SARAH
Exceptional Education Undergraduate |
SARAH
Exceptional Education Undergraduate |
Hallo! I have less than a week left in Germany and only one more day left in the schools. I cannot believe how quickly time has been moving and I am not ready to say goodbye to this beautiful country. I am also going to miss being in the school with all of the amazing students and teachers! I have had the opportunity to observe during multiple classes, but I have really learned a lot during English lessons and German lessons. I have seen English lessons in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th grade and I am blown away by how much English even the younger students already know. They practice their English a lot and many of the older students can have full conversations with me in English. I went up in front of each class and talked about schools in America and the students could ask me anything they wanted about America or about the schools. They were all so interested and wanted to practice their English skills when asking me questions. Starting in 1st grade, the students begin learning English phrases like “Hello my name is…”, “I am _____ years old”, and “I am from _____”. They also learn numbers, pets, hobbies, and many different other English words and phrases. They sing songs to help them remember some of the English words, and the students are really succeeding. Even in 1st grade, the teacher’s try and only speak in English to help the students learn as much as possible. During the 6th grade class, the students read from passages, learn about topics that are relevant to their lives, and do many different fun activities. Watching the students read passages almost perfectly made my teacher heart very happy. The students also do interviews, which is when two students talk back and forth trying to buy something or having a conversation about their day. The teachers want to teach the students English that may be relevant to them someday and the students love doing the interviews. The students and the teacher kept asking me how they sounded and if they were pronouncing everything right and I could not believe how much English they had learned already! Some students even start taking Spanish, Latin, or French once they are fluent in English. Sitting in on a German class was an experience that I will appreciate throughout my career as a teacher. As I sat in the back of the room listening, I tried understanding what was going on and what the teacher and the students were saying. They did not use English once, and to be honest, I was beyond confused. I actually started to get a headache from trying to follow along and understand what was going on. This opened up my mind to how English language learners in America must feel. They are being thrown into a completely different environment surrounded by peers who do not speak their language. I felt confused and left out during the entire lesson, and I am sure many ELL’s are feeling the same way. I want to make sure all of my students always feel included and I want to find a way to keep the ELL students involved and welcome in my classroom. I had a small glimpse into what these children go through every day and I am so grateful for that opportunity. I have learned so many amazing ways to teach students English, and I am going to make sure that all of my students are getting the education that they deserve. I am so sad that my time in Germany is almost over, but I am living in the moment and loving every minute of it! Tschüss! -Sarah
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Since the last time I have blogged, I have been able to explore more of Stuttgart and I spent the weekend in Munich. In Stuttgart, I have learned how to take the tube (the subway) to the city from my host’s house and back, and all places in-between. I feel confident being on my own in a completely new environment and I feel very independent. Being able to go to the city and walk around on my own has really helped me break out of my shell. I used to be afraid of being on my own and afraid of change, but now I embrace it. I am doing the things I fear most in a completely new environment and it is changing me in the best way. I am so incredibly thankful that this trip is allowing me to find myself and appreciate everything life has to offer. In Munich, I had the opportunity to visit the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. This was an extremely powerful and heart-wrenching experience that I am never going to forget. As I was walking through, I kept thinking about how I was walking where they once walked; I was in a place that was once so terrifying and horrific. I walked through the gates that they had to walk through, I walked into the bunkers, I saw the prisons that some were kept in, I saw the execution sites, I walked through the gas chamber, and I walked through the building where they were cremated. I felt emotionally drained and sick to my stomach walking through the memorial site. I am still in shock that this actually happened. Genocide is an important topic that I will eventually have to teach students in the future, and as I was walking through the memorial site, I found myself thinking about how I am going to teach children to respect and accept people of all different cultures and races. This seems so simple, but it is extremely important. This experience is going to stay with me for the rest of my life, and I am so thankful that I had this opportunity. I only took pictures from the outside to respect those who lost their lives. After being in a place that was so traumatic and took the lives of so many people, I just want to say that I am incredibly thankful for the life I have. I am thankful for my family and friends at home who I miss dearly. I am thankful that I am in Germany doing what I love the most. I am thankful that I get to travel with the most amazing professors and group of girls. I am thankful that I have such a wonderful host who has made me feel so welcome in Stuttgart. I am thankful for this wonderful experience. I am so, so thankful. Tuesday was my first day in the school. On my first day at the school I taught the students a little bit about schools in America. I talked to two 1st grade classes and a 3rd grade class. I printed out pictures and explained some of key points about our schools. The students did their best to follow along using the pictures I showed them and gestures. The students were very interested about America and American schools. I am so happy that they wanted to learn so much about America and were so excited about me being in their classroom. Schools in Germany are similar in some ways and different in others. Let me tell you what I have noticed so far in two days.
