Nearly three weeks in Skolen ved Stadion...

We - Lilla and me - spent our practise in Skolen ved Stadion - the same school, where we already had practise before. Most of the time we were with the same class, than before. There are 8 boys in the class - in the age of 10-11- and all of them suffer ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. They have two teachers: Deby and Lars.
I have already written about system of this school and the daily routine of children in this class, so I'm going write only those things, which were new for me or I got more information about what I have already known before.

Events of the 3 weeks:

The day usually starts with the morning sing for all of the pupils in the great hall. Then continued by 'runden' (round) in the classroom, when children are riported about what happened with them since the day before. For these children the frames, rutines are very important, because they feel themselves secured in this way. After this the day countinues by F.U.T., which is the combination of running and repeat the spelling of certain words. They have to run round and round in the school yard and Deby asks for a word of pupil by pupil in every round. It takes about 10 minutes and they usually take 4-5 rounds in the yard. For these children is really difficult to be calm and focusing only one thing, so it's a very good way to make them work.

The next lesson is usually Danish, where they can pick up any book from the library and they have to read in their own (with Lars) in the silence room and after that they have to read one by on to Deby. They also have to work in workbooks, which are different depending the each level - 1- 4 grades - what they have.

They have quite long - 30 minutes - break twice a day, because they need more physical activity than the other children. They can become agressive easily and sometimes there are some conflicts between them. That is the reason - when the break finishes - they usually have to wait outside - at the entrance of the building - an then the teachers can question them what happened. They usually tell the children there, what will be the next task. There are some "do it again-rules", for instance: if they still shout after entering the building, they have to go out and come back again.

They started a sort of "project" weeks ago, so they continued this during the weeks, when we were there. They were divided in groups and each groups had to choose a country and find out as more as they could about it. They had to use computers to this task and find these general information about the choosen county: language, capital, president, valuta, history, military...etc. It was really hard for them to work in pairs and to focus only the information above, so they were really slow and they haven't finished it yet.

Their favourite subject is gymnastics. One of the week (it's only once a week) they played basketball. Normally they have difficulties to understand the rules of the game and playing against each other in fair way, so they needed some warming-up excersises:

• Playing basketball alone - They bounced the ball in their owns.
• Working in groups: throwing the ball to each other and then changing pairs.
• Working in two groups: they were diveded to 2 groups - 3 and 3 - and they had to play underneath each backboards. They had to stand in a triangle and pass the ball to each other and the person from the middle had to throw the ball into the basket. Then they changed the position (The game was going around.)
• After all of these excersises above they had a "real"game together.
  

The basketball finished by the "carrot-game": children had to hold each other arms tightly and Deby tried to pull out them one by one from the "bunch".
Finally they finished by lying on a rug and and listening classical music. The latter is very hard for them to staying in one place without moving and with shouted eyes.

In the other week they practised for a championship, which is for special schools. We went out with them to the football ground. They had to run, jump into the sand and play (a sort of) baseball. They were spread on the ground and they had to pass tennis balls to Lars, who tried to hit them back.

In every week they go to the swimming pool, which is close to the school. Lars teaches them to swim and Deby stays outside to gives instructions from them. It usually takes half an hour and at the and there are five minutes to play, what they want. This activity is very good for them to make them tired.

Before Easter they prepared some handcrafts: cards, stickers to the window wiht a special paint,...etc. They needed lots of help from both of the teachers and us as well, because it is difficult for them to concentrate to the task, being precise.

One of the Art lesson they went outside to draw the buildings of the school from different angles. They had to spread in the school yard and draw, what instruction was given. They were on their owns, but Debby and Lars kept go around to help them and we also encouraged them. One of them it was told to start a new one, because he finished that too early. He was nearly cried...According to this most of them have a good sense to draw. It was really suprising for us, because to draw something you have to be patient and have a "good sight" to see the tiny details.

One day 5 out of 8 didn't do their homework. If this happens teachers have to report the parents in the message books.

In every year teachers testing the developement of children in Danish and Math. We just saw the testbooks of Danish. There were 4 different levels - 1-4 grades -, because the knowledge of these pupils in different levels as well. Therefore there are 4 different kinds of testbooks:

• In the first grade one: there are one word and four different pictures in one row. Pupils have to find the appropriate picture, which matches with the word.
• Second grade is nearly the same, but more difficult words.
• Third grade is the same structure, but with short sentences instead of words.
• Fourth grade is the same like above, but with more difficult sentences.

The results were satisfying: one of them could manage the most difficult one and the first grade one became too easy for them. These tests only for measure their knowledge, but a new law came out and from next year the special schools will also participate in National Test.

