US System vs. German System - Education

Impressions of the German education system

Well, it’s just about 3 months exactly since I got to Europe. As you all know, my reason for being here is to serve as an English teaching assistant, providing the expertise only a native speaker can provide. Over the course of the past 3 months, I’ve been able to observe the inner workings of a German classroom. I’ve made these observations, and begun to form my own impressions. Here they are.

 

1) The German school system is unfair

German children are basically put on a track starting with age 10. Most children attend kindergarten, and then go on to Grundschule, the rough equivalent of elementary school, which lasts until the 4^th grade. In the 5^th grade, students attend one of three kinds of schools: Gymnasium, Realschule or Hauptschule. Students at Gymnasiums are considered to be the cream of the crop. The focus of study is primarily academia, so as to prepare the students for going to university. Realschule is roughly similar to an American vocational school. In addition to the basics, students learn practical skills for a jobs such as electrician, mechanic, and so on. Hauptschulen are the most stigmatized, socially speaking. Hauptschule students tend to be those of foreign birth and who lack German language skills, those with poor academic abilities, and especially those with behavioral problems. For example, a colleague of mine who works at a Hauptschule told me yesterday that a student of his recently was expelled for attacking a teacher.

 

My point here is that there is little to no room for students to change tracks. Students who fail out of Gymnasien go to either Realschulen or Hauptschulen. Students finish Hauptschule in the 10^th grade, at which point they may take a test to enter Gymnasium or Realschule for the last 3 years of schooling, or they may start their careers. Others might go on to an apprenticeship or more vocational training. While it may seem like students are given a fair chance, they are stigmatized by society all along the way. Imagine being a 10-year old child, being placed into a school by way of teacher recommendation and perhaps having little upward social mobility as a result. A child surely cannot comprehend the unfair nature of this system.

 

2) The style of learning in Germany is completely different from that of the US, and in my view, counter-productive.

My evidence here is anecdotal. In the United States, students in middle and high school receive grades based on several aspects of their performance: attendance, class participation, homework, quizzes, tests, midterms and finals. This is more or less standard in the American education system. All of these except for tests, midterms and finals are nonexistent in Germany. Teachers are actually not allowed to grade homework. Today I learned from one of my mentor-teachers that if he were to give a homework assignment, grade it and factor that into the student’s final grade, he’d get in trouble. I recently gave a simple homework assignment to one of my upper-level English classes. The teacher told me shortly thereafter not to expect all of the students to turn the work in. Most of the students did do the assignment, but as a result I realized how uncommon homework is in Germany. Sure, students might have to read a set number of chapters per night or answer questions from a textbook, but I feel that since they do not receive a grade for this specific aspect of the class, they are generally speaking less motivated to do the work. When students don’t do the work, they fall behind. When they fall behind, they fail. When they fail, society ostracizes them, and there is little to nothing they can do about it.

 

3) The student-teacher relationship isn’t as private as that in the United States

I’d describe the relationships between students and teachers in the USA as private. Private, in the sense that students’ performance in terms of grades is kept between that student and the teacher. In Germany, teachers willingly state to the whole class who received the best grade on a test, assignment, etc.

Furthermore, I’ve found that the students aren’t afraid to ask the teachers personal questions. This is something I steered clear of doing in the States, yet students in some of my classes have asked teachers if they have significant others, among other personal questions.

 

4) School spirit is rare, if not nonexistent.

Whereas many aspects of an American high school student’s social life will revolve around the school in one way or another (sports, most notably), Germans spend what seems to be as little time as possible at school. School sports teams are rare (at least in soccer, youth clubs outside of schools are more popular options), schools have no mascots, etc. One exception I’ve found is school band; these are quite popular, as are their performances. School clothing is a brand-new concept. Of course, not every American student is full of school pride (I wasn’t…until I went to Penn State!), but generally speaking, I think the level of school spirit is drastically lower here than in the States.

