VIII - USE OF VISITORS BY HOST SCHOOL

School schedules for the Visitors should balance "play" and "work" so there are varied opportunities for the Visitors to develop close relationships. Host teachers and the Visiting Adult should reach a joint agreement on goals. Many schools schedule the Visitors in class with their hosts for the first few days, though if the language barrier is too great and the Visitors do not understand the academic work, other plans must be made. In any case, after the Visitors begin to feel at home in the school, they should be involved with as many individuals and classes as possible. Schools usually hold welcome and farewell assemblies to officially open and close the ISSE participation. Both schools should take part in these celebrations.

The first day of school the Visiting children will be anxious to meet alone and compare notes with each other. Host children should expect this and not feel left out and upset. Some schools present small gifts to the Visiting team on their first day. In an U.S. school, for instance, these might be T-shirts and gym bags, which can be put to use immediately. Such gestures help break the ice and will be treasured souvenirs later on.

To involve all students at the Host school as well as their teachers, different classes might plan special ISSE projects each week. An ISSE bulletin board might be sponsored by several groups. Some Host students could help the Visitors introduce their language to the entire school over the public address system (if there is one), or in person in various classes each morning. All classes, kindergarten through sixth grade, will meet and talk with the Visitors during the Visit. Games, songs, and skits can be used, and Visitors will try to adjust their individual class presentations to the different grade and interest levels. Some schools devote afternoons to Visits to the younger grades, giving the morning hours to fifth and sixth graders.

The Coordinator should meet weekly with Host parents to evaluate the master schedule and see how things are going.

School meals for the Visitors are paid for by some schools, while other schools arrange for the Host parents and children to cover this expense. This must be made clear when the program is undertaken. Arrange for the Visiting delegation to give their main assembly program early in the visit. This will allow other children to know who the Visitors are and create more warmth for and interest in the ISSE program. The Host Coordinator and the Adult from the Visiting school should consider almost daily how effective the classroom visits have been, and how to make them more effective during the coming days. The Adult will often be with the Visiting children and at times may teach certain classes on his/her own. Also, the Adult should have time to talk informally with teachers, visit other schools, meet with community groups, etc...

Plan to take Visitors to visit one or two other elementary schools in your community. It is interesting for them to see what other schools in your country are like, and it is an excellent way for other schools to get a taste of the ISSE experience. The visit might include three parts: being shown around the school by a few sixth graders, attending an interesting class where there can be interaction with local children, and a short assembly program put on by the Visitors. The whole visit need last no longer than an hour or two. It can be fun for both the Visiting team and the other school, and perhaps the other school will become interested in joining the ISSE program so it can have its own partner school.

It would be useful if the Hosting school can provide a room to be used by the Visitors from the partner school to display pictures, maps, and other items they have brought with them. Perhaps this room is the place for the Host school classes to come, on a schedule, one, two, or more times for joint sessions with the Visitors. At the very least, the Host school should provide a small area for the Visitors to plan, leave notebooks or lunches, or for the teacher to hold individual or small group conferences.

Because of their irregular schedule, there may well be times when the Visitors are bored or tired. Suggest that they work on their journals, allow them to go to the library, or go out on an errand. Simple relaxation and letter writing need some time. Local sightseeing, with or without Host children, could be arranged for such times, perhaps escorted by a school parent or community friend. After the Visit is over, it can be very useful to get Host families to write some sort of evaluation of the program. These can be given to the ISSE Coordinator and considered by the ISSE Committee.