Whenever a child enroll to the institute, teachers have to do a statement about each of the children and they have to update it in every half year (December, June). This statement contains:
1. Some personal information about children: name, personal number, which social service the child belongs to, when he/she started the school, name of the parents, who made the statement? when?...etc.
2. Absolutions: all of the national tests, gradings, exams
(Whenever a child absolve of a subject, gradings...etc., it has to be reported to the principal the social authority and they send the document forward to the Department of Education. Then they check the reasons and they approve or disapprove it. So it's a long process...)
3. Teaching: how the child copes with it from the beginning
4. Personal characteristics: generally: does the child has a normal height, weight, comparing with the age of him/her; what the pupil able to do?: e.g. express feelings...etc. (present); goals for the future with the student
5. Social functions (in the same dimensions, like in number 4.)
6. Physics (in the same dimensions, like in number 4.)
7. Communication, ability to communicate (in the same dimensions, like in number 4.)
8. Danish (in the same dimensions, like in number 4.) + used materials
9. Math (in the same dimensions, like in number 4.) + used materials
10. Gym (in the same dimensions, like in number 4.) + used materials
11. Functions in practical a musical subjects (in the same dimensions, like in number 4.) + used materials
12. Extra subjects (in the same dimensions, like in number 4.) + used materials
13. Other important information: e.g.: general knowledge is very limited, lack of realistic thinking about world, telling lies...etc.
14. Conclusion: summary of the whole statement

In the great hall the "Ergo therapy" takes place in every Tuesday. It's for an other class - 1-2. grade - with the same disorder. This therapy help them to cordinate their movings (legs, arms, eyes...etc.). First there are some warming-up excercises (during that the music is on), then they get drawing boards and papers. First the therapist draws to the blackboard, and then they have to repeat the same movements and put everything to the paper and it continues deatails by details until the drawing being completed.


On the third week we spent 2 days in one of the class of the oldest pupils with ADHD as well. There are 6 boys in the class with two teachers. They also come from a hard social and family bacground. It was a nice experince to be there. We could manage to communicate them in English. (It was nearly impossible in the lower class, because they can understand only Danish.)
They have nearly the same routine then the younger ones, but they don't need to participate in morning sing (they're too old for this); they have 'Dugens' instead. Dugens is about the teacher ask funny and strange questions from a book, and pupils have to find out what is the explanation of them.

We had English with them: we played 'Simon says'-game, which is about: one of the pupils has to sit front of the others - he is 'Simon', who gives instructions for the others. But the only case when it's allowed to change the position, when the person, who gives the instruction add these words to it: 'Simon says turn around'. So if the instruction is "turn around", it is not allowed to move. Pupils easily get confused, because after a while everything comes automaticly and they change the position without the words - 'Simon says...' as well. If it happens that person(s) fall(s) out from the game.
It is a good game to make them concentrate and practise English as well (the instructions are in English).

Even they are 14 years old, some of them have only 1-2. grade level in Danish. So they use different kind of books, workbooks as well. This is the reason they are separated in to groups: the weakers with one teacher, and the better ones with an other teacher, in different rooms.
One of the pupils have to go back a lower class from next semester, because he backwards from his classmates in all of the subjects and mentally as well.

Before the breakfast there is a 15 minutes "computer-break", when they can play with selected games. After 10 minutes the teacher needs to count back in every to minutes, otherwise if she would interrupted them without gradation, they would became very agressive.

When we said goodbye they huged us and they seemed to be disappointed to leaving them.
It was the same with Deby& Lars class. When Debby said them we won't come back anymore, all of them said: 'no'. It was hard for us as well. It's always the same with practises: by the time you get use to everything and children start to trust in you, you have to leave..

A really hectic spring holiday...

My busy spring holiday started on 4th of April, when Anja, Lilla, Noémi&Máté and me visited to Legoland. Our way to there we stopped in Jelling, to see the runic stones, which are the first signs of christianity in Denmark. When we arrived to Legoland, we little bit worried, because it was really crowded at the entrance - this was the opening day - , but luckily people furled away later. So we could enjoy our staying very much. First we were wondering around in Miniland, so I could "visited" some place I already have been:

• the Cathedral of Ribe

• the solitary church in the North

Later we rode everything we could...

Finally Lilla and me prepared our Legomen in the giftshop, which was really cheap...I enjoyed the whole day very much! : )
We arrived home in the early evening, but we could not relax, because we had to be ready (cooking, packing) for the following five days.

So we were really tired when we left in next morning(5th of April) to Copenhagen. We also interrupted our way to see the Viking Ships Museum and the Cathedral in Roskilde. It was really interesting to see the remains of the 5 viking ships and to dress up and fight as a viking...:) Unfortunatelly we haven't seen the Cathedral inside, because - even the website of it and the information board outside of Cathedral said it is open from 1.15pm - it was not open for the public until Monday. So we were little bit disappointed in it, after we waited nearly 45 minutes to get in.Then we left Roskilde and we arrived to Copenhagen in the late afternoon. And then the nightmare started, because we already booked a room for 5 persons in a hotel, but what they promised, what we agreed about, that wasn't there at all. We decided to not stay there, but the receptionist said, if we don't stay, they will charge us for the first night. According to this we decided to leave. Although some of the details of my card (my name and the long number from the middle) was given - because this was the terms of booking - I did not worry at all, because I knew that these details are not enough to take money off my card. (I used to work in a box office, where I often made advanced bookings over the phone.) I was wrong! The following day somebody tried to take money off my card. It was not succeed, because there was not enough money on it. To make the long story short I contacted with the bank in Hungary - it was not a big help, anyway - and took off all of my money from my card. So this card is not safe anymore.
To get back to the story, finally we found a youthhostel - Danhostel - , which has a nice location in the heart of the city and the bank of the river. It was a releif for us when we first saw the view from our window. (Our room was on the 16th floor!)
After all of this stress it was nice to go for a walk; we went along the riverside and we saw the historical harbour with the colourful houses, had an icecream there; the Opera and the little Mermaid.


