4/10/13

For those who are reading this I wanted you to know that during the week my entries will often center on my time at the school, and the adventures I have as I enter into the new world of Teaching. Though with that said, I still plan on writing everyday and my weekends will be spent exploring and having better adventures (well at least ones you may be more excited to hear about). 

Today was another day that I some how managed to slither out of bed at 6 am (again I'd still be awake at home, and not have even gone to bed at this time). I was pretty proud of myself though, because I had taken the time to make lunch for myself the night before (heck I made lunch for the remainder of the week really) and so I was able to make myself presentable and still walk out with a decent lunch (veggies and rice, and also a few small satsuma oranges, well that's what I'd call them in the US). 

When I get up in the morning I make my way over to where the teachers catch the shuttle to the school. Several of the teachers who catch the shuttle all meet a little early for a cup of coffee at the little station by the shuttle pick up. I met up with everyone too (though I chose for tea instead of coffee) and had a bit of time to chat with my cooperating teacher as well as a few others. 

After catching the shuttle down today I got a chance to observe a few more history classes as well as some geography lessons. There isn't much to tell you about that, accept for the fact that I have never seen such small classroom sizes (I'm talking one class only had 5 and the largest I think had 15). The school is considered a private school (being international and all), so it really is different than any of my previous experiences. 

During one of my breaks in my class schedule I was finally given the official tour. The school is actually fairly small, there are a total of 7 buildings but each building has really no more than 3 or 4 classrooms in them and they actually don't need more than that. The buildings are older (with the exception of one) because it is located in a protected area and so building isn't allowed unless they are building on a preexisting foundation. 

Like I told you all yesterday the school is really located in the woods (part of the reason it's considered protected land). The forest is called Grunewald (you can see just how big it is on google maps), and I am very excited to see how it will  all look when the sun and warmth finally reaches us. Though I have been warned that as it warms up I am more likely to spot the wild pigs that inhabit the woods (no joke), and should stir clear of them! Kind of funny to think I am teaching in the middle of the woods, in a major European city, I can totally say I am way far from home!

Some of the forest when standing on the Basketball court.

Part of one of the buildings, and more forest.

The only new building, and those things in the grass is a mini golf course (though it really isn't kept up).

Anyways, after I finished up my tour and my last period of observation I had two free periods to begin figuring out my teaching schedule as well as my topics! I was also given my log in for my official (so excited) teacher email account!!! Now bare with me a few moments while I go all teaching-nerd on you and tell you about the crazy time schedule and what I'm going to be teaching! 

The school days here are broken into 8 forty minute periods (no joke), but the schedule isn't the same everyday, though it stays the same every week. Not all classes are attended everyday, and there are some classes that are assigned two forty minute blocks back to back some days. There is a 20 minute break in the mid morning  and an hour lunch in the afternoon. It  is probably the most confusing schedule I have ever seen in my life, but I'm so intrigued by it. Oh yeah, and the teaching day begins at 8:40 and goes until 3:25. 

Now that you have an overview of the schedule I'll tell you about my classes I'll be either fully taking on, or at least team teaching. So I will be teaching Year 8 geography (that's like 7th grade back home) as well as Year 10 and possibly Year 12 geography. Then I will also be teaching Year 8 History (which is covering the transatlantic slave trade, I kid you not it's an entire unit that will take me into May for teaching, if not further), Year 10 History (which covers the Roaring Twenties in US history, funny how I go to Berlin and still end up teaching US history), Year 12 (which is covering Cuba and the rule of Fidel Castro), and the one I am most excited for is Year 9. 

Year 9 is the one I am most excited for because of what I will really get to do. The age group would be like teaching 8th grade back home, but the difference is what I will be teaching. At this point my cooperating teacher has already made her way through all the material and lessons she had previously planned for this class and was completely unsure of where she wanted to go next. She mentioned teaching the Tudor period of Britain, but ended up causally mentioning teaching about Native Americans. So, long story short, I will be creating (with a bit of help from her) an entire unit plan on Native American history!!! It will  be a long unit that goes the entire time I am here, and I am so excited it isn't even funny! Strange how I will probably never do this in depth study of Native Americans at home, but I will get to do it while teaching in Berlin! I know it seems nerdy (and I am doing a lousy job of telling my story) but I am so excited for the chance to really get to teach something I have never done before on a curriculum I get to make! 

The large amount of supplies I'm using (oh and the green one in the middle is my official teaching planner given to me by my cooperating teacher)!

Now that I have finished boring you with the details of what I will be teaching I want to sign off with a few more interesting bits of my day. When I was coming home I get to walk through a little wooded area, and I on my way through it I got to see my first ever European squirrels. It turns out they are actually pretty stinking cute here, not like the grey rodent like ones at home. They are a redish brown and have the cutest little ears and tails! So I got to see my first European wildlife (not counting pigeons  which are actually prettier here too). 

One squirrel running down a tree trunk, see how red it is??

A bit harder to see the coloring but this one was spooked by me and ran up into the trees.

It is time for me to say good night (another early morning planning and observing), but Dad today's word of the day is Guten Tag. It means good day, you can also say Guten morgen, which mans good morning! Well that is all for me tonight, I'll share my mild adventures with you all tomorrow and come this weekend more exciting ones! Guten Nacht (that's good night for those who were wondering).