I found this story by a non-norwegian teacher teaching in Norway (and in a open school) very interesting - as he brings a different perspective to a situation I know quite well.

Follow the link at the bottom to read the whole story

To me it illustrates some of the differences between the Norwegian school system, and the british school system, where the Bristish system is much more formal and performance oriented, yet both systems seem to reach the same goals at the end....

Teaching in Trondheim
Let me tell you about my school.

At the “Charlottenlund Skole” I teach history and English to pupils in the 8th grade. I teach Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (noticeably absent Fridays!). Classes range from 30 minutes to 60 minutes. Instructional time is somewhat difficult to pin-down, as the schedule is quite fluid.

This fluid nature is due to the “open” school system of design in Norway. This type of school was invented in the during the 1970s in the United States. Since this time however, the open school form has moved from the United States to be mainly embraced by Europeans. The main characteristic of an open school is their use of space. Open schools trade the traditional classroom environment for more open spaces - hence the “open” school name.

I teach in a room without doors. I do not have an assigned place, I use whatever space in the building that is most functional for my lessons. If I have a lesson that is heavy on geography, I use a room with a lot of maps. If I wish to encourage student discussion, I find a room with cozy furniture.

The philosophy that has kept me happy here in Norway (and while traveling) is “go with the flow”. Time and space are viewed as fluid resources. Rigidity is not to be found.

Neither is formality.

[From Josh Fleming.org » Blog Archive » Teaching in Trondheim]

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