In German schools, it is not customary to have a single school nurse. Instead, students and teachers who have completed first aid certification may volunteer to assist their peers. Those who opt to become first aid volunteers typically wear neon yellow vests and stand outside on the playground during recess.
I have noticed that teachers here let their students have a lot more freedom than teachers in America. For example, when the students go from class to class they don't have anyone walking them to class, and they do not have to walk in a straight line. In the hallways between classes, students do have to be quiet in the hallway, this is the time that they are outside playing around and talking to their friends.
Students don't have a set period to eat, or even a system to notice if a student has eaten or not. The students have two 25-minute breaks between every 2 periods where they have the choice of going outside, to the cafeteria or staying inside. Here, the teachers move around a lot, rather than the students. For example, my teacher will go to a different room and teach multiple grades not just one. In American elementary schools the teacher usually just teaches one grade and multiple subjects. Here you will choose the subject that you teach and will have to teach multiple grades.
There are three gym teachers for the entire school. There is one big gym that is split into 3 different sections for the teachers to have their classrooms. This is kinda difficult because if another teacher is playing music then it is hard for the next class to listen. After all, there aren't any walls. The classrooms are split by nets.
School begins at 8:00 AM and ends at 1:15 PM, this means that teachers are working twenty-hour weeks in Germany while in America most full-time teachers work forty-hour weeks.
In the classroom, for students to answer a question they raise their index finger instead of raising their hand like they do in America.
During their school day, students are allocated periods that consist of either one or two lessons. Each day, the duration of these lessons alternates between 45 and 90 minutes. In addition, every two lessons, students receive a 20-minute or 15-minute break. This designated period is intended for students to consume their snacks, visit the restroom, and refill their water bottles. Given that students have the opportunity to take breaks in between classes, it is considered unacceptable to use the restroom during class or consume snacks during lessons.
As I just mentioned snacks, it is important to note that students do not have a designated lunch period. Consequently, they consume breakfast and lunch at home, as they are dismissed from school at 1:15 PM. Although there is a cafeteria available for students to consume their snacks and/or purchase food items, I was given the opportunity to try a sandwich, which was exceptional. It is worth mentioning that only those students who have added an extracurricular activity to their schedule, which is optional, may choose to eat lunch at the school.
The educational system in this country differs from that of the United States, where students change classrooms. In this system, teachers move between classrooms instead. Due to the need to share classrooms, teachers are unable to decorate them as they wish. The only decorative element present in the classroom is the presence of plants. Consequently, teachers store their belongings in the teachers' lounge and only bring their iPads to the classroom. The lounge serves as a social hub for the teachers, where they gather in the mornings and take their breaks throughout the day.
Students carry around all of their supplies all day they don't have cubbies or lockers to drop them off at.
In elementary school, students begin at first grade and graduate elementary in fifth grade. The floors in the elementary school is wood, si all of the students wear house shoes to class. Once they enter the school the have a place to drop off their helmets, jackets and shoes and change into house shoes. Once a month the students parents come to school to cook waffles and sale them for $0.30 to make money for the school.