First School Week Finished!

This is everyone in our group plus the school principal!

 

                             

The top picture is the new part of the school and the bottom is the school cafeteria that we eat in most days!

It's only been five days, but I am absolutely loving my time here in Werne, Germany! The people here are so kind and welcoming, and my host family is nothing short of amazing!

My time at Anne-Frank Gimnasio has been so wonderful and the students surprise me everday by how intelligent they are! Some of the topics I've talked about with students include global warming, politics, religion, and fighting for our rights. On my second day, I was able to co-teach a lesson in a 9th grade class with a fellow student teacher from WKU. During this lesson, we discussed freedom of speech. It was a very in-depth conversation that discussed the topics of why freedom of speech is important to the limits of it. The conversations were extremely in-depth and we were able to express our opinions freely. One of my favorite parts of the school here is the schedule. It is very different from the school schedules at home. For example, the schedules are more like block schedule with 90 minute classes and 20 minute breaks in between! During these breaks, the students can have a snack and hang out with their friends. For many students, the school day ends at lunch which is around 1:15. This is quite different than the US! But it's nice because students can go home for lunch if they so choose or they can eat in the school cafeteria (which has wonderful food by the way!). Also, the teachers go to the students, they don't have their own classroom. All of the teachers spend time and prepare in the teacher's lounge prior to and between classes. This is very different than home but it creates a nice sense of community between teachers which I think is wonderful.

A typical day for me here during this first week starts with my commute to school on a bike! That was quite the change for me, but it's such a lovely change. It was a bit scary at first because it had been many years since I had ridden a bike that wasn't stationary in a gym, but I really enjoy it. The first day it took us almost 30 minutes on the bike to get to school and the second day it took 15 minutes, so my learning curve was quick on the bike! Once I arrive at school, I will observe and assist in many classes throughout the day. I am in classes from the 5th to the 10th grade. My schedule here ends at lunch time, so we often eat lunch together as a group in the cafeteria or go home for lunch. After school, this week we went as a group a few times to hang out in Werne to see the town, and may I say we have mastered the art of ice cream eating. In the evenings, I sit down for dinner with my host family and discuss our days and often find our selves discussing topics like culture and politics.

This week has been so enjoyable and I look forward to what the next couple weeks will bring!