My Final Week

My last week as a teaching assistant at the Deutsch-Polnisches Gymnasium in Löcknitz, Germany went by very quickly.  I went to several classes to say "good-bye" and answer any questions they might have for me about my time at their school.  I visited Frau Krumrück's 10th grade class on Monday, June 23, 8th grade class on Tuesday, 7th and 11th grade classes on Wednesday, and 9th grade class on Friday.  I also went to Frau Zarnodt's 8th grade class on Tuesday to say "farewell," and on the same day I said good-bye to my group of 7th graders.

I participated in a couple lessons during my last week, as well.  On Tuesday I visited one of Herr Hettig's 11th grade classes and participated in a discussion on gun rights, for Wednesday I prepared a final presentation for my American Culture group on the 4th of July, and on Thursday I went to Frau Zarnodt's 7th grade class to help them work on their teen magazine articles.

On Friday morning in the first break, I went to the teacher's room to say "good-bye" to all of my colleagues.  Herr Hettig said a few words and presented me with a book about Pomerania, the region I was teaching in, as well as some chocolates, and I also said a few words about how welcoming and helpful everyone was and how glad I am I had this opportunity.  Even though I am glad to be back home, I will miss my students and my day-to-day life at the school.

- Amy

Weeks 40 and 41

Most of last week I was on vacation for Pentecost, so I was off spending time with my mom, sister, sister's boyfriend, brother, and brother's girlfriend in London, as well as several cities in Germany.  We did manage to stop in at my school last Friday, however, for a tour and a presentation for my American Culture group.  My family and I put together a PowerPoint about activities we like to do in the summer, including many photos from summers past, and I think my students liked the chance to listen to my family speak.

Then this week I got back from my trip to find that my co-teacher was out for several days, so I had a light week, work-wise.  On Tuesday I met with my 7th graders, and I got to show them a teen magazine my sister had brought from the U.S.  We also played some hangman.  Then on Wednesday I met with my American Culture group.  I had these students complete a Web Quest I had created about American and Polish culture in the United States (traditions, festivals, etc.), which went pretty well.  I think the students found it really interesting, and they were engaged the activity the whole hour.  I'll have to remember that activity format for the future!

- Amy

Weeks 37-39

The past few weeks of my teaching assistantship have been much of the same routine I have gotten used to.  I have been working with my group of 7th graders and my American Culture group and visiting Frau Krumrück and Herr Hettig's classes.  I have also been meeting with the girl I tutor from the Regionalschule on a regular basis, since she was working up to a big test in her English class.

With my 7th graders, we have mostly been playing English games.  We played "Who am I?" where students tape an unknown name to their foreheads and they have to ask their classmates questions to figure out who they are, for instance.  This past Tuesday, however, I talked to their regular English teacher and found out they are starting a new theme, so we spent our time together creating a mind map about Canada.

With my American Culture group we have been watching the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, which has led us to talk about character archetypes, high school culture, and Shakespeare.  This week we also played some typical American children's games, such as...

In Herr Hettig's classroom I have been talking to one of his 11th grade classes about what it means to be British when Britain is so multicultural.  Then this week I visited his other 11th grade class, which was switching focus to the United States.  Students created mind maps around the theme of the U.S. and then presented them in front of the class.  I also got to visit his 10th grade class where I talked to a group about their favorite books.  It was great hearing about what they read, and I have added a couple new books to my to-read list!

In Frau Krumrück's classroom I watched the film version of The Great Gatsby with the 11th graders as they wrapped up their unit on the novel.  This class then started a unit on the visual arts by discussing their opinions on paintings, how many of them frequent art galleries, and which famous artists they know.  They then listened to a text about the Mona Lisa and used it as a jumping off point for a grammar exercise.

I also visited Frau Krumrück's 8th grade class to talk about school dances before they listened to a short story by Chris Crutcher about an overweight boy who is elected prom king.

One of my biggest challenges over the past couple weeks was preparing the girl that I tutor for her big English test.  It is difficult to know where to start and what would help her the most.  We ended up working on some practice tests and testing strategies, as well as doing some exercises on tenses and word order.  I feel like we're building a good relationship, and we're able to just hang out and joke now, which is great.  Here's hoping she does well on her test!

