I was recently asked by some students to write an article or feature for the school magazine.
I decided to create a high school personality quiz for the students instead!
Quite honestly, Slovak students need to know what clique they would fall into if they went to an American high school. Unfortunately, Slovak high schools don't have cliques, or "in" and "out" crowds. Instead, they have tight-knit communities within their grades. I mean, Slovak's don't have this:
In Slovakia, the incoming "Freshman" are split into 2 classes - 1A and 1B (1 = first years). For the next five years they will have all of their classes with this group. Occassionaly they will be further divided into 1A1 and 1A2, 1B1 and 1B2. They are small groups of 15 that the kids usually have their languages classes with. For example, I teach 1A1 and 1B1 only.
This is much different than the American high school system. I think, because American high school students intermingle with so many other students their identity gets wrapped up into which clique they belong to, and "othering" different cliques. Slovak students simply don't do this. There is a lot of protection towards each member in the class. It's as though they each serve their role and purpose within the class. There is almost no bullying in Slovak high schools. I find that the relationships formed within a class mirror a brother/sister relationship (even with the bickering).
Obviously, the Slovak students are missing something huge. I could no longer allow them to continue on, calling themselves high school students, without stereotyping their fellow classmates. So, I wrote the following quiz. Feel free to take it, and discover your High School Personality!
Until Next Time...
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| Me and the other American teachers at the school "Prom" las weekend (photo credit: Rachel Liptak) |
Dovidenia!
Quiz: What’s my American High School Personality?
You have watched all of those silly movies about American high schools, and I’m sure you realize that they are quite different than EGT. One of the things that makes American high schools unique is the mix of all different types of students. Luckily, Miss Locke has created this quiz so you can see what kind of student you might be if you went to an American high school.
Question1: Ahhh! It’s Friday morning and you have 1st lesson. What time do you wake up?
A. 6:00 AM so I can double check all of my homework from last night
B. 6:30 AM because my perfect hair takes some time
C. Oh, I’m feeling too sick for school today *cough, sneeze
D. 5:30 AM so I can go for my morning jog, and hit the gym before school
E. 7:00 AM – I still need to do my homework
F. 7:45 AM and that’s plenty of time. Who cares what I look like?
Question 2:
Now that you’re out of bed and ready for a wonderful day of school, you need to get there! How do you arrive?
A. The bus, it gives me more time to study
B. By Car!
C. I come in late, so it doesn’t matter.
D. I ride my bike (or jog)
E. The bus so I can make fun of the kid studying
F. I walk and think about life
Question 3:
You’re at your locker, putting on your school-slippers, and a group of popular students laugh at you while walk by. What do you do?
a. Run away!
b. I am one of those laughing students.
c. Laugh with them, I don’t know why…
d. Beat them up
e. Insult them back
f. Who cares what the mindless popular students think?
Question 4:
You’re in your first lesson, English. What are you doing?
a. Paying very close attention to the teacher and ignoring the idiots in the class.
b. Passing notes and laughing at the jokes others are making.
c. Woah, I’m in English!? I thought it sounded funny.
d. Eating a bageta, I get so hungry after PE class
e. Making fun of the teacher and cracking jokes
f. Drawing, or listening to my MP3 player that’s hidden inside my EGT sweatshirt
Question 5:
Now you’re in the hallway, making your way to second period when the person in front of you falls down the stairs! What is your reaction?
a. Cry, because someone just tripped you in the hallway.
b. Glare at them - what a nerd.
c. Chuckle and continue towards class, you can’t be late again or you’ll get a low behavior grade.
d. Laugh, then help pull them up
e. Point and Laugh at them, then remind them of how stupid they are all day
f. Glare at the people laughing
Question 6:
You made it to the 2nd lesson, and you weren’t late! You sit down and notice that you’ve just sat in gum. Oh No! What do you do?
a. Sigh, go to the teacher and asked to be excused, again.
b. Scream. Who ever did this is going to pay!
c. Don’t even notice.
d. Get upset, but then change into the running shorts you keep in your bag.
e. Pfff! I didn’t sit in gum, I put the gum on the chair!
f. Shrug. It’s just the school uniform, who cares?
