KASSIA
Exceptional Education Alum & Grade 6 Teacher |
KASSIA
Exceptional Education Alum & Grade 6 Teacher |
Two weeks ago, our cohort arrived back in the States after a long, long day of travel from Stuttgart, Germany. It feels like just yesterday and simultaneously like forever ago. There is nothing quite like the sweet return to your loved ones, home, and routine after three weeks away. It truly was a bittersweet goodbye as I woke up early, finished packing, said farewell to my wonderful host family, and began the long return home. I still think of my host family and the friends made along the way frequently, but I must admit that I am grateful to be back and am also rejuvenated to begin the school year with my students in September.
My time in Germany gave me a lot of perspective that I don't think I was expecting. I realized that, despite my never ending list of critiques and areas of improvement, there is a lot to be grateful for here in the US - especially with ways that we care for our students with special needs and as English language learners. There are so many take aways that I have, and the first is gratitude. The second is simplicity. Being in German schools refreshed the minimalist in me, and it reminded me that the most solid lessons are sometimes the simplest. It reminded me that not every lesson requires a Chromebook! I am excited to get back into my school year and implement some simplicity. Lastly, I am grateful to be returning to my middle school roots. It was a really special opportunity to be with younger kids for a change. I haven't been with first and third graders since my subbing days, and it was fantastic to be with them again. That being said, I miss my students that I will be looping with more than ever and am excited to return with so many stories and comparisons for them as well. There are so many memories and lessons that I am walking away from this trip with. New friends, new recipes, and new experiences. I am also walking away inspired to keep up the good fight for social justice, political and educational reformation, and remaining optimistic when times feel as dark as they have these last few years. I think I went to Germany with a "grass is greener" mindset. I thought that I would find all of the answers that I've been missing here in the States there, and I did not. What I did find is universal struggle and universal progression. What I found was people with similar fights to us. I found incredible, intuitive ways of going about a problem that we don't do here, and on the flipside, I saw areas that require change like mental health supports and differentiation for all students. All in all, I left Germany with a reignited passion of working towards a better future. I saw that some struggles I was chalking up to only existing in the States exist everywhere, and we have to come together to change these issues everywhere, together. If you're reading this and wondering if you could or should ever embark on a journey somewhere other than your home country, the answer is a resounding - yes, you should. And I hope that this could be the sign you need to take the leap, travel, and open yourself up to the triumphs and struggles that each journey outside of yourself and your comfort zone might bring your way. I'd also like to thank everyone who made this possible for us. Thank you to Buffalo State University, the Exceptional and Childhood Education departments, and especially to Tamara and Brandon for making this opportunity a reality for us all. Thank you to my parent in laws and parents, to my husband for keeping everything running smooth while I was away, to my sister in law Miranda for coming along and creating so many new and beautiful memories together, and to my very special new friends who took every step along this ride with me: Xamani, Asha, Emily, Fiona, and Bailey. Until next time! -K
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And just like that it's almost time to head home!
Tonight, we are all packing our items and saying our goodbyes as our journey back home begins around noon tomorrow. While I am ready to come home and see my family, kitties, plants, and home again, I am also sad to be leaving this place that I've been calling home for the last two weeks. I've grown so close with my exchange teacher, Fiona, and her godparents, Martin and Ilona, as they have welcomed me into their homes and lives during my time in Germany. I will miss our evening dinners and Google translations. I cannot thank them enough for making my time here so precious and comfortable. Even when I came down with a nasty cold, they took care of me and made me feel so welcome in their space. I never felt uncomfortable or like I was a burden to them, and that is a very special thing. I'll forever be grateful for their kindness to me. I will also miss the kids and teachers at Fiona's school. Sometimes there were language barriers, but there were never barriers to smiles, laughter, and universal gestures that we all share. It was an honor to be able to see them learn and the teachers teach in this setting. I learned new ways of presenting material, and I also found a new respect for some of the ways that we do things back home that I really took for granted - especially in the areas of special education and meeting student needs in social/emotional ways. I am grateful to have been able to gain this new perspective and see another country's educational system even for the short amount of time that I was here. Our last evening together was really special. The German and American crew had a lovely farewell dinner, and then some of us hit the town for a little festival while we celebrated Asha's birthday in silly birthday hats (gaining many German stares). I've grown to love our group so much these last 3 weeks, and I'm so proud to laugh loudly and be extra silly with them. There is a lot of joy in our group, and I hope that we continue to stay in touch even after we return to the States. We've made beautiful memories together, and I truly believe that each of us have learned something that will stay with us for our lifetimes. It's time to settle in before a long, long day of travel ahead. Here's to a bittersweet goodnight and a beautiful ending to Germany IPDS 2023. -K What a beautiful weekend in Freiburg, Germany! My phenomenal host, Fiona, set up a little get-away for all of us to enjoy, and it was exactly what we all needed. We got to spend the day soaking up the beautiful sun, enjoying the refreshing cold water and taking in the most beautiful view of the Black Forest trees.