 

Okay, so the past few posts were kind of negative. I do see some wonderful aspects of the German education, ones, which I strongly believe the United States education system, could benefit from. Most notably, number 5…

 

5) The age at which students begin learning languages

Children here start learning foreign languages in the 5^th grade. This means that they will have had 8 years of a language by the time they graduate (Gymnasium goes to the 13^th grade). By contrast, most American students don’t start learning a foreign language until 7^th grade, and it’s often not required that they take the language every year of schooling. It’s been scientifically proven that humans are capable of learning languages more easily up to age 14, so why not start teaching a foreign language early? The practical ability to communicate with non-English speakers goes without saying, but when you learn a language, you also learn a culture, and for these reasons I think it’s a great idea to start teaching foreign languages early.

 

6) The school day is a lot shorter

An average American school day lasts from about 8AM until 3PM or so. An average German school day lasts from about 8AM until 1 or 1:30PM. If it lasts longer, there is something called Mittagspause, a long break in the middle of the day to allow students to go home for lunch and then return to school. Naturally, the slacker in me says “shorter school days? Yeah!” but when you think logically, it makes sense. It’s not nearly as mentally demanding. Students presumably wouldn’t be as worn out as quickly.

 

I’m sure I’m forgetting a few things, but I’ll be sure to report them as time goes on.

 

Tschau!

The time I appeared in the German newspaper...

Hey everyone! I was interviewed, along with some other Americans, by the local newspaper (Nuernberger Nachrichten; "Nuremberg News") about the 2008 presidential election. I toiled long and hard to translate the article for you all, so here it is. Also, please let me give a disclaimer first. Most of the quotes are not direct quotes; the reporter made small notes in his notebook, and basically put the words in our mouths. The gist of the quotes are correct, but I think he mixed up  a bit on who said what. Also, the wording might seem a bit awkward, because there are certain expression in German that are not easily translated into English. I've included a few of my own notes, enclosed in parentheses. One last thing, the print edition called me "Dave Hardeson" so naturally I had to change that. So, without further ado...

Original article is located here: http://www.nn-online.de/artikel.asp?art=908391&kat=10&man=3

“Obama will make it”

Americans in Nuremberg on the presidential campaign

By Wolfgang Heilig-Achneck and Johannes Alles

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Doug Ballas, Dave Hardison, Libba Bray, Kyle Hartwell at the German-American Institute.

In one week the American citizens will elect a new president. Also Americans in the Nuremberg region follow the campaign with special interest.

 “We have become true news junkies,” the three foreign teaching assistants, Douglas Ballas, Kyle Hartwell and Dave Hardison, admit. Writer Libba Bray agrees as well, as the group met at the German-American Institute (DAI).

 Regarding the secrecy of the ballot and privacy, schoolchildren have little to leave out. “The first thing they all wanted to know was for whom I will vote,” reports Dave Hardison, who hails from Philadelphia and now works in a secondary school supporting the English teaching staff. “If they were Americans, almost all of them would have supported Obama,” he learned from his students.

 Likewise young people in American also candidly avow themselves to one or another candidate, assert all three foreign teaching assistants. Of course in the Bavarian school system there are policies against being so direct. Teachers are not allowed to explicitly refer to their political stance, so Hardison was not allowed to say. It will be more stressful when it is necessary to explain to them the complicated campaign system. “Most German schoolchildren know central points and information, but still less about the background and our political system,” asserted Doug Ballas, who is from McCain’s home state of Arizona. To adjust that is not his assignment in the long run.

 He perceives in the meantime very little from the much-quoted disenchantment with politics. Of course there are schoolchildren who believe it unnecessary to pay attention to politics. In the USA it is beneficial to the candidates to sway young people and to register new voters.

 “Sometimes it’s difficult to explain to the Germans that there are in fact good reasons to vote for McCain,” Kyle Hartwell said. She comes from a military family, which traditionally are for the Republican candidates. After a year at a secondary school she teachers at the Erlangen (town just outside of Nuremberg) adult education center and the senior center – and discussed the election with those participants who had an interest in politics. Only one irritated her: “I don’t know why so many like to place bets on the election result.”

