Crunch time - Maturita Time

G4 /C4 - our graduating class of 2016

Matura  is a Latin name for the high-school exit exam or "maturita diploma" in various countries, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Ukraine. 

It is taken by students (usually aged from 17 to 20) at the end of their secondary education, and generally must be passed in order to apply to a university.

The official term for Matura in the Czech Republic is maturita or maturitní zkouška. In 2010 the Czech Republic introduced a system of state exams which divided the previous system into two parts. The first is the state exam which consists of two compulsory subjects: Czech language & literature and a foreign language and, voluntarily, mathematics (the combination is chosen by students). The second part consists of school subjects which varies between schools.

The state part of the exam is supervised by CERMAT (formerly Centrum pro reformu maturitní zkoušky, "Centre for Maturita Reform; now Centrum pro zjišťování výsledků vzdělávání, "Centre for Detection of Education Results"), a state managed company. CERMAT issues final tests for the state part of the exam, documentation and practical tests, holds training for teachers who correct essays and supervise the students during the exams.

The examination itself is also divided between written and oral parts but not all subjects require both written and spoken input (for example math is formed by a written test only). Usually both the written and the oral part of the exam are set in late spring. The state part of the written exam is set to one day in which students in the whole country write identical tests, different tests are always issued on the day the exam takes place. The school part is always different and is based on requirements of the school which issues the test so it may be both written and spoken, but it can also be only one of the options.

If students fail in one subject they have the option to repeat the subject, if they fail more than one subject then they have to repeat the complete set of exams including the written part. All students have a maximum of three attempts to succeed in this exam, if they fail to succeed they end secondary school without the maturita and are unable to apply for college or university. 

So what does all this mean for our students (and as it happens, for my older son)? It means that those young men and women have finally came to a conclusion that they  must start studying. That the life of fun and "I forgot my homework"" is long over. Suddenly, they show up in class. Suddenly, they ask questions and some of them have even found the local library. 

With few months to go, I would like to wish our graduating class all the best and good luck on the upcoming Maturita Exams :-) 

Maturitní ples or Prom as it is often called in the United States of America is a social event and traditions, which starts the end of the secondary education with a final graduating Maturita exam. This event is often organized by students who are graduating that year and it usually takes places sometime between January and March.

It is often a very formal event which requires the young ladies and gentleman to actually dress up and even wash and brush their hair J

Many of them take it so seriously that they even take “ball room” dancing lessons – after all, they wouldn’t want to embers themselves in front of all family and friends.

This year, our school organized one such “ples” a few weeks back. For me, it was even more special as it included my own son who (no preferential treatment here) looked very spiffy.

The event was wonderful and the students did a terrific job organizing it. It was a pleasure to talk to them all and their parents and see them look like adults… many of them unrecognizable without sleepy eyes and torn up jeans.

 

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition

Without a doubt, there are images worth a thousand words…one of them is the image of the sinking Titanic. 

Yesterday, we took several classes to the educational and  appropriate for all ages, Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition. It took us on a journey through the life of Titanic. Along the way we learned countless stories of heroism and humanity that pay honor to the indomitable force of the human spirit in the face of tragedy.

Upon entering Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, we were drawn back in time to April 1912, when the Ship embarked on its maiden voyage.  We received replica boarding pass, assumed  the role of a passenger and followed a chronological journey through life on Titanic – from the Ship’s construction to life on board, the famous sinking, and the modern day efforts to recover and conserve the wreckage for future generations. 

Unfortunately, I (or rather Ms. Jane Carr) did not survive the journey and died among the other couple hundred of passengers from the second class.

Although, as any exhibition, we were introduced to many facts and new information the overall feeling was that of a „small disappointment“ among the students. In a way, we all felt that we were a bit cheated out of the „real experience.“ After watching so many movies on this exhibition, we felt that it was missing many of the things we really were looking forward to seeing.

In a way, it felt like it was a smaller and cheaper version of some other grander exhibition….parts just were missing.

And in a way, that in itself is educational. After all, it is lovely to see students‘ faces when they realize that they know more than what  is in front them… It is lovely to see that in addition to praise they can also express their critical opinion – after all giving constructive criticism can be as hard if not harder than spilling out compliments. 

Conversation with my 7-year-old son who is attending 1st class in a public school.

Two weeks before report card

Me: (in English) “You know we have report cards in two weeks, don’t you?”

He: (in English) “No, what is it?”

Me: (in Czech for the purpose of easier communication) “Vysvedceni”

He: (in English) “oh, what is that?”

Me: (in English) “it is a piece of paper which has some ‘1’ on it or other grades and tells me if you are a good student or not. If you get all 1 I will get you a cake.”

He: (in Czech) “Ja se nenecham oblafnout nejakym dortem” (translation – I won’t be tricked with some cake)

Me: (speechless in both languages) “oh….”

One day before the report card

He: (in English) “You know tomorrow is that day when we get ‘vysvedceni’, don’t you?”

Me: (in English) “yes, and…”

He: (in English) “Are you going to be mad if I have bad grades?”

Me: (thinking in both languages) “Well, no, of course not. If you have a bad grade it just means that we will have to work harder to making in better next semester.” (thinking, how bad can his report card be after 4 months in school in 1^st class?)

He: (in English) “So, you won’t punish me?”

Me: (shocked in both languages) “No, of course not….”

I don’t consider myself an overly strict or demanding parent, I pride myself for being a very understanding and helpful mother – skills I try to apply to my students as well. Last Thursday, on my way to school, I was thinking of what exactly I will tell my new class once I pass out those so eagerly expected report cards. And then I thought of the above conversations and how my own 7 year old went from not even knowing what a report card was to suddenly fearing punishment if there is a grade that I might not like. Where did that fear come from? Who had, in a matter of two weeks, installed in him fear and knowledge of punishment for bad grades? Where was the joy and feeling of pride that I have worked so hard on drilling into him?

Early morning on the way to pick up the report card

Me: (in Egnlish) “You know that today is report card, don’t you?”

He: (in English) “Yeah, but what if I don’t get all 1?”

Me: (in English) “Well, then you don’t and it means you will just have to work a bit harder next year and try again. How about if I buy a cake?”

He: (in English) “But maybe I don’t deserve a cake.”

Me: (in English) “Of course, you do. We can celebrate that you have passed the 1^st semester. We can celebrate that you can read more than 5 months ago. We can celebrate that you can add and subtract and we can celebrate that you tried really hard to do your best.”

He: (speechless in both languages) “ oh…. Good idea, mom. Will your students get a cake too?”

And that is exactly what I told my students, line by line I told them the conversation I had and how a 7-year-old taught me that “grades” are just grades. That those "bad grades" are not to be afraid of but rather take as a challenge that they show a subject which needs improvement, just a bit more work and effort. That those good grades are to be celebrated … but before I told them that I went and I bought them the biggest cake I could J

Congratulations to all my students for passing another semester. 

Congratulations to all my students for learning something new last semester. 

Congratulations to all my students for finding the strength to do all that homework and finding the courage to take those tests and exams. 

Good luck finding the energy and desire to improve in the areas that need improvement.