I feel so incredibly recharged after reading on my Kindle, spending the whole day in nature, and eating a delicious vegan Wurst! We laughed and talked and paddle boarded. We enjoyed each other's company and recharged together. Being separated from the other Buff State group members has been extremely difficult as I mentioned before, so this weekend really helped all of us feel strong enough to continue to the end of the trip. In only one short week, we will be coming home! After our afternoon at the lake, we were able to experience the Freiburg Wine Festival in the heart of the city. This was another great experience for all of us. There were so many people there just enjoying the beauty of the city. We ate more delicious food and enjoyed a few beverages as well. I am so grateful for the other girls on this trip and the friendships that I have made. So here's to the last week in Germany! I can't wait to see all that it has in store for us. -K Greetings from Stuttgart! Today marks our fourth day being fully immersed in the heart of the trip with our host families, German cooperating teachers, and public school experience. It has certainly been challenging in different aspects but beautiful as well!
My first challenge after arriving to Stuttgart was being separated from the group members that I'd grown so close with during the first lag of the trip. We formed a bond during our time together, and it was hard to suddenly not be together anymore! Instead we were with brand new people in brand new places with a brand new language barrier. It's been amazing to be fully immersed in the culture with our gracious host families. I am very thankful for mine and my cooperating teacher as well. They have done nothing but make me feel safe, cared for, and welcomed. The schools have also been an amazing experience. This time around in my IPDS adventure, I am truly feeling the language barrier! I speak pretty good Spanish, so being in the DR wasn't incredibly difficult to communicate with people. However here, I am a brand new baby to the language despite doing lessons on Duolingo for months leading up to the trip. There are a few things I'm able to catch here in there as the Germans speak, but for the most part, we are all hearing a language we cannot understand for most of the day. It's always the best reminder of how our ENL students feel as they come to our schools being refugees from other countries or just new to our culture and language. They utilize lots of pictures and strategies that we use in the States, but still, the reminder is always humbling. Of course, my lens has been focusing largely on the special education situation and students with additional needs in the German classrooms. I have truly been surprised at the lack of resources that I have seen for students who require additional support. In one classroom that I'm in, there was one specialist who came in for social/emotional support; however, I did not see exactly what support she was giving. I was left with more questions that answers. It does appear to be that they have inclusion classrooms in some schools, and there is a school nearby that has a class for students with autism. I have not been able to gather a lot of clarity on students with extra needs, and of course, this saddens me. I have no shortage of critiques of the United States school system, but I must admit that being in the German schools has given me some gratitude for and perspective on our special education services in the US. We appear to be quite progressive in our inclusive practices compared to what I am seeing here. That being said, I should also say that my vision is limited as I at this point have only seen how one school functions. Being with the little kids has been lovely, but it sure is making me miss my middle school students back at home :) This weekend will be filled with some much needed R&R for our participants along with the German participants. I miss home a lot but am trying to soak up every minute and be present to experience all that is in front of me. -K Hallo again from Zell, Germany! Our last few days have been busy, busy, busy. So many times I have wanted to blog and share some stories here but truly have been either too exhausted or have felt too compelled to enjoy the moment I was in. After a really great time in Switzerland, we took a bus ride to Strasbourg, France. Along the way, we made a few stops to break the travel up. We stopped at some Roman ruins which was quite interesting! Our group gathered for a picnic and took in all the beauty. The second stop we made was at a really fascinating castle rebuilt after numerous sieges and attacks. We got to see France's countryside beauty and learn a bit about the history of the landmark. After a very long day, we arrived in Strasbourg, France, and boy, was it different than quiet, serene Switzerland! Strasbourg was a hustling and bustling city! I have to admit that this was the toughest part of the trip for me so far. It's been years due to COVID since I have been around so many people in a foreign place, and it made my discomfort really high. The first night, I was dodging bicyclists while taking in smells, sounds, and sights that I was not prepared for. After resting and getting my bearings back, the second day in France was quite enjoyable. We explored some incredible vegan cafes that blew our minds and made our tummies sing! We all took part in a super fun app-based scavenger hunt and saw the city in a really engaging way. Team Winners (Pete, Leo, Mike, and I) were victorious with a near perfect score by not using any hints (wahoo). Our opponents (Asha, Xamani, Bailey, and Fiona) beat us timewise with a substantially lower score ;) It truly was a great time with lots of friendly competition. We had so much fun and got lots of steps in! By evening, some protestors had organized in response to the recent shooting of a young person by police, and we needed to return to the vicinity of our hotel for the evening where we enjoyed some beverages and lots of French fries before calling it a night! After Strasbourg, we had another long travel day to Zell, Germany. This travel day included a few different stops that we really impactful. Our first sobering stop was at the Struthof Concentration Camp Memorial. This was my first time being at a concentration camp in person, and it was nothing short of harrowing. Each individual received a recorded guide that corresponded with numbers along the map. The grounds were silent; it was cold, cloudy, and slightly drizzling. We listened to testimonies, stories, and historical facts about the events that took place on the ground below us. We learned that this specific concentration/work camp was different from other extermination camps