 She follows the large American media’s coverage daily, as do her colleagues. And she never misses the political satire “The Daily Show,” in which the giants (meaning candidates) are lampooned. Apropos internet. “How Obama consistently takes advantage of this medium is totally new in this campaign,” means Hardison. The crude numbers of the expenditures of both candidates are indeed divine (?): more than $420 million have been spent by both candidates on ads, the lion’s share of which for TV and radio ads.

 Kyle sees a second large difference between the last presidential campaign four years ago in terms of basic characteristics: “at that time Bush already was in office; the campaign with Kerry was truly not a campaign. This time it’s between two new candidates – for this reason it’s exciting.” And Obama thus is so popular, especially among students, because he is like the new Kennedy.

 Libba Bray, who for the second night is speaking at the DAI library, makes no secret of her political conviction. Since the author from New York began traveling through Germany from book reading to book reading, she has been peppered with all sorts of questions from the audience, in most cases the standard question of who her favorite candidate is. In her case, the answer is no mystery, because she has associated herself with the “young adult supporters” of Obama – because with McCain women would be repressed into antiquated rolls. And although there is much in her books about myths and mystery, there is a deeper meaning of a political message.

 With almost unbelievable amazement John Davis follows the campaign. For the first time in the history of the USA a person of color has a good chance to become president. “A historical moment,” says Davis, a musician and music producer in Nuremberg and Fürth (a town just west of Nuremberg). One hears the enthusiasm in his voice. Davis grew up in the state of South Carolina. Davis, 54, experienced as a young child the meaning of racial discrimination. On the bus, he and his mother had to stand in the back, because the front was designated “for whites only,” even when there were free seats. And he is confident, “Obama will make it.”

John Davis, musician and music producer, shows a campaign poster with a picture of Barack Obama. His candidacy is "a historic moment," said Davis. Davis sings in Nuremberg and Fürth.

The Phillies and Halloween

First off, congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies, 2008 World Series Champions!!!

As a life-long fan of the championship-starved Fightin' Phils, words cannot really express how I feel. I'm ecstatic, of course. This is the first time a Philadelphia professional sports team has won a championship since 1983, and the first time that the Phillies have won the championship since 1980. I couldn't help that both of the Phillies' World Series victories ended the exact same way; with a strikeout. Seeing the images and videos of the game's highlights and aftermath of the dugout pouring out and the teammates piling onto each other honestly brought tears to my eyes. I have not felt this passionate about baseball since the Phillies won the National League Championship Series in 1993 again the Atlanta Braves. However...at the same time, I'm a little upset that I'm not in Philadelphia to bask in the celebration. Apparently people were out all over Broad Street (one of the major north-south arterial streets in Philly) celebrating. Plus, the victory parade is being held today. Don't get me wrong, I'm delighted to be abroad, serving as a teaching assistant, but at the same time, a Phillies World Series victory is a rare event, and unfortunately I'm not there to experience the celebration.

Also, today is Halloween. Halloween is not celebrated as extensively as in the USA. Costume parties are popular among university students, but children do not dress up and go trick-or-treating. Well, in my status as English teaching assistant and more-or-less American cultural ambassador, I decided to give a lesson on Halloween on Wednesday to the 6th graders (Thursday I'm with older kids and Fridays I have off). I have not shaven for almost the entire month, but on Tuesday night shaved it down to a moustache. I bought a cheap pair of reading glasses, punched out the lenses, and donned a pink shirt and a green sweater, and so I'm Ned Flanders from "The Simpsons" for Halloween!

Now, is it just me, or do I look slightly like my father with the glasses and mustache?

The 6th graders really enjoyed the lesson, probably because "The Simpsons" is one of the most popular TV shows in Germany. But apparently I've achieved rock star status among these kids; when word spread that I was going to be teaching that day, they started banging on their desks chanting "We want Dave! We want Dave!"

That's all for now...I've got some bureaucratic matters to which I must now attend. Thanks for stopping by!

Warning: Subjective Post

Yes, this blog is aimed at providing an objective insight into one American twenty-something’s experience as an English teacher for almost one year in Germany. I’ve tried to keep my posts as objective as possible, but due to the subject matter of some of my recent lessons, I feel driven to make this post a bit subjective.

