(This post attempts to give you a glance into what's becoming my everyday life in Germany. I hope you enjoy it and appreciate how stealth I was in taking all these pictures with my phone.)
Before School
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| The devil takes digital form. |
When the alarm goes off at 5:50 a.m., it's time for you to get up and get ready for school. One of the very nice teachers at your school will be picking you up at 6:30, so you must hurry. Give yourself a 5-minute maximum on social media. It's not quite 10 o'clock p.m. in Montana, so all your friends are still awake and active. Sadly, you don't have time to SnapChat out any "selfies" and responding to Facebook messages will take up too much time (you do have time for approx. 2-3 Facebook pokes, however). Don't be too sadened by this whole waking up early ordeal, however, because you only have to do this three days a week. Because the Fulbright program only allows you to work 12 hours a week and your teachers at your school are awesome, you work only Tuesday-Thursday.
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| Rigorous schedule |
Don't forget to have your raincoat and umbrella with you when you head out the door. This September has been rainier than it has been drier. After a teacher from your school picks you up, you have about a 45-minute drive ahead you from Kiel to Schleswig, where your school is located. Because the teacher you ride with is an accomplished, high-ranking school official/teacher, be prepared to expand your German capabilities by talking about subjects such as election campaign strategies in Germany and the environmental dilemma behind oil drilling in the US.
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| Dr. H's ride > Deutsche Bahn |
At School
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| One part of my school. Parking garage meets skate park. |
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| Outdoor ping pong table at the school. Um, okay... |
Your school is called "Berufsbildungszentrum Schleswig," which is a vocational school that offers a variety of programs, including preparation for studying at a university. Most of your students are between the ages 15 and 20 and love trying to add you on Facebook. You also get a couple "non-trads" who are pushing 30. You work with a handful of teachers at the school, and, depending with whom you end up working, you will do different tasks. Sometimes you will prepare an entire lesson about the use of active vs. passive voice, while other times you will be asked to choose an American song and present it to the class (TIP: go for something obnoxiously patriotic like that country gem "Only in America"). Still other times, you will sit at the front of the room and sporadically be asked questions about American English. If you get bored, run to the bathroom. You get to use the "teacher restroom" now!
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| "WC Teachers" This is worth a teacher's license. |
Try not to get lost on campus. There are multiple buildings and everything looks the same after a while. If you stand there for several seconds yanking on a door that is clearly marked "push," play the "I'm-American-and-I-don't-know-German-card."
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| "Push" |
Don't be alarmed when you have a flashback to the nineties and every room is equipped with a blackboard and box of rainbow colored chalk.
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| #throwback |
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| Doesn't compare to a set of Expos. |
Between every 90-minute class (class schedules are more university-style and don't meet every day) you have a 15 minutes break where all the teachers head to one of the teachers' lounges and chill. Contrary to the stereotype that Germans are always obsessively punctual, you'll be surprised to find out that most teachers stay in lounge until the bell rings and then they head to class. Sometimes they will wait to finish their conversations and end up staying a good five minutes into the class period! (To demonstrate, here is a photo taken about 30 seconds following the bell).)
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| No rush to get to class. |
You'll spend a lot of time in the teacher's lounge, since teachers don't have their own classrooms. Sometimes you will be mistaken for a student and asked, "Na, was gibt's?" said in the tone of "What the hell do you think you're doing in the teacher's lounge?" But other times, teachers will be very friendly and thrilled that you're American. But most the time, actually, no small talk takes place, and you can work on your computer in peace. You're more than welcome to write a blog entry during this time, as well.
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| Selfie in the lounge. |
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| Pigeon hole |
Once you arrange which teacher can drive you back to Kiel (that can range from 1 to 5 p.m.), be sure to use the bathroom first. It's a long drive, remember?
After School
The ride home takes a little longer because traffic on the autobahn gets backed up. But after you get dropped off, take advantage of all that's near you! IKEA is within walking distance, and as any good German will confirm, this mega affordable furniture outlet also serves cheap--yet delicious--cuisine. The food opportunities on your street are multiple, however. Two grocery stores (Lidl and Sky) are literally one minute and three seconds away from your front door. Please pretend that the author of this did not actually time that. The street is also equipped with several bakeries, cafés, restaurants and the best Döner shop in Kiel. (If you don't know what a Döner is, I feel sad for you.) You can also find an Apotheke, bike shop and even a clockmaker's shop within steps of your apartment.
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| IKEA's just around the corner. |
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| Supermarket Central |
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| Haus 69 (my apartment building) |
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| Forgot to pack a key chain. |
Now that Cathi, one of your roommates, is back from doing her practicum, you might go shopping together or spend the evening chatting about America with her and her friends in the kitchen (while stuffing your face with something sweet).
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| "Here lives . . ." |
Although some accuse you of having it too easy, don't listen to them. You know in your heart that you put your sweat and tears into working the past eight months as a substitute teacher and Boys & Girls Club coordinator. And next year you'll be teaching in inner-city Chicago, so don't feel bad at all.
Have fun and eat a marzipan croissant for me.
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