In this section of my website I will be blogging about my time at the German Schools I am placed at, as well as things I notice that are different from American schools! I will also talk about the things I do outside of the school during the two weeks I am here! 

Today was my first day at the Anne-Frank Gymnasium! It was so amazing to finally get inside the school, but there were so many differences I noticed between this German school, and the schools back home in Kentucky! The first thing I noticed was that students raise their pointer finger when they want to ask or answer a question. At home we are used to students raising their entire hand, so this was something that really shocked me! Students here also have their own iPads to take to class with them, and they don't take the same classes everyday; they have weekly schedules they follow. There are also several breaks for students and teachers throughout the day, but they have no recess. Everyone has the same lunch break at the end of the school day (1:15pm). Some students go home for lunch, but if they have a workshop after the lunch break, students would stay and eat in the cafeteria. The teachers also all have the same breaks and lunch breaks, so they all meet in the teachers lounge before school, during the breaks, and during lunch, if they choose/have to stay. The students will also all stand as the teacher enters the room and they will greet one another before they are able to sit down. I definitely had a bit of culture shock today, but it was such an amazing experience so far, and I even got to help teach in one of the classes! After school my host family took me to explore our town a little bit! We went to a the saline wall that helps with breathing problems, we walked around the pond, and then made our way to the center of the town where they told me a little about the history of Werne and took me to their favorite ice cream shop! 

Today was a very exciting day at Anne-Frank Gymnasium! Students got to participate in "Europe Project Day!" Every student got to spend the day learning about different aspects in Europe. The class I was able to be placed with learned about different bridges in Europe and how they help connect different cities, countries, and even continents! It was a very different day, but it was so much fun to be a part of! 

Today was a very busy day in Werne! We started our day off at the school with one class, and then made our way to the Mayor's office for him to meet us and tell us a little more about the town! After this we got to go visit a local church and climb the bell tower, which very few locals have been able to do. Then we got to go to a monastery and visit a library with books that are thousands of years old. These were three incredible experiences that I will never forget!! We finished our day off by traveling to the city of Munster, where we got to visit some other churches, the town hall, and just walk around and enjoy the city. We had a great day and I can't wait to see what the rest of my time here looks like! 

Today we got to have a pretty normal day at Anne-Frank Gymnasium! I got to sit in on a 9th grade english class, participate in a mixed age biology class, teach part of a 6th grade english class, and also participate in an environmental workshop! After my day at school I traveled to the nearby city of Ludinghausen, where I got to visit two castles! One we were able to go in and look around the museum on the inside, while the other we just got to see from the outside. It is amazing to see these structures, as we don't have anything like them back home! This country is full of history and historical sights to visit! 

Today did not exactly go as it was planned. We were supposed to attend one class and then we were to head to Berlin with three of the German student teachers at Anne-Frank Gymnasium, along with our WKU supervisors! Well, there ended up being a strike on all public transportation in Germany, so we had to change it up a bit. We ended up going to our first scheduled class, and then we each attended one more. In the first class I talked to a few 7th graders about the industrial revolution in Europe, mainly focusing on child labor. In the second class, I ended up teaching the entire lesson! I had my 5th graders popcorn read a short story, and then, to practice everyone's english, I had them go around the room reading one sentence each. After this we had a little discussion about the short story, and then they had to rewrite two of the paragraphs in the other character's point of view. We discussed this and then finished the class by working on other language skills and playing a Kahoot! 

Today we finally got to travel to Berlin! We got on the train at 7 in the morning and arrived at 11:20 am. Once we got there we went to put our things down at the hotel, and then headed off to sight see! Our first stop was the Berlin Wall. After this we headed to Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews, and the Reichstagsgebäude. We also got to see several different things along our way around town! We finished off our day by shopping, eating dinner, and then hanging out! It was a great Saturday and I really enjoyed getting to learn more about the history of Berlin. 

Today we traveled back from Berlin. We left Berlin at about 8 am and arrived back in Werne at about 12:30 pm. When I got home my host family took me to Maximilianpark in Hamm! This park was beautiful and nothing like I've seen around Bowling Green, or even close by. It had so many different types of playgrounds for kids to play on, as well as a huge glass elephant that you could even go up inside! Unfortunately it was closed today, so we weren't able to do that. They also have a huge lego exhibit every year from the beginning of April till November that you may walk through. It was pretty amazing to see and think about how much hard work they put in to creating the structures! 

Today we attended a student teaching seminar with the German student teachers! After that we got to go have lunch and then went out for ice cream. We also took a trip to IKEA, which was a first for me. We ended our day with German McDonald's!

 Today was our first day at a new school! We are now at the primary school Lambertusschule Kath. Grundschule. Today we were placed in a third grade classroom where we got to share about the US, Kentucky, and Bowling Green! You can check out the Slides we prepared in the Kentucky Lesson tab! After school we went and ate at a hotel nearby and then we went and bought some snacks to eat and take home with us! I even found some Birkenstocks at a thrift store for 1 euro!! We ended our day with a BBQ at Birgit's home (one of the ladies who has helped us with our IST) and I got to talk to her son about Glasgow! He studied abroad for a year at Barren County High School. Talk about a small world! 

Today we got to teach students at Lambertusschule Kath. Grundschule about Kentucky again! Today we spent time in two 1st grade classrooms, but otherwise the day was pretty much the same as yesterday. After school my host family took me to the local swimming pool! The mayor had given me a free pass so I was able to use that on our trip. They had an indoor pool, slide, sauna, and an outdoor heated pool! It was a nice relaxing afternoon. 

Today we got to teach students at Lambertusschule Kath. Grundschule about Kentucky again! Today we were in a 2nd grade class and we got to do a little more with students than the past few days! After school my host family took me to see the Nordkirchen Castle. There are castles everywhere here! After that we went with one of the teachers from Anne-Frank Gymnasium to her line dancing group. It was a long day, but we had so much fun!

Today was our last day at Lambertusschule Kath. Grundschule! Today we were in a 4th grade class and we got to present our slideshow to them again. They had so many questions and it was so much fun talking with them about America. After school I went shopping with my host family and then we watched a movie together! 

Today I got to travel to the city of Cologne with Kyah! We took a train and our first stop was the Cathedral. This was the biggest church I have ever seen! It was breathtaking. After our visit there we went over to the Lint Chocolate Museum. This was a nice excursion for us and it was cool to see how they made their chocolate. We even got to make our own bars! Once we were finished at the chocolate museum, we decided to do a little shopping. After that it was time for us to head back to Werne for a BBQ with Laura's host family. It was so much fun getting to be together and celebrate our time in Germany! 

Today was my last full day in Germany! It was such a nice day out and we got to take part in their beginning of May traditions. We started the day off by taking a bike ride to a castle nearby Kyah's host family's house. After that we headed to watch the marching bands as they walked through town and played. We hung out for a while after that, and then it was time to Dance Into May! This was a blast and the perfect way to spend my final night! People of all ages from nearby towns come together to have a big dance party to celebrate the beginning of May. This was definitely one of the highlights of my time in Germany! 

Today it was time for me to fly back to Barcelona for my flight back home tomorrow. I got to say goodbye to my host family, as well as Laura's. It was such a bittersweet time. I am so sad to be leaving, but I am excited to be back with my friends and family at home. Germany has a special place in my heart now and I will definitely be coming back!