Number 1: GO FIGHTIN’ PHILS! The Philadelphia Phillies recently defeated a team of ringers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, to clinch the National League pennant. This is the first time for 15 years that the Phillies have made it to the World Series. I watched ESPN online’s coverage of the final game, and I was moved. Seeing images of the Phillies pouring out of the dugout, piling onto each other on the field, spraying each other with champagne in the locker room, and embracing one another, all brought me back to 1993. I was only 7 years old when the Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves to go onto the World Series, but it was a highlight of my childhood. Even as I sat in the 700 level of Veterans Stadium in cold, drizzly weather, I knew I was living in a special moment. Special commendation has to be given to Shane Victorino, the Phillies’ center fielder. Despite this momentous achievement, he keeps a cool head, stating in an interview that “there’s still one more step to go.” Shane has consistently been a strong batter and a classic center fielder. Watching the Phillies’ victory celebration brought tears to my eyes. I haven’t been this moved by baseball since 1993.

Number 2: GO NITTANY LIONS! The Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Michigan Wolverines, ending a 9-season losing streak against Michigan. On to the Big Ten championships! I deeply regret not being in State College, PA right now to experience the celebrations.

Number 3: The 2008 United States Presidential Election will be held on November 4. As an American abroad, I’ve been doing my best to keep myself informed, via newspaper online editions, video clips, debate transcripts, issues websites, etc. I am glad that I do not have to experience the mind-numbingly simple television ads that plague presidential elections.

Maverick McCain

I have a deep respect for Senator John McCain. A man who endured torture only to refuse to be released without his fellow American prisoners, he has consistently fought against all that is wrong. Even against his own political party has McCain fought when he saw it necessary. For example, issues such as renewable energy and ethics reform, often ignored by ignorant, greedy politicians, have been some of the lines drawn between McCain and the Republican Party. I respect his independent way of thinking, as well as his patriotic service to our country.

That said, I disagree with his campaign, issue stances, and especially so on his choice for vice president.

McCain’s campaign

John McCain began his campaign for president with statements calling for fairness. He once stated in an interview: “Negative campaigning? Sure, it pulls numbers, but do we really have to sink to the lowest common denominator?” It’s statements like these that gave me respect for Sen. McCain. I also liked his idea of town hall meetings. Presidential debates, as they have been in recent elections, accomplish very little. Rather than debate issues and policy preferences, they frequently devolve into a vortex of soundbytes and character assaults, sucking any competent debate out of the dialogue. Town hall meetings would have allowed unscripted responses and questions from audience members, effectively putting the democratic process back in the hands of the people. I deeply regret Senator Barack Obama’s decision not to participate in these town hall style debates. Thus, we’ve had to deal with sappy, manipulative political drivel, like the third debate’s nearly 20 references to “Joe the Plumber” (whose name is actually Samuel, and who is actually an unlicensed, non-union plumber with a history of tax evasion, according to this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/us/politics/17joe.html?em). Senator Obama is guilty of such statements, but so is John McCain. Rather than insist on effective debates, McCain has let politics get a hold of him. Without the support of all wings of the Republican Party, McCain will not win this election. This, of course, is jet fuel for the intolerant wings who thrive in these days of cultural insensitivity and borderline xenophobia. McCain stated in the 3^rd debate that he is proud of citizens who attend his rallies. At McCain rallies, people have shouted out statements such as “terrorist” and “off with his head!” Recently, a woman stated outright at a rally that she doesn’t support Obama because she has “read about him and…and…he’s…he’s an Arab.” Now, Senator McCain did repudiate these comments, but meagerly; all he said in return was "no ma'am, he's a decent family man." No mention of there being nothing wrong with being an Arab. Not only does this statement show the effects of McCain’s own negative campaign tactics, but it also shows the intolerance and ignorance in our society.

