Actually Teaching in Sweden

So after getting settled in Sweden it is time for you to do the job that you are paying to
do....yeah. The first thing to notice the the inherent difference there is between the way that
Swedes approach education and the way the United States approaches education. The student
you teach will either be tracked for a University or a trade such as mechanic, baker, chef, etc.
These students still will be able to speak very good English as it is still required that they take
several years throughout elementary. Most of the education that you will be required to give
them will be improving their English skills to the point of flawless conversation. How is this
accomplished? I have no idea, but as best I can tell I simply engaged the students in what they
liked and had them converse with me in English. This is a little easier because of the obvious; I
don't speak Swedish.

The next thing to notice is all of your free time! Welcome to Sweden! Generally during the day
you will have a much longer time to plan and get your lessons ready due to the fact that you
only teach for 15-20 hours a week. The rest of the time is yours to grade/plan/enjoy Swedish
cooking. The other thing that you will be required to do is attend fika and drink coffee with the
teachers. This is time to discuss your class with your mentor teachers and talk about all of the important information. Some of the teachers won't talk to you because they do not know English, or they are not comfortable speaking it around a native. Don't be discouraged, just smile and see if you can pick up any Swedish while living abroad.

Many of classrooms where I was teaching were also equipped with smartboard technology. The students also had their own laptops that they were able to use. I used this to my advantage and had the students plan a trip to America, and give a presentation all in English. I think it went well; it wasn't life changing, but what lesson is?

Finally comes the biggest difference in the education system. You may be tasked to teach in a school where the students are not interested in going to University. They are preparing for jobs that may lead them down a different career path. These can include Truck Drivers, Auto Mechanics, Hair Stylists, and Bakers. So just be prepared for a different attitude when approaching the classroom.

There are countless little differences between the education systems, but I don't want to influence how you perceive them. So I'll stop here and say Good Luck!