Goodbye for now! -Sarah I am finally in Germany!!! I survived the 8 hour flight with little sleep but I did get to see a beautiful sunrise. I was exhausted when we arrived Friday afternoon, but I knew we had a full day ahead of us to explore Berlin. We saw the line where the Berlin Wall once was, Potsdamer Platz, Reichstag, and many more beautiful parts of Berlin. The Holocaust Memorial was extremely powerful. The Holocaust Memorial is in the heart of Berlin and has 2,711 pillars of all different heights; no two pillars are the same. The pillars are a monument to the murdered Jews of Europe during the Holocaust. As you walk through the pillars, they begin to grow taller and the ground starts to go lower. You start to feel isolated and are surrounded by pillars and silence. As I walked through, I thought about all of the Jews who lost their lives during the Holocaust and how absolutely terrifying it must have been for all of them. I cannot even begin to imagine what they went through. The pillars did not include their name, but it gave each person a personality by making sure not one pillar was the same size. Over in Tiergarten only a few minutes away from the Holocaust Memorial, there is another pillar. This pillar is sideways and a little bit different from the others. This memorial is for the gay men and women that were prosecuted and murdered and to remember the injustice against the LGBTQ+ community. If you look through the glass there is a video playing of same-sex couples kissing. Seeing this pillar hit close to home. Being a gay woman I understand that many people judge me or do not understand how I can be in a same-sex relationship. Knowing that people were prosecuted and killed for loving someone is terrifying because this was not that long ago. In many other places around the world, this is still considered a crime. I love that they have the video inside of the pillar to normalize the fact that gays and lesbians are just regular people and it should not be shocking to see a same-sex couple kissing. During the rest of our stay in Berlin I have learned how to use the trains (and even managed to get back to the hotel without John), explored many beautiful places in Berlin, and ate so much delicious food. I have also struggled with the language because I do not know much German. When we were out for dinner our waiter came over to the table and started speaking to us in German. All we could do was look at him, confused. I feel as though this is how ELL’s feel in America. They are in a completely new environment and are hearing a language that they do not really understand. I am glad I got to experience this because I will now be able to somewhat relate to my students. I am sad to say goodbye to Berlin but I am very excited to explore Stuttgart and begin observing the classrooms. The next time I blog I will be in Stuttgart with my host! I hope you enjoy some pictures from our weekend in Berlin. Guten Tag! Sarah Since my first blog I have been preparing for Germany by working on my lesson, getting everything I need while in Germany, talking with my host, and packing. I also had the opportunity to visit the Aurora Waldorf School. The idea of a Waldorf school comes from Germany and allows students to be more creative and free spirited throughout school. The feeling I had when walking into the Waldorf School was a feeling I cannot explain. I have never seen a school quite like a Waldorf School. There were acres and acres of land for the children to run through, singing and movement throughout the lessons, art work everywhere, and there was a feeling of happiness and comfort throughout the whole school. The students are still receiving the curriculum that they need, but in a more creative and fascinating way. I am more excited than ever to visit a Waldorf School in Germany.
Fernweh is a German word with no direct English translation. This word means an ache for different places and the craving for travel and that is exactly how I have been feeling these past few months. I have been counting down the weeks, days, and hours until I would finally be on my way to Germany. Tomorrow I will be getting on a plane at 11:30 at night to finally be on my way to this once in a lifetime adventure. I cannot wait to finally be in a German classroom, meet my host, and explore the beautiful German culture. I am ready to begin this adventure. |
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