Not Your Average Teachers

When I was first decided to come to the UK, in various orientations, I was told that the classroom structure would be different.  But in these last two weeks, my experiences have differed in ways that I did not really expect or imagine.  On my second day of class, I showed up to Introduction to Marketing at 9 am unhappy to be in class at such an early hour.  I was immediately met by the most energetic professor I have ever had.  My teachers all made it clear that we should address them by their first names, which is a rarity back home.

What was even stranger was when my teacher began jumping on desks and cursing throughout our lecture stating that he believed cursing would help him express himself and emphasize certain points.  To say I was shocked is an understatement, but needless to say my 9 am got a little easier to sit through after this.  Other than the differences with my teachers, the class structures and lectures do not differ much from classes back at home.  We meet once a week, and then some classes have “Tutorials” or as we call them, discussion sections.

The class I am most excited for this semester is Historic London, which takes me to different tourist spots around the city each week.  This past week I was able to go to the National Portrait Gallery and was given a private tour.  While the British are not known for their paintings, the gallery is filled with works of art from Deutsch and Swiss painters.  In the weeks to come we are visiting the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and Shakespeare’s Theater.