Gary Goes to Germany

Pre-departure Preparation

To prepare for the trip I had to attend some seminars and complete some paperwork, research Germany and brush up on my German speaking capabilities, begin to build an online relationship with the host family I would be living with in Werne, Germany, and of course purchase a plane ticket. I had traveled overseas recently so my passport was up to date. The WKU staff was very helpful and organized. Additionally, the program director from Werne kept us informed about what we could expect and what we needed to do from a very early stage.

The university planned several seminars for student teachers traveling abroad, so we would be prepared. The first set of seminars provided us with general but valuable information about travel do’s and don’ts, possible cultural differences that we might experience, and a Q and A with former participants. The last seminar provided those of us traveling abroad with specific details about the schools we would be working in and details about how to get along with our host families.

I spent a few hours reading about Werne and the German government online. There is lot of information, so it was easy. https://www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de/en is a very informative online site that I learned about at one of the seminars. It provides information about current government structure and current issues that concern Germans. You should check it out. I purchased a used German language textbook to study. I completed the first six chapters. Additionally, I downloaded images of simple German language crossword puzzles to do in my free time.

The most important part of the preparation was connecting with my host family. I was paired with the Schultz family. They had already hosted other students and were very familiar with the program. They were excited to meet me and very welcoming. They have one son who is 19 and live close to the schools I worked at. I learned I would need to ride a bike to school. We communicated by email, facetime and WhatsApp. I had not heard of WhatsApp before, but I am told it is popular in Germany. It is a texting App that allows users to easily text and send pictures and emojis internationally.

After all that my preparation was complete. The final step was packing and flying. I will post more soon.

First Impressions

I don’t really have any first impressions; this is my fourth trip to Germany. There are several elements that always strike me. Germany is very clean and orderly; you can see it the moment you step into the airport or on any street. Second, so much of the architecture, at least in the towns and most small cities, reminds me of a Disney animated movie set. Lastly, most people are excited to talk to an American.

Germany is a very clean and orderly place, very little trash can be seen anywhere, and most yards, although small, are very well groomed. Street cleaners and Germans in general ensure that they place trash in the proper place. I only saw a yard or two that was not immaculate since I arrived. Moments after the weekly market was finished in Werne, a street cleaning crew was busy sweeping and washing the square. My host family's house and cars are very clean and everything has it place. This care and attention to detail generally creates a sense of order, beauty, calmness.

It seems that laws and etiquette are of great importance as well. I have never seen a person cross the street unless the green walk light is shining, regardless of whether any car is in sight. I don’t think it has anything to do with safety though. So many people ride bikes in Germany that many towns and cities have bike lanes in the street along with car lanes. Bikes have the right of way and, although it seems very dangerous to me, it is very orderly. Crossing a street at a cross walk without a car in sight can’t be done if you don’t have a green light, but it is no problem to ride a bike in heavy city traffic; these two concepts seem contradictory to me. Clearly riding a bike in heavy traffic is far more dangerous than crossing an empty street without a green crosswalk light, but order is most important here. Another example maintaining order is when school children, grades 4-12, use small rulers to draw straight lines on their note taking pages to make tables or underline a heading. They do so without being told by a teacher. Something I have never seen a student in America do. I find some of this attention to detail a little excessive or rigid. But with most things foreign, different is not wrong, just different.

Everywhere I look I am amazed by the wonderful architecture of the buildings. Hardly any of it looks like something you would find in America. Virtually every roof, of a old or new building has a tile roof. The exceptions are large square apartment buildings or commercial buildings. There are many buildings that are hundreds of years old and look like they came out of a Disney animated movie set. The combination of cleanliness, interesting architecture, and fantasy aura amazes me every day. I look forward to walking around or riding my host family’s bike to see as much as I can of Werne. Yes, I will ride the bike with the cars.

So, overall Germany, is very impressive to see and experience. Everywhere I look I see beautiful interesting buildings and scenery, people are polite and life is very orderly. I look forward to riding my bike for the first time soon.

German and US Education System Comparison

After over three weeks of observing and participating in the Werne school system I have a few comparisons and contrasts to highlight. Just over three weeks in one town in Germany is not enough to understand the system here or why it differs from ours, but I have learned a lot. One question that keeps occurring to me though, is how do the German students perform as well or better than US students academically, if they go to school for a shorter period each day, have more breaks during their time at school, have little or no contact with technology until 5^th grade, and spend several hours a week studying a foreign language? How is it possible for them to do so well in math, science, social studies, and reading/writing?