McCain on the issues

Regarding the issues, McCain shows impressive support for renewable energy research. I even like his idea of more nuclear power plants. I even like his pro-free market stance. However, I disagree with his insistence on offshore drilling. Oil will not last forever. Sure, increasing domestic production will reduce gas prices, but only temporarily. The oil will run out some time. It is time to wean the county off of its oil addiction. Further still, McCain has a section on his website for Second Amendment rights. The Second Amendment reads “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” We no longer have a militia, rather a volunteer-based standing army. McCain throws full support behind 2^nd Amendment rights, to the point that he supported the 2003 lifting of the assault rifle ban, as well as opposed the ban on “cop killer” armor piercing bullets. Such weapons and not necessary in our society. I do not believe in full repeal of the 2^nd Amendment, but is undoubtedly an outdated piece of legislation that should be subject to further review. Sure, some people should be allowed to have guns; as many guns as they want. But when it comes to assault rifles and armor piercing bullets, the line has to be drawn. Additionally, McCain’s economic plan calls for tax breaks for small businesses. This is something I support, but I would also like to see more tax policy that favors the middle and lower classes, a bracket I will soon be entering.

Sarah Palin as VP candidate

Lastly, Senator McCain chose Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate. My parents always taught me that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all. I’ll just say that when I think of Sarah Palin, I think of nothing but contradictions, corruption, and empty logic.

So, for the 2008 presidential election, I am proud to say that I support Senator Barack Obama.

Obama’s character

Senator Obama is as eloquent a speaker as John F. Kennedy (and in fact, the first Democratic Senator to win the nomination since Kennedy) and as brilliant of a politician as Bill Clinton. In assaults on Senator Obama, critics have largely claimed that he lacks experience. While it is true that Obama, a first-term Senator with a background in state legislation and community activism, lacks the legislative and foreign policy experience of Senator McCain. However, something that seems to be missing from political logic is still actually relevant: intelligence. Senator Obama is an extremely intelligent man, having graduated from both Columbia University and Harvard Law School (where he served as the first black president of Harvard Law Review). He has kept a cool head throughout this campaign; he never got worked up or temperamental, despite accusations of him being a terrorist, extremist, and immature insults from members of the opposing camp. What this says to me is that a President Obama would keep a cool head during tense times. Yes, Obama has links to past members of domestic terrorist groups, but these were long ago, and Obama has weathered these accusations. Obama, of course, is not some monolithic figure of good. I find his decision to bypass the campaign finance parameters slightly despicable. But again, that’s politics for you. Obama does have this “rock-star” status, which his critics have used against him. However, this should not be a problem; for the first time in a long time, many Americans, especially young people, are extremely enthusiastic about a presidential candidate. Enthusiasm and activism in politics should not be detraction. At a time when American severly needs to repair its reputation among the international community, Obama was ranked the most popular American politician among North Atlantic Treaty Organization members.

Joe Biden as VP candidate

Joe Biden is a brilliant man with experience to back it up. A 26-year veteran of the Senate, he has sat on the Judicial Affairs Committee as well as chaired the Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Biden also has more humble backgrounds. He grew up in middle class Scranton, PA, and has suffered a great tragedy at the loss of his wife and daughter. He is an excellent complement to the Obama campaign.

Obama on the issues

Issues are ultimately what matter in a campaign (though you would think that a flag pin is more important than a 20-page PDF explaining an energy plan, based on how the campaign has been going). I support most of Barack Obama’s issue standpoints. I do take issue with some of his policies, however. Obama, like McCain, supports offshore drilling. I do not believe more oil is the solution. However, his plan also calls for “green collar jobs,” those in the hopefully-soon-to-be-booming renewable energy market. This solution kills two birds with one stone; it’ll reduce America’s unemployment and further energy independence. Regarding economic policy, I agree with Senator Obama’s plan to cut taxes for the middle class. The Bush tax cuts for the upper classes were absolutely despicable. Interestingly enough, Obama has a section on his issues website describing women’s policy, a section that does not exist on McCain’s website. Obama favors more research on women’s health issues, as well as policies that favor women in the workplace (especially female-owned small businesses) and the impoverished.

