Final Posting
Hello Teachers!!!!
Congratulations on a strong finish and completing your semester of student teaching.
Next semester we will have two student teachers in Heidelberg (both high school) and two at the elementary school in Bamberg. Write a letter to prepare them for their experience and share information that you wish you had known beforehand. Also, a highlight during your time there would be great. It doesn't matter if you are a at a different grade level, I know you have insights to share.
Finish strong, and travel safely!
Warmest wishes,
Chris and Heidi
posted by Heidi @ 8:34 AM
12 comments
12 Comments:
First off, Congratulations! Being able to student teach overseas has been an amazing experience and I know each and every one of you will love it. Take advantage of everything and just remember to live it up! Try to learn the language as best you can and the natives will greatly appreciate it, and soon will think you are actually one of them (until you look at them puzzling)! Before heading overseas I had many questions and made a note to write some down for the lucky future students. Keep in mind that all my experience/knowledge comes from Bamberg.
Q1. How much is it going to cost?
A1. I am a lists person and with that I also like to make budgets. I think this is a good idea so you don’t get to a month left and have no money. Make sure to overestimate too! It’s better to end up with too much than too little. I looked on WSU’s website to determine how much the credits were going to cost. You are charged as an online student. Then, just guestimate how much food you will spend. I would suggest go off the same budget you are on now for food. Depending where you are placed and where you go, transportation will cost anywhere from 10EU to 400 (plane flight?) I allowed myself a monthly allowance of $1840. This turned out to be plenty! I actually have quite a bit leftover. Rent is about $10-15/day. For December, for 5 people, rent was about $477. In Bamberg they charge $0.73 per square foot. So it all depends how many people are in the apartment and how many rooms you take up! Internet was about 9EU a month. Hostels will cost you anywhere from 12-40EU/night depending on where you go. I also kept extra money in savings for miscellaneous/emergency (my computer broke!), gifts for family/friends, and monthly payments. The exchange rate from $ to EU averaged anywhere from $1.3-1.4 = 1EU.
Q2. How much traveling per weekend?
A2. We had some weekends where we didn’t go anywhere. Bamberg is such a lovely village that sometimes we just didn’t want to leave! But we traveled AT LEAST every other weekend. Bamberg is part of Bavaria, which has a special Bavarian train pass. Up to 5 people can use one ticket for 28EU and travel all over Bavaria using public transportation (non-ice trains, busses within cities, etc).
Q3. Europass?
A3. I did not purchase a europass. I was told it wasn’t worth it for us. I did purchase a BahnCard. It is available on the website and you can get it for 4 months at a time. Just remember to cancel your subscription! It’s on a 4 month renewal. You get discounts on the train with it. You can find more information on BahnCard and Bavarian pass at bahn.com. If you click on the German flag, then Germany, you will get information in English.
Q4. Living arrangements?
A4. We lived in a narrow apartment with 8 bedrooms (three of which were locked up). It was on the fourth floor in the attic; slanted ceilings and all. Watch your heads! There was a common living room, bathroom, shower, and kitchen. Separate rooms – approximate dorm room size. One outlet per room, but you can get up to three with an extended outlet (there are about 8 extra in the apartment).
Q5. Blankets, pillows? Kitchen stuff?
A5. There are blankets, sheets, pillows, and kitchen supplies in the apartment. They are passed down from year to year. I actually went through the linens and disposed of the really gross grungy stuff. You can also purchase new stuff at the PX for decent prices.
Q6. Television?
A6. There is one small television in the apartment. The DVD player on it does not work.
Q7. Total approximate spent
A7. I spent about $6350 while here. (not including my expensive computer purchase when mine died). That’s about $1600 on average. Some months you may travel more or farther, making it more expensive. For Thanksgiving my family also came to visit and paid for most my stuff. I would say this is a pretty rounded estimate on how much you will spend if you stay thrifty and buy tickets ahead of time before they get too expensive. =] My advice: I would say budget for around $1700 – 1800/month.
