Teaching in Czech

Teaching English as a Foreign Language

I have now finished my three weeks of teaching at an elementary school in Plzen, Základní škola Plzeň, Západní 18, and it has been a really amazing experience, giving me a completely different insight into how learning happens in another country. There were so many differences to schools within the UK but they seemed to suit the learning and teaching styles here really well.

For my time at the school I was seen as an English teacher so I taught a variety of grades, from 7 year olds to even teaching some secondary school aged children too. As it was the last three weeks of term I think it was slightly more relaxed than it would have been normally, at least for the younger classes. Therefore this gave me the opportunity to teach using songs, games and fun activities which was lovely. 

One song which I had seen in my recent school placement was the Gorilla Snot Song. In my year 3 class it had always been an activity that they had found hilarious and because of the lyrics repetition I thought it might work well in my English teaching. Each time I introduced it to a new class I gave everyone the words printed out, and then would slowly go through the pronunciation as they read and repeated after me (this was slightly different depending on age and ability). Once they had got the main words we would all go through it again together, I would then sing the song to the class to give them the tune and then gradually I would add the game element to it. 

It became a regular activity in my teaching as both the teachers and children loved it. It was great to see the words become more clearly pronounced, accents become more defined and the understanding of what the song meant increase.

This video was only from the second time this Grade 3 class had a go but the teacher's enthusiasm for English seemed to really benefit and further their learning.

Gradually I built up a collection of activities that I could use in my teaching of English. It was so interesting to see that applying the language and actually speaking showed the most effective improvements to their confidence. 

Teaching the secondary school was quite a different experience from the younger grades. It reminded me a lot of how I was taught GCSE French because the lessons revolved around textbook activities. So when teaching these ages I always had to use this as the fundamental tool, but fortunately the teachers were still keen for me to apply this learning to some games and activities too. The confidence in using the language seemed so different from the younger years but perhaps that came from their age and the fear of making mistakes or embarrassing themselves in front of peers. 

General Differences from Czech to England

The school day was the first noticeable difference. In my particular school the day varied in length starting at either 7.30am (when they had swimming on Tuesdays) or 8am which would then finish between 11.50am and 12.35pm. 

At the beginning of the school day the children would come into the school at anytime to get settled but the class teacher would not enter until 8am. It was really nice to see that the children didn't have to be watched every second of the day and could easily be trusted to keep themselves occupied. This was also the case at the many breaks through the day. After each lesson the class had either a 10 or 20 minute break where they stayed in the classroom and had snacks, then the teacher would also go off to one of the many staff rooms and do the same. This seemed to give the children time to relax and regain concentration for the next lesson, however I still find it strange how they never go outside to play. From this I imagined that the class would be similar to one in the UK after a wet break, although it was rarely like that and the children seemed settled into the routine.  

Physical differences in my Czech school were the non-uniform and indoor shoes. The lack of uniform didn't seem to make any difference to the teaching, learning or the children's attitudes. In fact I don't think I even saw it being mentioned or remotely discussed between the pupils, it was just the way things were and part of the relaxed attitudes that surrounded this school. (The teachers dressed similarly and were called by their first names too). Indoor shoes was a concept that just comes from the hygiene of not wanting to sit on a floor that is regularly walked on dirty shoes I think, and is something that I have seen in the homes of Czech people too. So many Crocs around that I seemed like the weird one for not wearing them!

The last week of term, before the school broke up for the summer holidays, was another big difference. I was aware that they were all 'off timetable' for the week but at the time I had thought that meant that more relaxed activities would take place and that pupils stayed in their own classrooms for these (rather than moving around like some had done for lessons previously). However, I assumed incorrectly! For the majority of the week the children were just left in the classroom to entertain themselves really. Some children brought in board games, others played on their phones or iPads and others just chatted their way through the week. The lovely class teacher was busy preparing things for the next school year, and clearing out the classroom to be redecorated so only popped in occasionally to get things.

This seemed to be the format throughout the school but again the children were trusted enough to get on with things and enjoy their last week. Despite all of this, the atmosphere within the classroom was calm and there was a lack of the restlessness that you might expect. On two occasions the teacher led activities, once was when she needed file boxes painted for a next class so everyone joined in with that and then on Thursday we all spent the day outside playing games such as handball, skipping and tug of war.

The last day was very different too. The school only come in for the first period 8am to 8.45am and were all dressed in party clothes, all with a present in hand for the teacher. Then each child is called to the front of the classroom to be given their grades and certificate, and they then handed over their presents. My class teacher, Misa, received sooo many flowers that they filled a whole box on the floor. Once every child had been awarded their grades she cracked open a few bottles of child friendly champagne and we toasted 'Na zdravi!'.

My time at the school was a great experience; teaching English as a foreign language for the first time, building relationships with the children, teaching a variety of ages and seeing a very different perspective to learning. I now have a week off, and then start teaching English in a summer school program for another three weeks... exciting!