KATIE
Elementary Education Undergraduate |
KATIE
Elementary Education Undergraduate |
I have now been in the classroom for 2 days and what an experience it has been so far. The children were so excited to meet Kara and I. They wanted to practice their English with us, so they asked us a lot of questions about us and where we come from. The children found some of our answers interesting and others they found funny. They were overjoyed when we would know some things about Germany and that we were willing to learn some German from them.
One of the first things I noticed was the children had a little more freedom than most American schools. I was shocked to see the children sitting in the classroom waiting for a teacher. Even when they had their recess there is only 1 teacher outside just to make sure no one gets hurt. I really liked this because the children were able to learn responsibly and how to act correctly without a teacher guiding their every move. It was challenging at times when they were talking in German, especially when there was a lesson in German and we didn’t understand what was going on. It really put it into perspective of how a child would feel coming into a foreign country and going to a school that speaks a different language. I’m learning that a lot of guidance and patience can really help a child when it comes to teaching a different language. I am excited to see how the rest of my time at the school will go and what new things I can learn from the German teachers!
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Strasbourg, France felt like a fairy tale. The streets were filled with people, flowers, and wonderful smells of fresh bread. As we were walking around I was reminded of the movie Beauty and the Beast. My inner 8 year old elf was so happy.
As we got closer to the Cathedral I was more and more amazed about all the details. The structure was so dark yet so beautiful. As we walked in I was amazed by all the stain glasses. While I was walking around I was thinking if the amount of time was put into this and how much they cared about every detail that went into it. I experienced some culture shock while I was there because the people, bikes, and cars were all in the same area so you always had to be on the look out. There was areas that I thought a car would never fit down nor try to go down, but yet they were still squeezing through. Over all Strasbourg was a great experience and I’m glad I was able to get a little taste of France. 4 days in Berlin, wow those days went by fast. We were always on the go seeing as many things in Berlin as we could. We were walking about 10 miles, walking up and down stairs, and running to trains every day. When we first arrived on Sunday I was amazed at how green the city was. There was trees and grass patches everywhere. The parks were beautiful and peaceful. I loved how quiet the city was. I also loved the cobble stone that was everywhere. The buildings were breath taking and I just stared in amazement. Something I had to get used to was having everyone around you speaking German. It made the group stick together because we were all each other had at times. I’m growing to love this group more and more.
The food in Berlin was amazing! I loved how fresh everything was. I never had a meal that was disappointing, even my McDonald’s (it’s different than the US so we had to try it). We always sat outside when we ate. The streets were always filled with table and chairs with umbrellas above them. People were all around enjoying food and talking quiet among themself. As I have gone through the process of getting ready for Germany I have learned to be more and more independent. I have learned so many new things about traveling and Germany in general. Now that the trip is finally here I’m learning that there is still so much out there. I was counting down the months, then weeks and days, and now I’m counting down hours. I’m getting more and more excited as it’s approaching, but the nerves are definitely settling in. It’s hitting me that I’m leaving a place I have always known, my comfort zone, and heading into a different part of the world I have never known.
I can’t wait to see Germany and learn everything about its culture in these next 3 weeks. I’m excited to experience Germany with my own eyes and hands instead of just through pictures. Here’s to a new adventure! |
AuthorHallo, ich bin Katie! Archives
August 2019
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