Q8. Visa
A8. You will NEED a visa. It you are staying more than 90 days in Germany (which you are) you will need to obtain a visa. It’s pretty simple, just go to the town Rathaus (city hall). You will need to register at your address you are living at. Use the German address, not the American military one. You will also need to make sure you tell them you are not being paid by the base. That’s a whole different thing. After you register, you fill out some paperwork for your visa. You will need money (ours was 50EU), your passport (they will take it from you until you get your visa), insurance information (or just your ISIC card), your address, bank statement, and extra passport picture. It will take a week to process.
My additional comments:
A. Straighteners are no good here. Be prepared, if you straighten your hair daily, that may not happen very often here. All the girls in our apartment had our straighteners blow up. I got a German one from the PX and it takes forever to heat up, then will only stay hot for about 2 minutes. Just mentally prepare yourself that they probably won’t work.
B. Restaurants only take cash. Pick up some euro at the airport when you arrive so that way you will have some cash. There are not many places in Germany that take card (mainly just bigger shops).
C. Bring additional passport photos with you. When you get on base they will ask for one for your access card.
I think that is about it! I rambled enough as it is. You will love the experience, I guarantee it! If you have any more questions, feel free to shoot me an email at LauraJean86@hotmail.com. Good luck and happy travelings!
Dear Future Student Teacher,
CONGRATULATIONS! You are about to start the adventure of a lifetime. The fact that you have actually decided to go through with this and go overseas for four months says a lot about you. I can promise you that you made the right choice ☺. While student teaching at home would be comfortable and the “easy” thing to do, you may never get another opportunity like this. While Laura gave excellent advice in her letter about housing, travel costs, strengtheners (BOO!), etc, I figured I could add my two cents in. Again, this is all about living in Bamberg.
One of my biggest pieces of advice would be to get through the first few weeks with an open heart and mind. The first two weeks or so were extremely hard for me, and I was homesick almost all the time. I know this won’t be the case for everyone, but I was surprised at what an adjustment it was. When you get on post, be prepared for the fact that you will not have Internet in your apartment, the privilege to buy groceries or use post facilities until your paperwork goes through. Let your family and friends know that you may be a little out of touch for the first few weeks and don’t be afraid to ask for help! The teachers at the elementary school are all wonderful and more than willing to take you to the commissary or help you get situated in any way you need. In the meantime, get to know your roommates and the city of Bamberg. Don’t be shy, because you will be spending a lot of time with them in the next four months. Trust me, it goes so much faster than you think!
As far as traveling goes, I would recommend seeing all you can in the time you have. While your priority will be your class and planning, I learned to get most of that done during the week so that I could free up my weekends to travel. Train rides are a good time to catch up on grading and sleep. I would advise planning trips on Monday or Tuesday if you want to go somewhere on a weekend, because weekend train ticket prices will sometimes double by Wednesday.
Also, if a teacher offers to take you somewhere, I’d say go for it. There was one weekend, for example, when my roommates’ mentor took us to a cute little Polish town where we stayed at a bed and breakfast and did some polish pottery shopping. It was one of my favorite weekends in Europe, yet I never would have known about this place or thought to go there on my own.
You don’t need to be overly ambitious with your trips. There is a LOT to see and do within day-tripping distance of Bamberg. Day trips are a good way to get some good sight seeing in without breaking the bank or stressing yourself out by not having enough time to complete your schoolwork.
In the last month or so, slowly start sending things back home. I’ve been doing this, and I’m SO glad that I did! It is so easy to accumulate things while overseas (souvenirs, gifts, etc) that you will be going back with more than you came over with. Start picking up some flat-rate boxes from the mailroom on post and sending home things like off-season clothes or souvenirs. This will hopefully be making my trip home much less stressful.
