John Melton is a high-school biology teacher from Northern
California. Andy Neighbor is a sixth form college teacher near London, England.
(Sixth form colleges serve students ages 16 to 19 who are taking academic
courses.) Starting this fall, these two teachers have exchanged jobs for
a year. Along with their families, they've moved into each other's homes;
they drive each other's cars, hang out with each other's friends, and even
care for each other's pets. In short, they've exchanged lives.
 |
American Teacher
One continuing source of entertainment to John's students is his use of "American" English. He writes: "One day I arrived at school with mud on my pants. My car had broken down and I'd had to deal with it in the rain. So, I mentioned to the class, 'I've dirtied my pants.' Well, in England, your pants are your underpants, and your pants are called trousers. You can imagine the reaction!" |
 |
British Teacher
When the school year began, an outside consultant gave an in-service
training on how to implement project work with students. Although some of
the teachers were reluctant to use project-based learning (PBL), I have always been a firm believer that such assignments and continuous
assessment are a better way of motivating students. In Britain, I
coordinated a vocationally-based course utilizing PBL in which the students
had to produce a series of assignments to show their understanding of the
curriculum. Therefore, here in the States, I introduced student projects and
presentations to assess students' learning.
|
Beth and Mimi are American sisters attending school in
England. Their father has traded teaching positions for one year with
the father of two other children, Kimberly and Martin, who are British
siblings now attending school in California. Read about the adventures
of all four students in their journal entries!
Student Photo Gallery
|
United States