Starting Friday we have break from school for Pfingsten or Pentecost, and I'll be in London with my family!  I am so excited.

Until next time,
Amy

Weeks 35 and 36

The past two weeks I have gotten back into the swing of my teaching assistantship.  I have met with the two boys for reading tutoring, as well as my group of 7th graders.  With the 7th graders I played Hangman last week and Taboo this week, and all of the students have started participating, even one of the newer girls who is pretty shy.  I also met with my American Culture group both weeks.  Last week I introduced my group to some of my favorite children's books, including Green Eggs and Ham, Goodnight Moon, and Are You My Mother?  Then this week we started watching the movie 10 Things I Hate About You.  We got through about 30 minutes of the movie and worked through the basic plot set-up, since it is a bit complicated at the beginning.

Last week I went to Herr Hettig's two 11th grade classes a few times.  On the first day I led a discussion with one group about what it means to be British when Britain is so diverse.  Then with the second group we split the class into two groups, asking one group to brainstorm ways in which Americans are or are not humble and the other group to do the same except with Germans.  The next day I visited that same class and I led a discussion with the half of the class that talked about Americans the day before about the humbleness of Germans and Polish.  I also had each student talk about whether or not they or their family are humble, so that everyone participated.

This week I talked to the final 8th grade class about the American school system and answered all the questions they had.  I also sat in on Frau Krumrück's 11th grade class as they watched a cartoon version of A Midsummer Night's Dream and filled out a worksheet as they listened to a selection of dialogue taken from the play.

- Amy

Weeks 33 and 34

I had a slow restart coming back from Easter break, especially since we came back at the end of the week on Thursday and Friday before heading into another weekend.

The Thursday after Easter break, the 24th, was the last day for the 12th graders.  I got to school bright an early in time to see them decorating the school yard in their costumes.  They scattered paper and bottle caps (which they cleaned up later on that day) and hung up caricatures of their class teachers, including Frau Krumrück.  They also played some pranks, such as blocking off the front door with a dumpster and attacking teachers as they walked up to the school with squirt guns.

 Later on that day, the 11th graders put on a game show-type program for everyone to watch and the 12th graders were the contestants.  The theme was the "Game of Life" or "Spiel des Lebens" and the contestants were asked to drive home from the Abiball (or prom) in tiny cars, build a chair for their first apartment, and race around to take care of a crying baby.

The 12th graders then planted a tree on school grounds as their class teachers looked on.  In the end, I am so glad I got to see this part of German school life.

That Friday I filled in for Frau Krumrück's 10th grade class as they finished up reading the novel Holes.

The next week I started doing reading tutoring again after a couple weeks off, and I can definitely notice improvements in the reading fluency of these two students since we started meeting at the beginning of the school year.  I am so glad.  We met on Monday and Tuesday that week.

I also met with my group of 7th graders on Tuesday, and we played 20 Questions.  On Tuesday I also went to an 8th grade class that Frau Krumrück was filling in for, and I talked to the students about the American school system.  I talked about schedules, required classes, and extra-curricular activities, and there was some time left over for students to ask me questions.

Then on Wednesday I had my American Culture group, and we did a sort of catch-up week, talking about Earth Day and Arbor Day, as well as recycling.  I asked students to tell me a little bit about how they recycle before talking about recycling in the United States, and I think they are starting to open up and talk a bit more.  I also introduced some fun sayings and idioms I hope to continue to use with these students, and I gave them a survey I created in hopes that I could learn more about their interest in English and see if my club makes any impact on that interest.  I'll give them the same survey at our last meeting in two months.  We'll see!

- Amy

Berlin Seminar and Weeks 30-31

The last few weeks have been a bit irregular, but here is what I have been up to.

From March 24 to 27, I went to Berlin with my husband for the Fulbright Seminar.  This conference was a chance for Fulbrighters living in Germany, as well as those living in other countries and German Fulbrighters who will be traveling to the United States in the fall, to network and share their experiences.

