one realises how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.’ – Lin Yutang

References:

Lin Yutang - http://www.fodors.com/news/travel-quote-of-the-week-on-returning-home-7376