Student mobility : Exchange in Swiss Classrooms
There are sparks of nervous energy in the air. What will it be like if I don’t understand a word in class? How do I build a relationship with the students? These are some of the questions that participants ask themselves before starting their exchange. To ease the “culture shock”, the Winter School starts with a two-day workshop about methods of teaching English at PH Zurich. Dr Laura Loder Büchel introduces the topic with many practical examples which are then tried out in a primary school in Zurich on the second day. “The workshop with Laura prepared us perfectly for the observation period and gave us helpful tools to avoid moments of pure uncertainty and stress”, says a student from Denver.
Immersion in Swiss (school) life
The PH Zurich Winter School takes place over three weeks in January. After a common start, the students travel to different primary and secondary schools in Zurich and the canton of Grisons for their placement. Students live with host families to ensure the most immersive experience possible. “Staying with my mentor and her family was an incredible experience. They welcomed me into their home with open arms and treated me like a member of the family”, says an Australian student. The fact that students quickly feel at home in Switzerland also has something to do with their Swiss buddies. “My buddy was amazing. We had a two-hour Zoom call in mid-December to get to know each other a bit”, says a student from Tasmania. “We talked about the social and cultural differences between Switzerland and Australia, which helped me get over the culture shock.”
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Buddies for support
A total of six PH Zurich buddies support the exchange students. They pick up the guests from the airport, organise a welcome dinner, act as intermediaries between teachers and host families and visit the students in their placements during the second week. On the second weekend the students and Swiss buddies all meet up in the beautiful mountain village of Scuol. During the alpine hike (very moderate!), the students throw themselves into the snow, have snowball fights and slide down the slope on their backs. “The weekend with the other students and the buddies was really cool. I also enjoyed the tour of the village on Sunday; it was fascinating to learn more about the architecture and history of Scuol”, says a student from Denver.
Takeaways from the classroom
The three weeks are packed with activities and the many impressions gained in and out of the classroom were evident at the wrap-up meeting. One student says enthusiastically: “I observed a variety of lessons in the fourth class, including sports, maths, German, English, science and social studies. One of my favourite moments was when the pupils were playing Kahoot to prepare for their science test on weather. They were so engaged, and it was clear to see how much independence the pupils are given.” A colleague also commented positively on the focus on independence: “Teachers work closely together and support each other, creating a supportive and welcoming atmosphere. The independence promoted in the pupils was an eye-opener for me and inspired me to encourage more pupil autonomy in my teaching.”
The initially feared communication difficulties proved to be a manageable challenge. “The warm-ups at the beginning of each lesson helped the pupils to adapt better to the lesson and to think in English from the beginning. It created a good environment for fun and curiosity”, says one student. And she adds that she liked this approach to teaching and felt that she could learn as much from the students as they hoped to learn from her.
