Kepler Gymnasium (Czech High School)
While studying abroad in Prague, I took advantage of the opportunity to learn about another country’s education system and volunteered at a Czech High School. Every Wednesday, I volunteered in an English seminar. Not only was I helping the students practice their English, but I was teaching them about American culture and, at the same time, they were teaching me about Czech culture. For example, one day was dedicated to holidays. I discussed Memorial Day and the other American volunteer discussed the super bowl while the students discussed Czech holidays, such as Independence Day and how they celebrate Easter. I was shocked to hear about their Easter traditions. In Czech culture the women decorate eggs for the men and the men beat them with a braded whip, which is supposed to symbolize the woman's fertility. We compared the Velvet Revolution to 9/11 as turning points in Czech and U.S. history, respectively. We also spent a day on authors; I spoke about F. Scott Fitzgerald and they taught me about Franz Kafka's work. My favorite part of the experience was learning about Czech school customs that we don’t follow in America, such as always having to wear slippers in school and the entry process for the Czech University system. I felt like I was both a teacher and a student all at once. The link below will lead you to the PowerPoint I used to supplement my discussion of Memorial Day. It's a short presentation, but I supplemented the pictures with stories and historical facts.