Obama the “Muslim” and religion in politics

Senator Obama is not a Muslim. Yes, his father was. Yes, Senator Obama spent time at a Muslim school when he lived in Indonesia. However, Senator Obama is a Christian, who emphasizes the importance of the family. Regardless, even if Obama were a Muslim, that should not be an issue. Malachai 2:10 reads “Have we all not one father? Has not one God created us?” Further still, Psalm 147:1 reads “To an earthly king, if a poor man greets him, or one who has a burn on his hand, it is a disgrace, and the king does not reply, but God is not so, everybody is acceptable to Him.” The key excerpt here is “everybody is acceptable to Him.” Humans are free to decide how exactly we accept Him, whether as God in the Christian sense, Yahweh, Allah, and so on. We are all human, regardless of race, religion, skin color, and even sexual preference. Intolerance is the agent of destruction; I wish that people who fear Islam and hold it in negative regard would take the time to read the Qu’aran, which preaches peace. For example, verse 49.13 from the Qu’aran reads “O mankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that you might know each other, not that you might despise each other. Verily the most honored among you in the sight of God is he who is the most righteous.” Further still, the Hadith of Ibn Majah reads “For the white to lord it over the black, the Arab over the non-Arab, the rich over the poor, the strong over the weak or men over women is out of place and wrong.” In these days of wars in the Middle East and Islamic extremism, one cannot take a small section to represent the whole group. Just as Islamic extremists take excerpts from the Qu’aran out of context and interpret them to fuel hatred, Christian extremists such as Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church do the same.

Conclusion

So, perhaps this turned into a bit of a rant, but I think where I stand is pretty clear. I’m delighted to discuss any issue with anyone. The political scientist in me also says to look at the polls. Polls such as Gallup and Reuters have Obama ahead by anywhere between 2 and 7 points. 

Die Neue Wohnung

Heyyyy everyone! Greetings from my new apartment! 

I live in the Suedstadt (south part of the city), just a 6 or 7 minute walk away from the historic city center. I recently found out the area is nicknamed Little Istanbul, due to the high population of Turkish people who live in the area. It's a very nice area, and very convenient. There are subway and streetcar stops one block away, as well as many restaurants, grocery stores, and a department store.

Please enjoy the following pictures:

My writing desk. The window looks out to the courtyard where the entrance to the building is found.

Our living room. Don't mind my roommate's clothes hanging out to dry.
Our kitchen.
The hallway. First 2 doors on the left are my roommates' rooms, the one at the end of the hall is mine!
My room. That's the flag of Baden-Wuerttemberg, the German state in which I studied last year.
My wardrobes and a bunch of other stuff that needs to be either sorted or thrown out :)

My bed.

From the new apartment...

Hello all!

Quite a bit has happened since my last post. Most noteworthy: I have found a place to live. I’m in the process of packing up and moving out of the host family’s house. It’s rather sad to leave the place; they’ve all been so helpful, friendly, and extraordinarily hospitable. Upon receipt of my parting gift, the mother said to me “you are my second son.” However, I feel like I won’t be able to settle down until I can set my bags down for the last time (until next June of course). So I’ve found a place with two roommates. One is 26 and works for a construction company, and the other is 23 and studies saxophone and clarinet at Nuremberg’s music Hochschule (basically a college where the emphasis is on music). Once I’ve moved in and settled, pictures will be provided. Until then, it’s set up in the following manner: every roommate has his own room, there’s a kitchen, 1 full bathroom, one powder room, and a living room.

I’m gradually moving into the new apartment. A few days ago I took a backpack full of books and clothes over to the new apartment. Yesterday I went to Ikea (thank you, Sweden!) and bought a pillow and some lamps. All that remains to be acquired are a bed, a chair, and a place to put my clothes (dresser, etc). I could’ve bought a mattress at Ikea yesterday, but buying large items such as mattresses is not easy when one doesn’t have a car. To get to Ikea, I have to take the subway to Fürth (the next town to the west), and then a bus from the town center. I suppose I could ask my host family to drive me, but I’ve stayed at their house much longer than I thought I would, and I don’t want to impose.

Pictures of the apartment will come soon; it's a bit messy right now.