in that it included resistance fighters of all nationalities, homosexuals, and people with disabilities who all were part of the resistance to the Nazi movement in exterminating Jewish people. The purpose of this camp was to make a statement to those who chose to resist the Nazi agenda and to force them into horrific labor for their benefit. Prisoners were labeled with colored triangles and specific letters to represent for all to see what their offense had been (ie. pink triangle for homosexuality, "NN" for resistance fighters, etc). It was also jarring to be in this space only a day after hearing reports of the Supreme Court rulings to make it legal for businesses to turn away LGBTQ members, dissolving affirmative action for college applicants, and rejecting loan forgiveness. It is crucial for us to understand the reality of how far hatred can go and what human beings can be capable of when we begin to see one another as less than human. The time we are in is horrifying, and the way that groups of people are being treated and attacked cannot go without mention as it was all that I was thinking about during our time at this site. As you leave the concentration camp memorial, there is a massive statue in remembrance of the lives that were horrifically taken from this earth. "Europe remembers!" was displayed largely. My hope is that we can raise a strong resistance to this ever occurring again. My hope is that our future generations will be empathetic, tolerant, and willing to fight for the rights of their fellow human beings and that everyone will have a life of safety and true freedom to be who they are. The time is now, not tomorrow. May we never forget. May we be better. Our second stop on this travel day was to the Black Forest where we were able to learn about the way of life for those who lived in the heart of the forest centuries ago. This experience was also very impactful, and the houses, flowers, and animals were beautiful. While these families also had great difficulties navigating harsh winters, wildlife, and other aspects of their ways of life, it was a true juxtaposition to the tour from the morning. We arrived in Zell, Germany later that day where we were all able to relax, recharge, and refresh our bodies and minds before traveling to our final destination. In only about ten minutes from now, we will all get back on our bus and will travel to Stuttgart, Germany where we will be united with our cooperating teachers. This is the place we will call home until we journey back on the 15th. Mike is sadly leaving tomorrow to return home, and I will greatly miss him. Our time experiencing these opportunities together has been priceless to us. Thank you for reading such a long post. In the coming days, I intend to write shorter and more frequent posts! I am missing my family, kitties, and normal routine, but I am so grateful to be enjoying the beauty of flowers, nature, and new perspectives. -K Hallo from beautiful and stunning Switzerland! The crew arrived safely yesterday afternoon after roughly 18 hours of travel: driving to the airport, sitting through a slight delay in our flight, flying 8 hours in the sky, riding a few more hours on the train to Interlakin and finally catching a short bus to Ringgenberg where we will call home for the next few days! I can tell you that showering and enjoying a crisp refreshment have never been better!
Mike and I are settled in a sweet little room with a beautiful view of mountains. We are struck everywhere we walk that gorgeous scenery including mountains, valleys, streams, and flora surround us at every moment. You walk one way - a mountain. You turn around - a mountain and a really beautiful flower. It's just amazing. Thankfully, after forcing ourselves to stay up as late as we could last night, we got a great night sleep and were rested for the adventures awaiting us on Day 2, and we couldn't have even prepared ourselves for the experience that awaited. Our day today was filled with lots of walking and asking each other "Is this even real?" Getting the opportunity to hike and see the Swiss Alps has always been a dream of mine, and today it became an experience I will never forget. There are truly no words to express the beauty of the landscape, and although we try to capture it in a photo, nothing can encapsulate the experience of taking in everything there is to see and feel. It is so incredibly humbling to see the snow capped mountains and imagine what it took for people to cultivate their towns, build such architecturally sound, beautiful homes and structures, and successfully figure out assorted means of transportation! Heights have always been a bit of a fear for me, and each IPDS trip I take, I seem to have to confront that fear regularly! Today was no exception. On top of lots of walking, we took a few cable cars to make our way to the summit of Schilthorn (almost 10,000 feet). I've attached a gallery of a few of my favorite photos from our journey. I'll never forget today and the memories that came along with it. My legs and feet hurt from hiking, but my core and face hurt even more from laughing! Yet again, I have been so lucky to get to travel with such an amazing group of people who make me laugh, think, and feel safe. There are no words to express what it means to be able to have these experiences with my dear husband and sister-in-law, and I'm equally grateful to be making beautiful new friends and strengthening old bonds as well. Signing off for now, but I'm sure I'll be back again soon. K In only 24 hours, our travels will begin!
The long, anticipated Germany trip is closer than ever, and the 2022-23 school year closes its chapter simultaneously. This will be my first IPDS trip being out of college and having had my very own classroom for 3 full years. I am extremely excited to enter German classrooms with my new, personal experiences. I am also excited to take a little break from middle schooler age group as I'll be joining Fiona in her 1st and 3rd grade classrooms. Anyway.. the packing has begun (still not quite finished). The in-laws are here and ready to cat-sit (Thanks, Mom and Daddio Mona)! And Mike and I are excited as ever to embark on this new journey together. I look forward to sharing lots of photos, stories, and experiences with you all in this space! Thank you for reading and following our 2023 cohort through this incredible opportunity. Talk soon! K |
AuthorThis is my third experience traveling with the Buffalo State IPDS program, and I am so excited to experience all of the culture of Germany! I am a special education teacher in middle school, and I am passionate about traveling to gain new perspectives and have new experiences! Thank you for following along! ArchivesCategories |