Woche Fünf: Auf Wiedersehen

Where do I even begin? My experience in Germany has been a whirlwind of an adventure. It feels as if I only just arrived there, yet the world outside tells me the opposite is true. In the five weeks I've been here, the bare branches of the trees have slowly evolved into limbs bursting with life…

Woche Drei: Home is Where the Heart is

Before I came to teach in Germany, a lot of people warned me that I might get homesick. After all, five weeks is a long time in a foreign country. They were right, in a sense. Because I constantly moved from place to place as a child, I never really stayed in one place long…

Woche Zwei: Adventures During the Easter Holiday

Last time I wrote, I had mentioned that we were travelling to Trier, and what a wonderful experience that was! Trier is actually the oldest city in Germany. It was originally founded by the Celts in the 4th century BCE, and later conquered by the Romans around 300 years later. The Porta Nigra, also known…

Woche Eins: My First Week in Student Teaching in Germany

Honestly, there’s still a part of this whole thing that doesn’t feel real. It still feels like I’m dreaming. It’s been ten long years since I was last in Germany. I used to live in a small town called Käshofen, which is near Ramstein, for six years because my dad was in the Air Force.…

Around the World in 180 Days. Or 90.

You can’t teach the complete history of the world in a semester or even two. It’s simply not possible. The more you try, the more you’ll cram, and the less your students will learn. Mike Burns makes note of this in his essay, “The First-Year World History Teacher’s Survive and Thrive Guide,” which can be…