I’ve also been sitting in on many classes. I’ve developed a routine, since the first time in each class I’ve been asked to give an introduction. It’s getting rather repetitive, but so far I’ve been doing pretty well. Sometimes I get a roomful of blank stares; sometimes I get a roomful of laughs. I’m sure those of you in the academic field know this all too well. The youngest group I’ve worked with is a 6. Klasse, and the oldest is 13^th grade, so to say. So far I’ve had the most fun with the 6. Klasse and one section of the 13^th graders. The little children are very inquisitive and seem delighted to have someone who comes from the land of “The Simpsons” and “NHL 2008” in their class. The section of 13^th graders all speak remarkable English, laughed at my jokes, and were generally very talkative. The other classes…well, it’s too early to say. Perhaps they’ll be a bit more talkative as the semester goes on. To be honest, I think I frightened one class. I spoke loudly and perhaps a bit fast. Just as they need to improve their English, I need to improve my pedagogical skills.

In two weeks, I’ll be giving a lesson on high school in the USA. I’ve started putting together a PowerPoint presentation on the different types of high schools, regional differences between schools, and student life. Also, with the US election coming up rather soon, I’m sure I’ll have to give a lecture on the American system of government. I’ve started compiling a presentation on the branches of government, another one on the party system, and later this week I’ll start working on the election system and the 2008 election. The Germans already know a fair amount about American politics; so far, some of the questions I’ve been asked included “what do you think about Sarah Palin?” and “who do you support in the 2008 election?” Pretty blunt questions, no?

Well, that’s about it! The only other interesting thing that’s happened was my getting my monthly pass for the public transportation system. I hope to get a bike in the near future. Supposedly, once a month there’s a bicycle flea market of sorts. Unfortunately, none of the locals with whom I’ve spoken seem to know where and when it is!

Dave

Some Pictures

Hey all. I'm still working with shaky internet connections, but I wanted to put up at least a few photos. Enjoy!

Heilig Geist Spital (Holy Spirit Hospital, the one on the left) was a hospital in medieval times, then a location for the city's lepers, and is now a restaurant. It sits on the Pegnitz River

Nuremberg's Hauptmarkt, with Frauenkirche (a Catholic church) in the background

Nuremberg's Imperial Castle. Inside, there is a youth hostel. So, for the first few days, you could say I lived in a castle!

A backpack on a train. Typical.

Servus!

Hey hey everyone! Or as the Germans say, “halli-hallo!” Even better still, as the Bavarians say, “servus!”

It’s been a little while since my last post, and for good reason. So, here it goes.

I arrived at Basel-Mulhouse airport, which sits on the Swiss-French border, on August 31. From there, I traveled by bus to Freiburg im Breisgau, where I studied for a semester last year. I stayed with my friend (who I met at Penn State while she was studying abroad) and her family. Visiting Freiburg once again was great. It was truly a pleasure to visit my old stomping grounds; the centuries-old church, the university cafeteria, the biergarten on top of a mountain…I even gave a tour to the new students on the program in which I participated!

On September 4, I packed up all my things, a large camping backpack, a medium-sized gym bag and a laptop case, and headed to Freiburg’s Hauptbanhof (main train station). There I boarded a train for Aachen by way of Cologne. Aachen is a small city right on the German-Dutch border. It is a historically significant city, because its main cathedral was not only the seat of Charlemagne’s empire, but also houses Charlemagne’s mortal remains (among other relics).  Furthermore, Aachen was the first German city reached by American forces in the European Theater during World War II. The city itself is rather small; I saw the historic center of Aachen in about 2 hours. Capitalism has struck the city well, as the old city streets are now lined with grocery stores, department stores, souvenir stores, and so on. While there, I stayed with my friend who I met while she was doing a residency abroad at the hospital where my father works.

On September 8, I once again packed up all my things and boarded a train back to Cologne, where I joined 179 other native English speakers. We traveled by bus to Altenberg, a pleasant small town outside of Cologne. There, we had our orientation conference. Most of the people were Americans, although there were also people from Canada, Australia, Ireland, England and Scotland. I was delighted to find out that there would be 2 other Americans in Nuremberg, one of whom was my roommate. He’s from Arizona and attended Fordham University in New York City. We’ve been in close contact and have met up twice since we arrived in Nuremberg. Anyways, the conference was good, save for my being slightly under the weather. I met 2 other Penn Staters and several people who had also done the same study abroad program as I did, albeit different semesters. We learned about making lesson plans, and did a sample 45-minute lesson in groups.

