by Brent Hovey
Reporter
Aurora -- Craddock School has had a visitor from a foreign country for the last few weeks, but she isn't an exchange student.
Instead of sitting in the class, listening to the teacher and trying to make friends, she is the one standing in front of the class teaching.
Irene Raschle is from Switzerland and is spending time observing and teaching in first- and second-grade classes.
She is a 19-year veteran of teaching in her native land. She also is no stranger to America, as this is her third trip here. However, it is her first to observe teaching techniques.
Raschle ended up in Aurora because her cousin is married to an Auroran and lives in town. Raschle said it was her cousin who got the wheels turning to bring her to Craddock.
Since she arrived three weeks ago, Raschle has been enjoying herself, as well as learning new teaching techniques.
In Switzerland, students begin to learn English in the third grade. Raschle said Switzerland schools like to have their teachers observe English-teaching schools to be able to teach it better.
"We have to witness schools in English counties to have a closer look at how they teach and learn better spelling, writing and get an idea of how it really works," Raschle said.
FOR HER first two weeks, Raschle was with Beth Bryant and her first-grade class. The next two weeks were with Karen Cantelmi's second-graders.
Raschle said for all the differences there are between schooling in Switzerland and America, the important things are the same.
"The children are the same," she said. "I like that. They are curious, eager to learn. And sometimes just as eager not to learn."
Raschle said schooling in America is much more formal and structured than in Switzerland.
"Teachers don't use the first names of other teachers when kids are around," she said. "There are a lot of rules, like kids have to line up and walk quietly. I really like that. We do that, but not like here.
"Teachers here have to follow a program -- steps here, here and here to reach the goal. In Switzerland, we have the goal and can do any steps to reach it. It's much more structured here."
The lessons taught in school are also different. Raschle said at Craddock reading, writing and language skills get much more attention than in her home schools.
She said American schools have more sports, arts and music. But how the teacher connects with the students is the same in both countries.
"The methods are pretty much the same," Raschle said. "Kids working in groups and teachers standing in front. It's pretty much the same. The teacher has to relate to the students."
Both Bryant and Cantelmi said Raschle has been great for their classrooms.
"THE KIDS have really enjoyed having her here and getting to know her," said Bryant. "I have had a few parents tell me that their kids now want to visit Switzerland someday -- what a great thing."
As expected, the children drilled the new teacher with all kinds of questions. After the interrogation from the second-graders, Raschle has been mostly observing and walking around the classroom helping a child when needed.
"Irene has been a welcome guest teacher in our classroom," said Cantelmi. "The children have been very curious about how Switzerland is the same and different from the United States."
Raschle said it's great to see how children look at the world and the differences between the United States and Switzerland.
"They see the world as so small," Raschle said. "We were talking about planets and one boy came up to me and asked 'do you know if Jupiter is the gas planet?'
"I said 'yes, I think it might be.' He said 'well, since you talk a different language, I thought things [like the planets] might be different over there.'"
Raschle said she has learned a lot in her time at Craddock. When she returns home next week she said she'll take back with her several American methods of teaching.
"The reading part" has been the biggest impact on her, she said. "I really like it. There are books all over the place and I like that idea, so I'll take it back with me."
E-mail: bhovey@recordpub.com
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