Dangling Modifiers.

When I was selected for this Fulbright exchange I was very anxious and apprehensive about leaving my school, my friends, my dogs, my son, indeed, my entire life behind for a year or more. In the end the exchange turned out to be just a half year, but the work and effort put into this time period is equivalent to the full year exchange, the difference is that, once I become adjusted and learn everybody's names here at Fairfield, it will be time to go home!

Coming here with Micaela has also been a challenge. Being a teenager, about to begin her first year of American high school, I think it is very brave of her to have come along. In my effort to make certain she is comfortable, adjusting and making friends, I have been accused of treating her like a baby. I have been reminded more than once that she is a big girl and I don't have to ask her my "silly" questions. I will admit, it is hard to believe that my little girl has reached her high school years, and that she has grown up; that she is fashion conscious, hair conscious, boy conscious and has a mind of her own.

During the time we have spent here I have had to caution her numerous times not to pass judgement on the cultures we are observing. I have had to point out to her on many occasions that things and processes of doing things are not "stupid", "bad", "worse" or "dumb" and that food is not "disgusting", "gross", or "yucky" and that the things and food we are accustomed to are not "better", "best" or "right" ...simply a lot of what we are experiencing is just "different" and results from a myriad of influences having to do with hundreds, if not thousands of years, of historical and political experiences that have shaped and molded the cultures of both the United Kingdom and the United States. One evolving from absolute and limited monarchies; the other evolving from "No taxation without representation" and a revolution for independence!

Nothing is "worse" or "better" it's just different. There are advantages and disadvantages inherent in both educational systems; but ultimately both achieve their ultimate goal - to shape and mold young minds to be productive citizens of their countries and to provide quality education.

I have cautioned Micaela that we can form opinions based on our experiences while we are here, but we must be careful that facts and understanding surround the basis of these opinions, and we must ensure that those opinions are not based on misinformation or misunderstanding of those facts and that they are not clouded by "emotional" reactions. It will be natural that we will be biased to our own culture and our own educational system back home, but the point of this exchange is to observe, participate, share knowledge of why or why not things may or may not be similar, to create friendships, to infuse the instruction with individual style while adhering to curriculum guidelines and to ultimately bring home ideas and information that may be useful to NHS.


Uniforms are not "dumb", they are an ingrained part of British culture. ALL public and probably most private school children, from the time they enter school until they leave high school, wear a uniform. It is expected that the cost of a uniform must be budgeted for each child in a family, and that this also includes a PE uniform. Students don't necessarily like them, but since everyone is wearing them, it makes no difference to anyone. There are uniform funds for families with hardships, but generally uniforms are a standard part of the culture here...every UK student wears them...therefore every family plans on buying them. The "uniform" policy extends to the wearing of makeup, jewelry and nail polish - all of which must be non-existent for younger ages or "discreet" for the upper levels. Uniform policies solve many problems that can often occur in an American high school, such as the peer pressure to own the "designer" handbags, jeans, boots, and sneakers. While I can most certainly see the benefits of wearing a uniform, I like the individuality expressed by our American high school students with their dress; although I could do without cleavage, boy's undershorts being visible and offensive logos on t-shirts (all of which are against dress code policy anyway). What I didn't realize fully before today was that I rely rather heavily on the style of an individual as expressed through their clothing and hair to help identify and match their name to a "face" and help me retain that knowledge. I may have an even longer learning curve to learn names.

Making sandwiches and buttering every slice of bread when making them, is not "gross", it is just the way things are done. Someone who has grown up with sandwiches being made this way probably loves them...and Brits do love their butter...it is one of the most stocked aisles in the supermarkets.

Driving on the opposite of the road and the car is not the "wrong" side, it's just the opposite side.

Beginning school at 8:50 a.m. and getting out of school at 3:25 p.m. is not "stupid", it is just what has evolved as a result on the dependence of the family farm as a means to make a living. In communities where people were dependent on the family farms, and where the children were needed to help with the farming chores in the early morning hours, schools needed to start later in the mornings. In some instances, I am sure that there are Fairfield students who must help out on the farm before they attend school in the morning. In Northbridge, our students are busy with sports practices 5 days per week after school and on Saturdays, and athletic contests begin at 3:30 p.m. on weekday afternoons, so as to be done before dark, therefore earlier start and earlier release times are what work with our extracurricular schedules in the states. Here, at Fairfield, students live very far from campus in some cases and must take busses home, which arrive promptly at 3:25, so the campus is fairly empty by 3:45 p.m.

This whole experience is probably the greatest lesson in tolerance and diversity that only a parent could dream about providing for their child. My wish is, that by the time we return home Micaela will come away with a mature outlook on the lifestyles of other cultures, and that she will gain a better vocabulary and list of modifiers with which to explain the differences she has observed.