It is important to be friendly and approachable at school and get to know the staff. I just started introducing myself with a handshake to everyone I saw during my first few weeks at school. The teachers and staff at Bamberg Elementary are fantastic, and are always willing to help you out. I’ve had lots of teachers offer give me rides to the commissary, post office, the PX, or the gym since I’ve been here. The teacher next door even offered to write me a letter of recommendation! However, keep in mind that Bamberg is very small and you WILL run into students (and their parents) all of the time. Just keep in mind what Chris told us, that we are representing not only ourselves and WSU, but also the teaching profession in general. Sure makes you think twice before heading to the commissary in your pajamas! ☺
Last but not least, soak up each and every moment you are here. You have the chance to be a part of an amazing, close-knit community with fantastic teachers, kids, and families. It is NOT a typical “study abroad” experience, but I feel that we had the chance to become a part of the army and German culture while we were here. If you have ANY more questions about the school, traveling (I could give you a laundry list of suggestions), or the experience in general, please feel free to email me at camerin.dunn@gmail.com even if you’re already there and just thought of a question. Again, congratulations and best of luck!
-Cammie Dunn
Future Student Teacher,
Congrats on a great experience you are about to undergo. I have spent the last 4 months in Heidelberg so I will try and give you a bit of my advice.
Upon your arrival you will most likely be exhausted. Be patient for the first 48 hrs as you will have to process all of the paperwork to get your installation card and privilege pass all while you are trying to move in and acclimate yourself to the time change. Pack light. Everything you need can be bought at the Commissary (grocery store) or downtown.
The living situation here definitely seemed a bit crowded at times, with 6 in my apartment and 3 and 4 in two other apartments (13 total). You might even have to share a room. For me this was the hardest part, but use your free time to get off post and see the city.
The schools in Heidelberg are amazing. Take your time to get to know the staff/faculty as they will be able to help you out with anything you you may need. The schools are extremely diverse with a great facilities and technology. I feel almost spoiled being able to have such a great student teaching experience here. Remember that living on PHV (acronyms will make sense later) you are in a small community so be prepared to see your students and their parents every time you leave your door. It definitely reminded me I wasn't in good ol' Pullman anymore.
As far as the classroom experience is concerned, my advice is to step into teaching solo as soon as you can. The quicker you can take control of the class, the better command and rapport you will eventually get with your students. Be prepared for the great days where you feel like a "real" teacher and the "not so great days" where you wonder, "is it me? or them?" and then realize it is probably a bit of both. Remember your mentor teacher is there to help you so be ready for constructive criticism and also the opportunity to provide new ideas to them. Of course, get to know your students well. They will love having someone new and young teach their class. We as college students are at an age where we can relate very well with our students, so use this to your advantage to try and create the "classroom community" that you have read/heard about for the past 2 blocks. I would not want to change my professional growth that I gained here for the world. Consider yourself very lucky to be working in a DoDDs school as these jobs are highly sought after.
Looking back on the semester, I personally don't feel like I lived in a foreign country. When you are living on base, you are essentially in an American community. You will not be fully immersed as if you were studying abroad. With that said, take every opportunity you have to travel to nearby cities/countries in your free time and see Europe! This experience is unlike any other stint I have had overseas, so make the best of it. Most importantly: have fun.
As always, GO COUGS!
Kellen Benard
Hello new interns! Welcome to Heidelberg and Heidelberg High School!!
As you start off your time here, you will probably be jet-lagged, overwhelmed, and feel very out of the loop of both German and military culture. But, settling in here is pretty easy as all the teachers and the community as a whole are very welcoming, accommodating, and willing to help you out. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, to receive rides to other posts, and to ask for clarification (especially when it comes to getting installation passes, paperwork, acronyms, and policies).
Housing:
Most important thing to remember about housing is the dang trash! Your neighbors will get on your case about it, so get used to the system immediately. Germans (most of Europe actually) follow very strict recycling laws (and we thought cities like Seattle or San Fran were “green”). Almost everything here is recyclable, so make sure you sort all your trash. If not, the whole stairwell is penalized and trash is not picked up. Also, stairwells have “house jobs” including cleaning the laundry room, shoveling snow, and sweeping the stairs- make sure your apartment does your job when assigned. Other than that, the apartments are in great condition and come with all the basics- appliances, dishware, furniture, bedding, towels, etc. Food, toiletries, and anything else you made need are available at the recycling center, Thrift store, commissary, or shopette (on PHV) or the PX. I’m not sure how many of you there are, but I shared a room with one other intern and a bathroom with 3 others, and everything worked out great!
