My name is Lucy, from a small village. Today is my first day at the new school. My new school is very modern. The teachers are very friendly and the classrooms are wonderful. Every room has a computer with a special screen, almost as big as a cinema screen. The teachers write on the computer, and their words appear on the screen. The screen also shows photos, texts and information from the Internet. It is amazing.

The English class is really interesting. We are using a new textbook and our teacher, Ms. Xu’s method of teaching English is different from the teachers’ at my old school. She thinks that reading is important, and we speak a lot in class, too. And we have fun. I don’t think I will feel bored in Ms. Xu’s class. Today we introduce ourselves and then we work by ourselves. We do this in groups. Some students are shy first, but everyone is very friendly and it is really nice.

There are forty-five students in my class. Twenty-one of them are girls. People say that girls are usually more hard-working than boys. But in this class, everyone works hard.

Two schools in the UK are testing the use of body cameras worn by teachers to help keep the class in order. However, this way of controlling pupils has caused different discussions.

According to the school officials, pupils are not under surveillance (监视) at all times. Instead, the cameras are only turned on to record conflict (冲突) or bad behaviour among pupils in class. “Teachers say that they are spending their time managing order in the classroom instead of teaching,” said Tom Ellis, a person who supports the use of cameras. “So this technology might avoid some bad events and help teachers improve their teaching.” But students are told when they will be filmed by teachers, and any recorded footage (视频片段) is stored safely.

However, some people think it is a step too far. “If classroom incidents (事件) are so serious that teachers feel the need to wear cameras, then there are better ways to solve the problem. Surveillance is not the solution,” said one teacher who doesn’t support the cameras for classroom use.

So what’s your idea on this move? Do we really need body cameras in the classroom? Are those cameras the answer to classroom management?

Classrooms in the US are different from those in China. This offers us a chance to learn about their educational styles.

In China, most students have fixed classrooms. Teachers teach different students according to the class schedule in different classrooms. Teaching in this way ensures that all students learn the same things. But students are not given many choices. No matter whether you like a subject or not, you have to learn it.

In the US, students often change classrooms based on different subjects. Besides compulsory (必修的) classes like English and math, teens can choose to learn about what they are interested in. For example, some kids may choose to study music or advanced math (高等数学).

Classroom arrangements also make a difference. Chinese classrooms are arranged in a traditional way, with rows of desks and chairs facing a blackboard. Teachers usually stand on a platform when teaching.

However, in US classrooms, seating arrangements are flexible (灵活的) depending on different class activities. For example, if students need to have a group discussion, two or three of them will move their desks to sit face to face. Students in drama or music classes also have different seating arrangements that make it easier for them to perform. Sometimes, teachers even sit with their students.

It’s hard to say which way is “best”, or if there even is an ideal (理想的) way to arrange classrooms. You just have to find the one that works for you.