American vs. Bulgarian Education

It has been far too long since I've posted on here, but life finally started to get busy (which is a good thing!). I've now been in Bulgaria for 5 weeks, but it feels like a year. Time has seemed to move slower since being here, likely because little things are much more difficult than they were back in the U.S. Going to the grocery store is an experience in and of itself.

Despite the difficulties involved in adapting to a culture and life which has to be the diametric opposite of Las Vegas, I think I've finally started to find my metaphorical rhythm. Or at least as much of a rhythm as one can find while living so far from home.

In this post I wanted to go a little bit into the differences I've seen between the education systems in Bulgaria and the U.S. I've been in Bulgaria for only a short amount of time, and my 2 years teaching in the U.S. hardly qualifies me to speak on the subject, but I do have a few observations.

The first and most general observation is that education in Bulgaria seems to fit into the "teacher-centered" category which was so widely-derided in the U.S. Using the term "student-centered" in my papers at UNLV was a given; a student-led classroom was the holy-grail. Here in Bulgaria, however, that's not the case. The teacher is seen as the center of the classroom. Dictations and grammar exercises are common. While I would have been quick to say "That won't work" (given what I'd been taught), the students here are really, really smart. Their English is outstanding. (Disclaimer: My kids are in a foreign language school, so what I say may not ring true for all of Bulgaria).

I think that in some ways, the method of education here better suits the introvert. In the U.S., I often thought that the pedagogical methods were suited towards the extrovert: sitting students in groups and emphasizing collaboration. I do understand the benefits of collaboration and peer-work, but I also remember being a student myself and enjoying when I got to sit down with a bunch of work and figure it out on my own. Group work was always a nightmare for me.

I wish there were an educational system that catered to both types of personalities. Some students learn best in groups, talking with their peers. Others learn best by sitting down with a textbook or listening to a lecture. I think that the proverbial pedagogical pendulum swings too far in both directions.

Another observation from Bulgaria is that the students are extraordinarily respectful of their teachers. It is standard for the students to stand up when their teacher enters the classroom. I have been caught off guard by this a few times. I walk into the room and am wondering why all the students are standing up, looking at me, until I remember to tell them that they may be seated.

I've also found that students here listen to every word I say. If I write a term on the board, they immediately write it in their notebooks. If I ask them to bring something to class the next day, they do so. As I mentioned above, this may be a school-specific thing, but it's still unusual to me.

Other minor differences include that the students stay in the same room; teachers rotate. This has been really hard for me, as I enjoy having my own "space." Classroom management was easier when the students were entering "my" room. It was much easier to organize my stuff when I had my own room. I long for the days when I had a separate bookshelf for each class. Now all I have is a small drawer in the teacher's lounge.

Overall, I cannot make a sweeping generalization about the Bulgarian education system (nor can I make one about the American system). I can only make observations about what I've seen in both. It is a totally different world. I look forward to learning more about the ways they are different and the same.

Now, I should get back to lesson planning...

Езикова гимназия "Акад. Людмил Стоянов"