On Sunday we got in and took a Cold War bus tour of Berlin before joining the 500 other Fulbrighters for dinner.  Monday provided panel discussions on various topics (Jesse and I attended the session on immigration issues) and an opening ceremony and reception at the University of the Arts.  On Tuesday we got to listen to Fulbrighters from other countries talk about their experiences, which was one of my favorite sessions, since it was so interesting to hear about their day-to-day lives.

Finally, on Wednesday I attended a workshop for teaching assistants.  This was the most helpful session, since we were able to share our experiences and brainstorm improvements for the program.  I was then able to present one of the projects I am working on in front of a room full of my peers.  I had only five minutes to describe the Deutsch-Polnisches Gymnasium and the ways the school works to create cultural connections between the German and Polish students.  After my group had presented, there was also a short question and answer session.  I was very nervous, but my presentation ended up going very well, and I am glad I had the chance to give a presentation at a conference.

On Thursday, the conference was officially over, and my dad was due to fly in for a visit.  Jesse and I ate breakfast, checked out of the hotel, and then walked around Berlin for a while, waiting until it was time to pick my dad up from the airport.

I came into school on an hour on Friday, March 28 with my dad and Jesse to lead my American Culture group.  I had advertised that my dad was coming, and twice as many students showed up than usual.  I had prepared a presentation about the regions of the United States, in hopes that I could introduce my students to lesser-known parts of the United States, and both Dad and Jesse helped out by talking about their home states.  I think they both had a nice time, and I think my students enjoyed listening to them speak.  One of the students even asked my dad if he was a teacher, too, because he had such a loud, clear speaking voice. 

On Sunday I met with the girl I have been tutoring and we worked on an assignment for her English class, in which she was asked to express her opinion on a topic.  Then on Monday I returned to the school with my dad and Jesse, and the new principal gave us a tour, which ended with a visit to the music room and my dad playing some tunes on the piano.

 On Tuesday, April 1 I visited Frau Krumrück's 11th grade class to talk about weapons in the United States.  Jesse came along for this lesson, since he knows more about the topic than I do.  I also met with my 7th grade group, and we played Two Truths and a Lie.  I then ran off to the train station, where I met my dad and Jesse and we left for a short trip to Berlin.  I should have been back to school on Friday, but because of the Lufthansa strikes, my dad ended up having to stay two extra days, and I stayed with him in Berlin until Saturday.

I was back in school the next week, but there still didn't seem to be much work for me to do.  Even so, it was a really fun week.  On Tuesday the 8th, I met with my group of 7th graders and we reviewed relative and context clauses.

Then on Thursday Jesse and I went to Frau Krumrück's 12th grade class.  This past week was the last full week of classes for the 12th graders and Thursday was their last English class.  When the seniors get back from Easter break, they will begin their final examinations, so they had some fun this week and had different dress-up themes each day.  Frau Krumrück also prepared a nice final lesson for them with several songs, including "The Final Countdown," which everyone joined in singing.  Jesse and I talked about high school in the United States, focusing on events such as prom and graduation and showing some pictures from when I was in high school, and Frau Krumrück also donned a graduation robe and cap that my dad had brought from the U.S. for her.

On that same Thursday, I went to Frau Gärtner's 11th grade class to give a talk on Nebraska.  She gave me the whole hour, and I was able to talk for a while and then answer students' questions on the state and on my background.  Then, in the evening, Jesse and I went with some of the teachers at my school to our partner school in Police, Poland to have an Easter dinner.  We were able to try some traditional Polish Easter dishes, such as white borscht and kielbasa.

On Friday, April 11, I wrapped up the week by going to Frau Krumrück's 9th grade English class to watch her introduction of a unit on India.  Her lesson was similar to ones I had seen before, in which she transported students to a new place by dressing up (this time in traditional Indian garb), playing music, and leading students into a separate room where she had set up an exhibition with pictures and artifacts from the target culture.  I then took the class for the last five or ten minutes and led them in an exercise while Frau Krumrück packed up the exhibition in the other room.

