Off to school we go!

I am at the Martin-Behaim Gymnasium for this year. I work with students in grades 5-12. The German school system splits kids into one of 3 different types of schools starting in 5^th grade. Everyone goes to Grundschule, which is the equivalent of our elementary schools, except it only goes up to grade 4. After grade 4, the kids either go to a Hauptschule, which is a trade school, kind of like BOCES programs where you can get certified in a trade or like an apprenticeship. The other school is the middle ground. It is called Realschule. This is where students go to learn trades like nursing. It's a combination between schooling and trades. The third type of school is the Gymnasium. This is they type of school that I am at. It is the track for students to go to college. Students can start off at a lower level and test up to the Gymnasium, but it's hard for students to do that. It seems more often than not, students will go down levels. In this system, it still values trades like carpentry and the like, yet the stigma is still there. This is a very basic run-down of the school system here. 

So I finally started school a couple of weeks ago. I don't have a set schedule yet but should be getting one in the next couple of days. For the most part, I've been observing, but there have been teachers that have asked me to help out with the English portion of the lesson. I've done everything from correcting pronunciation to reading the listening comprehension section out loud in my native tongue. In one class of 6^th graders, I was asked to write on the chalk board. I was later told by one of the students that I was a good teacher because I can write clearly on the chalk board. My thoughts ran along the lines of: “Sweet! I can totally be a teacher. Who knew it was so easy?" If only the ability to write on a chalk board was the only requirement. 

I've been able to choose which classes I wanted to see and I've been in every grade except 12. They have a big test that they have to take to graduate this year and I don't want to mess them up so I've been hesitant to go to their classes. Plus their English is fantastic anyways. I figure by going into the younger grades, I can get a real taste of what it means to teach English. I plan on going to grad. school for TESOL when I get back to the states, which means I'd be teaching English as a second language, so I think I'll be able to learn a lot about it being with those who don't know that much English. It also helps that they are fascinated with the fact that I'm from the U.S and everything that includes. In the 6^th grade class I mentioned above, the students were able to ask me questions about myself and a couple of students made me a paper airplane saying a couple things that I like and that they like me. On the school-wide Wandertag or field trip day, I was able to go with this class on a scavenger hunt and play catch with a small rugby ball.

My awesome paper plane :) 

During the week, I love going to school and getting to know the students. Then comes the weekend...

So in Nürnberg, as with most places in Germany, things are closed on Sunday. Which doesn't seem like it would be a problem until you realize that you are basically alone in a city with nothing to do. You can't go to the store, you can't go to the 'mall' and walk around, so you hope that there is a festival or something for you to visit. Luckily, there has been a festival basically every weekend that I've been here thus far. Still, the weekends can be pretty boring without anyone to do things with. Fortunately, there is one other person from Fulbright in Nürnberg and we get along well, but we we're just able to contact each other, but we did go bowling and eat Chinese food the other day. They definitely use the same 'Cosmic bowling' balls that we use in the U.S. A lot of the things to do in Nürnberg consists of visiting churches and going to festivals. There are a few museums I will eventually check out and of course the Nazi rally grounds outside of the city. Until then, random wanderings.

This weekend I'm on my own, but last weekend, a couple of friends in the program came down to Nürnberg and we hung around here for a couple of days and then made the trek to Oktoberfest. That in itself is another blog post. Video of the parade and pictures to follow!

Until next time bis bald und vielen Dank!