What I've learnt in British school...

I've been teaching at an international British school for the last year. After 10 years of American schools, this was a different teaching experience. This is what I've learnt:

In British school we say "learnt" more often than "learned".

In British school we play netball and rounders. (Girly versions of basketball and softball, if you ask this American.)

In American school we say "negative one" in math, but in British school we say "minus one" in mathS.

It's rubbish, not trash.

The bin, not the garbage can.

And at the end of the day, I'm knackered! (Not just tired.)

Thank you to my dear Brits who have checked my spelling, corrected my pronunciations, and explained unknown phrases all year. If you ever switch to American school, I'm there for you!

Talk like an American

Being white American doesn't often mean I'm in the minority, but teaching at British school in Kenya definitely puts me in that category. I guess my students are starting to notice that I'm a bit different than the other white teachers because of some recent student experiences...

During practice for our Years 3 and 4 play production, one of my Indian girls is supposed to have a British cockney accent. As the child said her lines, my British co-worker exclaimed, "That sounds like a weird American cockney something. Mrs. Porter!"

On a writing assessment the children were required to write about this question: Why would you want to travel to Antarctica? One child's response, "So I can have an accent like Mrs. Porter."

I've definitely become aware of my American accent strewn with a few new British words and phrases. Add the Southern influence from my husband and in-laws, and I'm just a talking mess! But it sure does make for some laughs.