Hi guys! This week for my journal I wanted to share some similarities and differences between Taiwanese and American school culture. I want to start by talking about some of my observations from working at Ren Ai Junior High School for the last six months on the differences between school life here and my school life growing up.
Class Culture
One thing that might be interesting for you all to learn is that in the U.S., it is common for students to go to class by themselves. In the U.S., every teacher has a classroom and it is the responsibility of students to find their classes and go to their teacher’s room. Students line up and when the bell rings, students walk to their next classroom. Conversely, in Taiwan, I was surprised about how much walking I had to do as a teacher because I was the one moving to find my next teaching location. The buildings are divided by grade, so every time I had class, I would go to the 7th-grade building and find the classroom on my schedule. It reminded me of how college classes are organized in the U.S. As a teacher, this style took some time to get used to; nevertheless, I now feel healthier. Every day, I get a free exercise class by walking to the 7th grade building.