The comparisons I saw were that children are basically the same. They love to play, learn and interact with each other. They all love to use and paly with digital technology. They all crave structure and respect. They all want to learn about new places. They all want to grow up fast and finish going to school. Students with parents who are interested in their education usually do well. Additionally, math, science, social studies, and reading/writing are important subjects. Teachers in both countries are well trained, care about their students, and are respected by the community.

The contrasts are as numerous as the similarities. School in Werne is shorter and there there is more break time during each day. I believe this give children the brain break needed and allows children to act like children. The schools I worked in began around 8:00 am and ended around 1:00 pm depending on which school the students attended. Lunch was after school and many students went home to eat lunch. The two schools I attend, one like our high school and middle school combined and one elementary school have two major breaks in the day. Each break is about 20 minutes and the children are expected to go outside, regardless if it is raining and how much mud they bring into the school.

A second contrast is that is very little technology used in the elementary school I work in. I have only seen four desktop computers for the entire school. Each teacher has a laptop but some are not comfortable using it and the projector for instruction. I taught 33 lessons in 11 different classrooms and never saw a teacher using any technology, all the work I saw was done on the chalkboard, yes a chalkboard. I loved it. I think this allows the children to really interact, learn patients and experience life outside of technology. The penmanship is also much better than what I have seen in the US. In the combined school with the upper graders, many students were "given" an iPad. This is used in conjunction with a textbook, chalkboard and Smartboard.

Another contrast is the emphasis on learning a foreign language. In the city of Werne, and probably much of Germany, English is required through the 5th grade. Several hours each week are dedicated to studying English. I was asked to teach 3 lessons about American Christmas traditions in English to 11 different classes of 2nd graders through 4th graders. This was during the regularly scheduled English class. Remember, this was in addition to all the subject matter US students learn, but in a shorter school day with more breaks. The German system has found a way to teach more, in less time, and do it as good or better than the US school system it seems.

A final contrast I observed is how the school system, in Werne at least, is proud of their Christmas traditions. The elementary school I worked in is a public Catholic school. Notice the cross on the right of the chalkboard in the picture below. Although, the school is made up of about 10% immigrants and refugees from the middle east Christmas and other Christian traditions are part of the curriculum. Germans generally view their Christian heritage as a strength not a weakness. Additionally, Germans are rather proud of their ability to integrate immigrants and refugees into their society. Perhaps we could also learn a few things in this area.

The challenge for me is how to take what I saw work in German schools and try to fit some of that into my classroom. I believe the German system allows children more opportunity to be children, and in return can get more out of them.

Cultural Treasures Discovered

There are three treasures or locations I want to describe. The first is the city of Hannover, the second is a unique structure that uses natural saltwater as a public health device, and the last one is a interesting structure designed for insects.

Hannover is a beautiful old city that suffered a lot of damage during WWII. It has been rebuilt and repaired so that it is now rich in history, culture and art. The picture below is of the Maschsee (swamp lake) with the heart of Hannover in the background. In the background the repaired city hall, two magnificent churches, and a very modern building used by many international corporations can be seen. The Maschsee was built by forced labor for the Nazi regime in 1933 and 1934. It is now used as a sports and leisure lake for the city. Hannover has preserved two Nazi monuments to memorialize the laborers and acknowledge the source of the now vibrant city gathering place. I think the lake represents what Germany is, a country full of culture, history, art and some darkness, but it has managed to adapt and has a bright future.

Another treasure is the Saline in Werne. It is a two story 50-meter-long structure of wood that transports saltwater form a natural spring over it’s inserted branches to provide medicinal benefit for people who breath in the salty air. Although the day I took the picture it was raining, the immediate area smelled like I was near the ocean.

The third treasure is an insect house that is in the garden of a 400-year-old monastery in Werne. The monastery has many wonderful spaces other than the garden. A very old library in it that rivals that of Hogwarts.

How I Will Use this Experience in My Classroom

After getting back to the US and thinking about my time in Werne I think the most important take-aways for my classroom are giving students more breaks and working on penmanship. I believe these are two areas of emphasis that seem to be missing in what I have seen in US schools and two areas I can impact inside my classroom.

Once I have a teaching position, I will determine how to take a approximately 10 minute break in addition to recess for students to be physically active. Breaks for stretches, hop-scotch math or other physical activities can give students some physical activity and a brain break, so they can better focus on the next academic task.

German students had much better penmanship than students in America in general. Using coloring and other writing exercises will help improve students handwriting. Additionally, I think it will teach the students to become more deliberate and careful in their work.

By giving students more time to be physically active and careful when writing I will increase their care and ability to learn. This may add some additional tasks each day, but I saw first hand that the German students could do more successfully, why can’t my students.