On September 11, I once more packed my things (notice a pattern here?) and boarded a train for Nuremberg by way of Frankfurt. I spent the train ride to Frankfurt talking with one of my colleagues who was on a train bound for Thueringia, the small federal state which borders Bavaria to the north. She got off at Frankfurt’s airport train station, while I had one more to go, Frankfurt’s Hauptbanhof. Well, the train was scheduled to arrive at 4:13PM on track 1, and my connecting train to Nuremberg was scheduled to leave at 4:21 from track 4. Well, as good fortune would have it, my train arrived in Frankfurt at 4:19 on track (to quote Dave Barry, “I am not making this up”) 18. So, with two minutes to spare, I dashed through the train station, all the while dreading having to explain to the person picking me up in Nuremberg that I’d be a little late. I weaved my way through the intricate series of obstacles: baby carriages, oversized rolling luggage, Euro-trendy teenagers decked out in white, pink, purple and green, guffawing German businesspeople, and so on. By the time I arrived at track 4, it was 4:22 and the train was still there. I leapt on board, and had to take off my backpack in the foyer to rest for a minute. This was probably the only time I’ll ever be happy that a train I was taking was running late.

I arrived at Nuremberg’s Hauptbanhof and was greeted by my Betreuungslehrerin (beh-troy-ungs-lair-er-in; “mentor teacher,” or simply the teacher with whom I’ll be working). I presented her with the bottle of wine I had purchased for her, and she drove me to the youth hostel where I’d be staying for a few days. I was originally supposed to stay with the schoolmaster, but due to some slight miscommunication he was out of town and was unable to have me stay at his house. So, I spent 3 nights at a youth hostel. This youth hostel is actually set inside Nuremberg’s famous imperial castle, one time the seat of the Holy Roman Empire. After answering a few questions, the teacher left and I went out and explored the city. I was by this point in time quite hungry, and asked the front desk clerk for a suggestion. He recommended a Doener place to me (Doener is a popular German-Turkish dish; it’s shaved meat with mixed vegetables and yogurt sauce in a piece of thick flat bread). We had a lost in translation moment, actually. He told me where his favorite Doener place was located. The German expression of favorites is stated by the prefix “Lieblings-“ and then whatever the favorite thing is (for example, Lieblingsmannschaft is favorite sports team). However, outside of this context the root word “lieb” usually pertains to love. So rather, he said “here is where you can find my loveliest Doener.” Unfortunately, his loveliest Doener stand was closed, so I had to settle for McDonald’s. It was not a total loss; I finally got to try a McRib sandwich. I’ll never have one again, either.

Well, I can sum my first impression of Nuremberg in one word; nay, one syllable: “wow.” This city is amazing! The city screams history, with its old bridges, churches, and town squares. I very much enjoyed meandering the cobblestone streets and narrow alleyways. I can’t really sum up how I feel about this place in one paragraph; I’ve only been here for a few days, and I love it already, but I also have another 10 months to describe it!

Two days ago, I received a phone call from my schoolmaster. He had returned, and would pick me up the next day at noon. So I once more packed up all my things and he drove me to his house, just north of the historic city center. I went to one of my schools today for a teacher conference, and had to introduce myself to a roomful of German teachers, of course, in German. It wasn’t difficult at all.

As far as I know, I’ll be working at 2 schools. Both are roughly equivalent to American high schools, but students often come at a younger age and stay until a later age. I’ll be working between the age groups of 13 and 16, providing the expertise that only a native speaker of English can provide.

It’s almost 11PM and I’m tired, so I’ll call it quits here. More to come, of course!

Hello everyone! This'll be brief, but I've arrived safely in Germany, and am currently at the IES EU Center, where I studied last year. I visited with the staff members for a while, and I will soon leave to meander around Freiburg.

More to come!