I apologize that I haven’t posted anything in a while, so this is going to be quite a long post.
I’ve been at the Munich International School for four days now. Some things are different from schools in America, some things are the same. The staff and students are wonderful, everyone is very friendly and welcoming. I have been given an e-mail account and a laptop to use. Every student and teacher also has a laptop to use for their schoolwork. The campus is wireless, and the use of technology is high. It is expected that the students utilize their laptops responsibly in and outside the classroom.
The students are extraordinarily smart and well behaved. It’s actually quite intimidating. I’m really going to have to step up my game when it comes to creating and teaching the lessons. I will be working with an 11th Grade high-level Geography class, an 11th grade mixed-level European History class, and a 10th grade on-level European History class.
The scheduling system they use here is quite confusing. Every day the schedule is different. There doesn’t seem to be any use of a MWF and TTh type schedule like at SCSU. Each day is different, and every other week is different. They use a Week A schedule and a Week B schedule. It’s going to take me a while to get used to it. I will have a good amount of prep time, so I shouldn’t get too overwhelmed.
The food is decent. It’s still Sedexo food, but it’s better than at home. The meal I ate yesterday, beef with gravy and spaetzle (little flour dumplings) was awesome! The day before I had noodles with a tomato-meat sauce, also quite good. I can also get a sandwich or salad if I don’t want the actual meal. They also have fruit, yogurt, and lots of bread, croissants, pastries and pretzels.
Today, I helped my Cooperating Teacher with a discussion on cyber bullying in his advisory class. Some things do stay the same. The students didn’t take the discussion very seriously until I told them my own story with bullying, as well as some of the recent suicides in America due to cyber bullying (i.e. Tyler Clementi). I think I helped drive the point home that this isn’t just a joke, bullying needs to be taken seriously because bullying has consequences. I watched their faces as I talked, and I think they began to think about it more seriously. I told my CT that if I can’t find a job teaching, this is something I would love to do, advocate for bullying prevention.
Getting to and from school has been an experience. I take about an hour and a half to get to the school in the morning, and about the same time coming home in the evening. I walk three blocks to the bus stop by my house, take the bus to the U-Bahn (subway) station at Aidenbachstrasse and take the U to Marienplatz. From there, I take the S-Bahn (above ground train) to Starnberg Nord station, and then get on a bus to take me to the school. So, a bus to a train to another train to another bus is how I get to school every day. Apart from it taking so long, I like taking the train(s). I get to read before school, and relax on my way home. Plus, I have my iPod, so music always helps make the commute better!
Over the weekend, I went out with my neighbor to go grocery shopping. My neighbor is a nice, 24 year old German woman. Her English is okay, good think I can understand broken English. On Sunday, I went to the Englisher Garten in Munich, which is basically like New York’s Central Park. There, I ate at the Chinesischer Trum Beer Garden. It was simply gorgeous, and the food was delicious! Wienerschnitzel (breaded, fried pork cutlet) with Pommes (French fries) and Apfelshcorle to drink. (no beer for me, yuck!)
In all, it was a good weekend, and it’s been a good few days getting used to being at school again. I’ll post pictures of my time in the Englisher Garten later today.
One last thing, I found out yesterday, because it was such a gorgeous clear day, that I can see the Bavarian Alps from the school I’m teaching at. They’re just shadows in the distance, but it’s still awe inspiring! :)
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