Lake Harriet School Says Goodbye To Swedish Visitors

Sometimes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Or, in this case, ju mer saker förändras, desto mer är samma.

Despite the 4,200 miles separating and the school district of Uppsala, Sweden, the differences are actually quite small, say a group of about 10 visiting Swedish teachers, administrators and school nurses. The teachers were in town from Oct. 21-30 on an exchange trip designed to broaden their professional horizons.

High-stakes testing, teaching methodologies, being run ragged by the heavy work load—it's all there, said Brigitta Svensson, an administrator at one of the Uppsala schools participating in the program.

"When you get down to it, the craft is very similar," said Lake Harriet Principal Mary Rynchek.

The exchange program was first set up nine years ago between Lake Harriet and Madeline Öjdeby, principal of the high school in Uppsala. Lake Harriet teachers and administrators hosted the Swedes in their homes last week, and teachers spent the week visiting classrooms and seeing the sights around Minneapolis. Their guests will return the favor next spring.

"It's inspiring when you're in one school system, to see how others teach," Svensson said. "It helps open your eyes to different ways of doing things."

Most of the differences, Svensson and Öjdeby said, were in the small details. Svensson said she was struck by the amount of students' artwork and schoolwork posted on the walls at Lake Harriet. A pair of nurses with the group said they were surprised that Minneapolis' school nurses see multiple students at once.

The largest difference is that Swedish teachers only teach for 16 hours every week, and have around 30 hours per week to prepare for lessons, fill out paperwork and coach students. While the visiting teachers remarked on how stressful their jobs could be under this system, it elicited a wistful sigh from one Lake Harriet teacher who has gone on the exchange in years past.

"They have so much planning time," exclaimed Barb Boerboon, a third-grade teacher. "And the time they have to collaborate—I'm so impressed."