Question 7:
For 3rd lesson you have a substitute (YAY!) What are your plans in that class?
a. Help the teacher with anything he/she needs!
b. Chat with my friends and make fun of the student helping the teacher.
c. Sleep.
d. Take this opportunity to eat a few bagety.
e. Think of new ways to insult my classmates.
f. Write a poem or draw in my new sketchbook
Question 8:
Now that that’s over, it’s time for big break! Where are you hanging out?
a. I’m waiting in the classroom for 4th lesson. I don’t want to get a “T”!
b. I’m blocking the stairway with everyone else, or making out with my boyfriend/girlfriend on a bench.
c. At the ping-pong table, trying to figure out how to skip 4th lesson.
d. I’m at the ping-pong table, WINNING!
e. Near the buffet line so when people come out, I can trip them!
f. On the 4th floor, listening to music
Question 9:
After lunch you’re sitting in your Chemistry class. The teacher is trying to explain how to balance chemical equations and you’re...
a. Gasping! The teacher has made a mistake!
b. Asking Jan/Janka what he/she’s doing tonight.
c. I don’t remember chemical equations, I might have been in the toilet
d. Practicing throwing your trash into the trash-bin from across the room
e. Throwing things at the teacher while his/her head is turned towards the board.
f. Trying very hard to pay attention but you can’t focus on chemistry, it’s too mathematical
Question 10:
The day is going by fast, and all the sudden you realize you’re in 7th lesson! It’s almost 13:30, and you get out at 13:55! Your gazing at the clock when you’re teacher, Miss Locke, asks you what should be done to stop world hunger. How do you reply?
a. There are soooooo many things we could do! All the food our country wastes each year is one of the reasons for world hunger! If we each...*rambles on*
b. Ummmm… Ako sa povie…..???
c. I didn’t hear what she said, I was asleep.
d. I don’t know, but now I’m really hungry. I wish I had another bageta.
e. Well, if we just gave Turkey to Hungary, they wouldn’t be hungry!
f. Ugh. Answering questions in class is my least favorite thing and the American teachers always make us answer their questions!
Question 11:
Yay! The bell has finally rang! It’s Friday night and you’re going to...
a. Go home and start on my homework!
b. Go to the DISCO! Isn’t everyone going?
c. The same thing I do every night, go find a pub.
d. Go to the practice, then watch a match, then go home and watch my favorite team on TV with my friends.
e. See a funny movie with some pals, then go out to eat or something
f. Listen to music with some friends and talk about life
Question 12:
Your mother/father calls your cell phone and told you to come straight home. Why did she/he/it call?
a. I was at the museum and she/he called because my favorite documentary film is about to start!
b. Because my friends are there and they want to hang out with me
c. Don’t know, Don’t care, Not going home...
d. We lost the game and they’re disappointed. NO, WE LOST!
e. Oh no, they found the fake barf in my drawer and they know I used it to get out of class!
f. He/She is trying to oppress me. My parents don’t understand me at all.
Question 13:
Well, you parent called because you were out too late. Whoops! You go home to sleep in your bed and start having dreams. What about?
a. Oh! I discovered a new plant species! I WIN A NOBEL PRIZE!
b. There is no need to dream when you’re real life if as great as mine
c. I don’t remember my dreams…
d. I’m a famous hockey/football player
e. I’m at school, but I forgot to wear any clothes… oh that would be so funny!
f. It was very vivid and colorful and inspired me to paint something
Results:
Mostly A’s – Nerd/Overachiever - Teachers would love you and you would definitely get into a great college, even though your classmates might not respect you very much. But you win in the end when you are a millionaire and they work at McDonalds.
Mostly B’s – Most Popular – You would have no problems in an American high school. Everyone wants to hang out with you because you know about all of the good parties and always have a good-looking boyfriend or girlfriend – even if you and your friends aren’t very nice to others or each other.
Mostly C ‘s– Slacker – In Slovakia you probably wouldn’t be in a gymnasium, but in America you still have to go to public high school for four years. Sorry.
Mostly D’s – Jock – You would play for all of the sports teams and be quite popular as well. Not always the smartest student, but that doesn’t matter when you can beat up the smartest student, does it?
Mostly E’s – Class Clown – You are always making your classmates laugh (but probably not the teachers) and Americans like to laugh too. Just don’t put all of your energy into jokes and insults, because high school does end. And it’s NOT funny to be working at McDonalds (well, it is for the nerds).
Mostly F’s – Artsy Kid – American high school is not the place for you. You hate how everyone acts without thinking first. In fact, you probably hate this quiz too. You do not like to be labeled and you do not care what others think about you. You understand that there are more important things than high school.
