Darlene Quayle: European Schools Research and Explorations

Sofia is a large city, until recently plagued by a steel mill and more recently, with smoggy skies caused by burning coal and wood to keep warm, since the Russians haven’t decided whether or not they want to continue supplying them with natural gas. It doesn’t help at all being in the part of the world where the people are depressed, and the tunnel out of communism is a long one, strewn with corruption and negative attitudes about whose job it is to fix the sidewalks, just to give an example. In Bulgaria, the people walk by with sour expressions, eyes on the ground (if nothing else to avoid the broken sidewalk and the dog poop). The old women have a tilting way of walking, as if they have one leg shorter than the other, and it alternates—lean left, lean right, lean left, lean right—as they carry their two big reusable grocery bags back home. They park where they like, including on the sidewalks, and drive out the one group, the Roma, that works to recycle and reuse the discarded items that others have been too lazy to dispose of properly.

The Anglo-American school in Sofia is a bright spot in this city, surrounded by partially-built buildings in an undeveloped field. Its high walls and gate are indicative that this is an embassy-run school. Formidable as it looks from the outside, the entry is light, open and spacious, with a clear reception desk and chairs and sofas for small discussions or enough space for a large gathering. The library and cafeteria issue from the entry, as do and stairwell and hallway leading to the classrooms. The balcony surrounding the entry provides access to the offices and upper conference rooms. The main halls feature student art, and the side hallways leading to the classrooms are covered with examples of student work. Classroom doors are mostly open, and several teachers told me I was welcome to drop in and visit.

There is a positive atmosphere at the school, and the teachers talk about their personal lives and current events during lunch. Some teachers occasionally get together outside of school for social activities. The children are happy here and the teachers are friendly, reflecting the opposite of what I experienced in the city. There are some Bulgarian students here, blended with embassy children who can list all the countries they have lived in. Some of them have attended a different school for at least each school year, while others have been here for three years. The students at this school come from wealthier families, and from various countries, and are often buffered from the daily life of the city. They are mostly attentive, and even the most distractible student is not a big discipline problem for the teachers. Some students are better about completing homework than others, depending upon the support they received at home, the availability of parents and tutors. Because of this, some teachers limit their homework so that the student is able to complete the assignment on his/her own, and so that the tutor is not doing the assignment for the child.

International students learn about Bulgarian culture and language

This is an enrichment school. Students spend a lot of time transitioning to classes the teachers call “specials.” Each class of 15-20 students has a solid 1-2 hour block in the morning with their primary teacher and aide (each primary teacher has an aide), mostly for literacy skills, then take off for art, music, Bulgarian culture, ICT (computers), PE, foreign languages, and more. Math, science, history and geography are plugged into one of two 30-40 minute slots later in the day. Once a week, on Tuesdays, school breaks an hour early for co-curricular activities: arts, languages, science exploration, dance, drama, PE activities. Some of these are in two one-hour blocks, while others with off-campus time are a single two-hour block activity. Some grade levels also have co-curricular sessions on Thursday as well.

My friend “Ms. J” works with students on their math assignment

Curriculum at this school mirrors U.S. standards, and teachers come from the U.S., Bulgaria, Australia and the U.K. In talking with the new principal, he sees changes happening as this school grows and looks at its direction. He is hoping to arrange the schedule to allow for ELL (ESL) specialists to come to classes, give teachers solid teaching time, and allow for more common planning time among grade-level teachers. Often, two teachers at the same grade level are not teaching the same concepts, as the teachers are isolated in their teaching bubbles, despite the open doors. Some teachers make efforts to help other teachers and share curriculum, but without previous direction, this is just beginning.

In talking with a couple of students and adults from Bulgaria, I find that they appreciate the flexibility that this school provides and the attention to the individual learner. There is a great deal of effort by the teachers and aides to help each child understand the lesson, gain literacy skills, English-speaking skills, and show pride in their work. In Bulgarian schools, they say, there is more focus on rote learning, individual assignments, and group projects at the secondary level. Students are expected to complete trigonometry and calculus before leaving high school.