Starting school

My job coming to Germany was to be a Language Assistant and so it feels good to finally begin. On Sunday evening I was feeling pretty nervous as I tentatively checked the route I was going to take to get to school for 7:45 the following morning (7:45 that's right! The Germans start early) Its about a 3km walk, so I set off when it was still dark. Arriving at the school I made my way to the Secretaries room, as instructed and waited patiently in a queue, as a few other people were also waiting to be seen. After a few minutes of waiting,  my mentor teacher found me and took me to the staffroom to meet some other people who I would be working with - but this was only after she laughed at me for queuing up! They don't queue much here in Germany, which just seems so normal to us Brits! She told me I would have been waiting a very long time. My mentor teacher is really lovely and it was nice to finally put a face to the name I've been emailing for so long. I met lots of teachers, many of whom I've forgot the names of already, but everyone was very very welcoming and put me instantly at ease. I met the Headmistress, who presented me a 'Schultüte' (see picture) I thought this was a really lovely gesture.

A Schultüte (or 'school bag / school cone). This is a traditional gift given to German children
on their first day of school. It is filled with sweets, chocolates, toys etc and is given to children
in the hope that it will make their anxiously awaited first day at school 'that little bit sweeter'



 

My first day was a slightly unconventional first day, as I had already been told it was the schools 'Wandertag' - A school hiking trip done twice a year, one at the beginning and one at the end. I had packed my sports trainers in anticipation of a long hike through the Bavarian wilderness, but was told that, as I was accompanying the 10th Grade (i.e The eldest students in the school) who don't like walking and aren't interested in nature, we would be walking into Regensburg for some breakfast - Which was absolutely fine with me :D  On the walk I chatted with a few students (whose English was very impressive) and then sat with a few teachers during the buffet breakfast. We spoke in German and in English and switched often, so my brain by the end. At 11:00 we left the café. The students had an hour to shop before they had to meet and then they could go home! Wow, I wish English schools were more like this, I thought. At this point, as nothing else was happening, I went home. In the afternoon I went back into Regensburg and sorted out some admin. I 'anmeldet' (registered) as living in Regensburg (I got a little Regensburg goodie bag as well! Hooray!) and I then set up a bank account. Both of these obviously required German to be spoken, and I was impressed that I was able to do both efficiently. I returned to my flat feeling a massive sense of accomplishment.

That evening, Sebastian, my flat mate, gave me a bike to use whilst I'm living in his flat. This is one of the most significant moments of my Year Abroad so far! Everyone has a bike here and we went for a spin to a local pub that evening and it was wonderful! The streets are so cycle-friendly and I really enjoyed spinning my legs again. I set my alarm that night for half an hour later, as although I had to be in school at the same time as before, now I had a bike, so my journey was 20 minutes quicker! Oh yeahhh!

Today, I felt much more involve in school. I began by helping a student teacher in a class with the 9th Grade. As she had forgotten the listening tape, I read out the text and the children answered questions relating to what I was reading. Before this I began by introducing myself and answering any questions. This class was quiet and the only question I got asked was "Will you always speak so fast when you speak English with us?" - I better slow down a little! After this I visited two 7th Grade classes. Here, I introduced myself again, but this time I was bombarded with questions. All the students wanted to know if I spoke any German - I told them I just spoke a little. The students were really enthusiastic and again I was impressed with their English considering their age. The next class was an exact repetition of this, apart from the fact that the children had so many questions, that the teacher wasn't able to do the exercise he had planned as we ran out of time! My final class today was with the 10th Grade where we spoke about stereotypes, which was interesting. (One of the stereotypes that Germans have about the British, is apparently that British people eat Fish & Chips for breakfast!) I hope I didn't offend them too much when I said that many people in England see the Germans as rude and unfriendly! Here, I was practically taking the lesson and I felt good. I can already see how rewarding teaching can be.

I find the schools and the students very interesting here in Germany, in comparison to England. The obvious things like no uniform, early starts with early finishes, teaching with a blackboard and Overhead-Projector instead of a computer and whiteboard are fairly obvious. But a massive difference I've seen, is the different relationship the students and teachers share. Here, I feel the teachers have a stronger, more informal relationship with the students. They seem almost friends rather than teachers and students. From what I've seen, I would say that the teachers here respect the students more than in England. And all the classes I've been in, have been very well behaved, so I think this works. I don't want to speak too soon, but it really is interesting and I like it.

So tomorrow I go to my other school, which is slightly closer. I'm looking forward to it and hope it's as warm and friendly as my other one. I see no reason why it wouldn't be and meaning that this year will be a very good year indeed.