Oh, these Italian schools..

I'm going to keep this entry short, as I really want to get to bed before 11 tonight! This cold has sucked all of the energy right out of me, but that's besides the point.

Something happened in school today that's been bothering me all day. I was in Geography, only we didn't do Geography today. The Prof started the class by explaining that the students would recieve their pagelle, or report cards, today, but was immediately sidetracked by me. She asked what grades were like in the United States, which led her to ask what the classes are like, which led her to tell me to stand in front of the class and explain the Prince William County school system. Ack, I'm going off on a tangent again!

Towards the end of the class, when I was finished describing my school, Prof began handing out the report cards. She called each student up to the front of the class, read their report card out loud, gave it to them, and they returned to their seat. She also commented on their grades, sometimes giving her [most likely unwanted] opinion that they could do better. The class clapped when the girl with the best report card went back to her desk. A little while later, Prof called up a different girl, the girl with the classe's worst report card. She read each subject, followed by the grade the girl got in that particular subject, and always emphasized when the girl received an "insufficient." When Prof was finished reading the report card, she started scolding the girl in front of the whole class. She actually told the girl she should be ashamed of herself. When the girl got back to her seat, she burst into tears.

Now, in Italy, grades aren't private. Evidently, it's normal for the teacher to read the report cards in front of the whole class. But isn't humiliating a girl like that going a bit too far? High school is hard enough, without cruel teachers. Granted, schools in Italy are completely different from the U.S., with different methods, different subjects, different everything, but shouldn't students, no matter what country they're in, be able to look up to teachers as role models? Prof seemed to get pleasure out of reading the girl's bad grades, and I can't understand why. Teachers are supposed to want their students to do well, to learn, to understand, and clearly that's not Prof's goal.

The way that Prof acted today really bothers me. I'll probably re make my schedule tomorrow, and I think I'll change most of the classes that I have with her. I don't want to be around someone who get's pleasure out of hurting others.

On a happier note, the sun came out today! The temperature wasn't warm, but it wasn't bitterly cold, either. By the time I got out of school, most of the puddles had dried up, too! Yay!