Traveling:
Get off the base as much as possible!!! You will go stir-crazy if you spend all your time there, plus you’d miss out on some fabulous opportunities! Heidelberg is unbelievably cute and quaint- full of great cafes, book stores, breweries, and shops! Being at the high school, it is super convenient to get downtown for some afternoon shopping or lesson planning and coffee. It is fun to be around the locals, especially when you go out in smaller, “not so obviously American groups”, haha. It is amazing the kinds of networks you can build, both within the school and with people you meet in your travels! Remember to always be safe and responsible while traveling, but also have fun! Step outside your comfort zone! Be open and flexible! Some of the best times I had were when things didn’t go exactly as we had planned, but we made it through and still had a great time in a new city or country! You’re not going to have time to do everything- trust me 4 months flies by- so I would suggest making a priority list.
School:
As the last two days end here at the high school, I cannot tell you how sad I am to say good-bye to my students. Amy, you will love these freshmen- they are so honest, genuine, entertaining, and (for the most part) willing to learn and try new things! The school as a whole has some amazing teachers and admin, and take time to get to know them and learn from them. They have amazing stories and years of experience. Learn from your students too! These kids have some incredible life stories, have lived in amazing places, and have great personalities. Get involved as much and as soon as you can! There will be days when you may wonder why you’re here or be frustrated because you want your own classroom, but the good days far outweigh those doubts, frustrations, or insecurities that may pop up.
One last note: take time for yourselves as people! While here you are going to get to the point where your whole lives revolve around teaching, which is awesome! You are going to have an amazing built-in support system as you live, work, and travel with other interns. But remember to be people too! We had to establish some days or train-rides as “school-talk free”, haha. Though you’re going to be so busy between teaching and traveling, stay rested. This semester, I saw a few of the interns get so worn-out, or were so homesick that it impacted their experience here. So, make sure you take time to rest, relax, have fun, and take advantage of every moment you have here!!! :D
P.S. one of the interns- Alyssa, from Western Michigan, interned at the high school with us, and is at the elementary school this semester… she is a seasoned vet over here, plus she’s an awesome person, so use her as a resource too!
Welcome to Heidelberg! This will definitely be an experience of a lifetime! There are a couple of things that will be good to know if you are doing your students teaching in Heidelberg. The first thing is to get used to the time difference. We are coming from a nine hour time difference, and a lot of the things that you will need to do the first couple of days is get you installation cards, privilege cards etc. This is a long process that doesn’t really help the jetlag. :) With any luck you will be able to get all of those things with in the first couple of days. Secondly, the trash here on base is a big issue. I believe that you will be staying at the same apartments that we did. Germans are very particular about their trash. You need to sort it out and make sure that your plastics will be in a separate trash can, your cardboard and paper in another, a rubbish bin for anything that can’t really be recycled.
If you are staying at one of the apartments the 13 other student interns stayed at you will be close to the commissary (grocery store) and since you will not have a car here while driving that is a good thing. Get to know the other student interns they are also going through the same experience as you and it is always nice to get to know new people.
Traveling: As far as traveling goes that will just depend on where you want to go, I suggest going to as many places as you can, and going the first two months or so, because by the end of the four months you will start to get tired and just want to stay in or around Heidelberg. The last two months is where I took a lot of my shot day trips to the beautiful cities surrounding Heidelberg. There are several ways of going about traveling. Some interns just bought a Bahn card where you can get 25% off train tickets and others decided to get a eurail pass. I was one of the interns that got a eurail pass. And if you know where you want to go, it will save you tons of money. The busing system outside of base, once you get used to it is not hard at all. I suggest get off the base as much as you can, you will definitely need some time to just walk around the take advantage of the beautiful city you are going to live in. It is not hard to just come home and relax from the day, but going into the city well help you feel not so isolated.
I highlight here would actually be the people that I met while here. You meet some amazing people from the interns, the teachers and people from traveling. Just don’t be afraid to open up!
I am so excited that you decided to come to do your study abroad, it will be amazing, and you will meet some great people who are willing to help you, you just can’t be afraid to ask! Have fun, be open to new things, ideas, and remember this will be an experience of a lifetime! :)
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