Finally, in the Lernzeit, I met with my American Culture group, although only three students came this time, presumably because it was the last day before Easter break.  It worked out though, because I just so happened to have brought along three packages of Peeps that I asked my dad to bring when he came to visit.  After talking about April Fools day and Easter and asking students to share their Easter traditions with me, I handed out the Peeps and wished them a happy Easter vacation.

If you want to read more about my dad's visit, you can visit my personal blog here: http://lifeinloecknitz.blogspot.de.

- Amy

Weeks 26-28

Here are some of the classes and groups I have been working with in the past three weeks:

Herr Hettig's 11th Grade: Over the past couple weeks there has been a practicum students from the University of Greifswald, Herr Stelzer, observing and conducing some lessons in the English and history departments.  I joined him in one of Herr Hettig's 11th grade classes to help students prepare for a mock debate about immigration.  The conversation began in the context of the Brixton Riots in London, but when students actually began preparing their arguments, this aspect of the assignment fell away.  Students in three separate groups (pro-immigrants, anti-immigrants, and moderator) eventually held a conversation about the topic of immigration.  I was in this classroom on the 11th (double lesson), 12th, 13th, and 18th (double lesson in which students conducted their debates).

Frau Krumrück's 12th Grade: On the 4th this class started a new topic about Urban, Suburban, and Rural Lifestyles, and I observed this class in which students first created a word cloud with terms they associate with town/city and village and then received a worksheet that asked them to determine how different statements (Transportation is terrible, it is easy to meet friends, etc.) could apply to life in both a city and a village.

I have been working with Frau Krumrück's 12th grade class a lot lately, since some students are preparing to write the English Abitur, while others have chosen not to write this portion of the test.  I often take these students who do not need to prepare for the test in a different room to have discussions or do other activities.  On the 18th I worked with these students in a double lesson.  In the first lesson we discussed the question "Do the people in your neighborhood prefer privacy or close social contacts?" and in the second lesson the students did some exercises out of a workbook.  Then on the 20th these same students had another double lesson in which they were given a list of items (health, clothing, etc.) and asked to look at each from the city, as well as the village, point-of-view.  They then got to ask me questions about where I grew up, where I prefer to live, and what I see as the advantages and disadvantages of each type of place.

Reading Tutoring: I am still working with two Polish boys on their reading fluency during the Lernzeit, although they have not been coming as frequently as in the past.  Over the past few weeks we only met on the 5th, 7th, and 13th.

American Culture Club: I started my American Culture Club last week Wednesday in the Lernzeit.  10 students came to the first meeting and 8 students came to the second meeting.  At the first meeting on the 12th I just tried to get to know the students and get a sense of what topics would interest them.  I then presented a PowerPoint I had created about high schools in the United States.  Then at the second meeting on the 19th we talked about St. Patrick's Day, since it was only a couple days past, and baseball, since Opening Day is coming up.

7th Graders (Lernzeit Group): On the 4th we worked on sentences in the Conditional I and Conditional II forms.  Then on the 11th they requested that we work on describing rooms, so I had them describe their bedrooms.  On the 18th they said that they heard there was going to be a pop quiz, so we reviewed Conditional I and II, as well as Relative Clauses.

Extra Tutoring: I have met a couple more times with the girl from the Regionalschule who wants to work on her English.  On the 6th we worked on a homework assignment she had where she was asked to design a menu for a school cafeteria and explain her choices.  For our meeting on the 7th, I prepared, at her request, a worksheet on sentence structure and the order of different sentence elements (time, place, etc.).  It was interesting learning about this in the context of English instead of German!  Then this week, on the 20th, we worked on Conditional Sentences.

Other random lessons I was able to participate in:
- Frau Krumrück's 11th grade: stereotypes and national identities (March 4th, 3rd and 4th hour)
- Frau Krumrück's 8th grade: environmentalism in California, in which I did a short presentation on environmentalism and what I learned when I was in school (March 6th, 1st and 2nd hour)
- I went to the same 8th grade class on the 20th (1st and 2nd hours) when students read a text about a boy in an immigrant family in California to give a presentation about immigration in the U.S.
- Frau Zarnodt's 7th grade: I introduced a lesson about Canada by giving a short introduction with some facts about the country

- Amy