The following day (6th of April) we went to see Malmö. First we visited the Turning Torso,

which is a funny building, made of cubes and it became the symbol of the city. Unfortunatelly we couldn't get in. Then we had big walk in the citycentre: first we passed the Malmöhus Castle, which is the oldest remaining castle in Scandinavia, after that we crossed a park, which was full of geese
and there was an old windmill as well and we ended up in the Stortorget, which is the city centre square sorrounded by the Old Town. We saw the market place

and Malmö's oldest house(s) as well (Lilla Torg).

Then we visited the St Petri Church, a chocolate museum; after that the harbour and the fishermen's market.









The next day (7th of April) we walked around half of the main attractions in Copenhagen: we saw first the Slotsholmen (island of castle): parlament, Christiansborg-castle.

Then we went along the Stroget - long shopping street - to the see the change of the guard, the museum of Ameliensborg-castle
















and the Marble Church (Marmokirke).


After this we went to the "heart of the city" , the big square, where the townhall is (Radhuspladsen).








We visited there the Our Lady's Church (Vor Frue Kirke), H. C. Andersen's statue.

One of my favourite was the "Andersen's Wonderful World" exhibition, where all of his famous tales come alive.






On Wednesday (8 th of April) we had even more exciting day, then a day before. First we visited Christianshavn, which was really exciting all of its graffities, strange buildings...etc.
It seemed to be peacefull me, but the others found it little bit scary. Unfortunatelly we couldn't take photoes , because it's not allowed there. So we had a coffee instead and then went to buy some souvenirs. In the shop I asked a shop assistant about the possibility to move in Christianshavn and about taxes. He said they also pay taxes; and it is possible to live in Christianshavn, but the places are limited (you have to wait until somebody move out and you have to be the part of the community somehow as well) and it is not allowed to build another house there.They have their own money - 1 ChDKK=50DKK - , but they also accept "normal" Danish chorones.
After this we made a big walk to get back to the citycentre, because we wanted to visit the Roundtower. It is an observatory, so the view from the top was outstanin







Then we visited Kobenhavns Bymuseum, which goes through the history of the city and there is a mock-up outside of the museum, which shows Copenhagen in medieval time.


After this we diveded to two groups: the others visited the Rosenborg-castle; Anja and me had fun in the Tivoli. We had a very good time there, we rode almost everything and more than once, because we bought multi-ride ticket.




Tivoli has a unique atmosphere: it's not only an the oldest amusement park in Europe, but there are gardens, a concert hall, a theatre and its own Guard.
There are lots of tiny shops as well, where you can buy souvenirs and handmade lollypops (I saw my own eyes the way they preparing them!).



Our last ride was on the merry-go-round, which goes up and down a big pole: the view of Copenhagen is amazing at night! This is the same with Tivoli , which is the most beautiful in the evening, when the little lightings are on...






The following day (9th of April) we left our accommodation. The next destination was Helsingor - Kronborg Castle - , but we stopped in two remarkable places in Copenhagen: one was the Frederiksberg-Castle and the other one the main entrance of Carlsberg beer factory with the huge elephants.
Then we did not stop until Kronborg Castle. Even Hamlet is only a legendary figure, I still could realise the atmosphere of Shakespeare's Hamlet play. The weather was shiny, but suddenly I couldn't see the towers of the castle, because they were covered by mist.


We saw the Royal Apartments, Castle Chapel, which was beautiful; the Danish Maritime Museum and the Casemates. This was the most exciting place here: the basement of the Castle, where only some little candle give lights. I went there on my own, because the others started with the othere attractions. My favourite from the cellars is an other legendary figure, Ogier the Dane (Holger Danske), which is a huge statue of an armed man. The legend says whenever the kingdom threatened by an outside enemy, the statue comes alive and protects it.
It's a shame we couldn't spend more time here, but we had to hurry, because we visited Noémi's relatives, in a tiny village - Follenslev - on the coast, which is not that far from Kronborg. They waited us with a big dinner, so they were very hospitable. We made a little walk for the seaside as well.
It was very late, when we got back to Haderslev. We interrupted our way in Odense to see the house, where H. C. Andersen was born. Even it was dark, we still could see the charming little streets with the old houses and Andersen's house as well. I would like to go back there in daytime.
This was my most hectic spring in my life, and won't forget it in the rest of my life!