High School

When Cezara, one of the students in my English class, explained that she would not be able to attend class the following week due to her participation in a play and fashion show that her high school class was doing I found myself very interested in the details. She explained that her class had been working on a number of projects including research papers, plays, a fashion show, etc. all surrounding the topic of Ireland and culminating the week of St. Patrick’s Day. Because everything would be done in English, our class decided it would be an excellent field trip. It turned out to be even more of an adventure for me personally as I had a chance to have a behind the scenes glimpse of high school in Romania.

First of all, I learned that there are a number of High Schools in town and each one has its own emphasis and students attend different schools depending on their aptitude and interests. The one Cezara attends heavily emphasizes English, among other things, which is why all the plays the students performed that day were in English. The school building itself was magnificent both inside and out as the architecture of the building was beautiful. As I walked with the students down the tree-lined street toward the school, the students were excitedly talking about being able to enter through the main entry instead of the side entrance. Upon further questioning, I discovered that unless you are a teacher, or accompanied by a teacher, you were not allowed to enter the school by the main entrance. They discussed that since I was technically their English “teacher” this qualified them to be able to enter through the front doors, an opportunity that was greeted with great enthusiasm by the students. They explained that teachers are highly respected in Romania…something I had suspected for quite some time for I have often observed teachers carrying bundles of flowers from their students on every holiday or special occasion. I almost expected to be stopped and questioned at the door and required to show credentials of some sort before entering. To my relief, we walked right inside with no problems. Once inside, we climbed a large staircase to the next floor where the productions were performed. The building didn’t look like a typical American high school…there were no lockers lining the halls and each room had a massive door. I inquired about the lockers and discovered that there was no need for lockers because students don’t change classrooms in Romania…the teachers do. I also noticed numerous full-length mirrors on each side of the staircase. I didn’t ask, but I think it has to do with appearance being a high priority. You see, while we were in the theater room (complete with a stage and red velvet curtains) another teacher approached one of my students and had quite a serious discussion with him. I asked him why she seemed upset with him and he explained that she had just reprimanded him for standing with his hands in his pockets. It was considered rude and inappropriate and she was embarrassed that he was behaving that way in public. I must have stood for a full 30 seconds with my mouth open trying to process what he was telling me. It was like going back in time to when teachers taught manners and students cared about how they were perceived in public. Beti told me that teachers are of the serious sort and discipline was extremely important. I was immediately perplexed because anyone that knows me for more than a few minutes knows that I don’t fit that description. I stood up straight and tried to be on my best behavior for the remainder of our visit – ha! Beti then told me that she and the other students were so glad I wasn’t like the other teachers. She said they like that I am more casual and like to laugh and have fun in class. She begged me not to change! Since the Community Center likes to hear children laughing and having fun, I agreed to continue being my normal self.

The plays were incredible and the experience itself was mind boggling. There I was in a high school in Romania, surrounded by Romanian students and teachers, watching a play performed in English. I was able to soak up everything and because I could understand and laugh at all the right spots and fully appreciate all the work involved in the production, it made the experience even more precious. So, my high school visit allowed me to understand and appreciate the Romanian culture in new ways and as a result, I understand and appreciate my students even more!