February | April
February 8, 2001
Dear fellow TC's,
Greetings from Scarborough,
North Yorkshire in England. My Fulbright
Teacher Exchange is almost halfway through and I can't believe it!!!
I have been learning so much about England and schools here but even more
so about America, American schools and my teaching. The year has proved
interesting with the biggest floods in a few decades and high fuel prices
that led to blockades and a near stand still of the country.
As some of you know, it all started with the Alliance's Advanced Institute
to London in the summer of 1999. I just couldn't get enough of England
and found a way to come back for the whole year. Although, our two countries
seem very similar, there are so many differences including language.
When I come back everything will be "brilliant", "sorted" and "keen".
I will put trash in the bin, open the bonnet of my car, and pop 'round
the chemist for my prescriptions. It all might seem superficial but
it is representative of underlying cultural differences.
North York Moors National Park |
Coast line of North Yorkshire |
I am spending the year in Scarborough
which is a town in Northeast England on the coast of the North Sea and
part of the North York
Moors National Park. Larger cities nearby included York and Leeds.
At one time Scarborough relied heavily on the fishing industry but now
is dependent on tourism and service industry. It is quite a lovely
town with a ruined castle and beaches. The Moors are a wonderful place
to go walking and they feel quite romantic like Wuthering Heights.
On the outlying areas of town are farms and small villages. Everywhere
there are sheep. When I first arrived I spent a day in the nearby
village of Pickering. I took the North York Moors steam railway through
the park and some other villages. As I sat and ate my lunch, the
local farmers herded their sheep around me. Yes.. sheep do really
stop traffic here. These small villages retain their rural character
and sense of a close knit community.
While here, I am teaching secondary geography at The
Graham School which is the largest comprehensive school in the area.
Check out the school on the web at http://www.grahamschool.co.uk/
There are 1200 plus students aged 11-16 and they are organized in year
groups 7-11. As in most English schools, students here wear uniforms including
a shirt and tie and are quite envious of their American counterparts!!
The educational system is quite different, particularly with the necessary
emphasis on the national curriculum. Every subject matter has objectives,
skills, and content set out for each key stage of learning. At the end
of year 11 students are entered for national exams called General Certificates
of Secondary Education (GCSE) which will measure their achievement in subject
areas. Geography is a national curriculum subject and all students in years
7-9 must take geography. After that students may opt to take the
subject as a GCSE course. (Chet will be pleased to know that year 10 students
are studying England's "new towns".) Geography coursework and field work
is quite demanding and students cope with a great deal of pressure.
Of course all my time hasn't been spent at school. In October
I had the chance to travel to Scotland for the week. I visited Edinburgh,
Glasgow and the Isle of Arran. A beautiful, charming, and friendly
place with much history and geography to explore. I have also been
exploring here in the Northeast seeing the many ruined castles, abbeys
and churches. I love walking out on the Moors especially when it
is foggy and misty... which is of course often.
I hope that this letter finds you all well. I do miss my geo-friends
and hope to see you all when I return.... or of course come for a visit.
Geographically yours....
Mary
Mary Barden
Graham School
Woodlands Drive
Scarborough, North Yorkshire
England
bardenmk@hotmail.com
