A Reflection on My Time in Germany.
We challenge students regularly to become uncomfortable as they face difficult a new and challenging material and learning. My experience is the summer through fund for teachers and Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms is immeasurable and how much it has challenged my thinking made me grow as an educator and a human. It will change how I teach going forward as I work to make lessons woven with a global lens, to help my students gain empathy, make their voices heard and begin to impact their world in the present not just the future.
Fast Friendships, the Most Valuable Resource
I have so many people to thank for allowing me to be part of this life-changing experience. First and foremost thank you to everyone at Fulbright and IREX for creating the most impactful and thoughtful professional and personal development opportunity anyone could ever ask for. What I have learned in this program and how it has already changed my teaching will continue to have a great impact for years to come. Our hosts and colleagues at each of the schools we visited, every sweet shop owner who would switch to English as soon as I would start speaking my horrible-sounding attempts at German, and all of the students who were eager to share about their schools and ask questions about ours. Our German teacher hosts at HGB, Mika, Anna, and Karina made our group feel right at home and truly helped us understand the day-to-day workings of a gymnasium in Bonn. The ever present Nic, who was so much more than a tour guide. He answered so many questions from each of us with thoughtfulness, humor, and candor. The man also lays down some sick DJ beats. I feel like I have gained a wealth of knowledge and stories and images to share and treasure.
But the most valuable resource I found on this trip was the relationships I have made. When you group twenty-five enthusiastic educators who are all passionate about teaching, global education, and adventure you're in for an amazing time.On an journey such as this the quality of the experience can be greatly increased by the quality of your travel and thought partners. I have laughed and wandered and learned and explored and wondered with this group for two amazing weeks, and hope to continue to do so. Collaborating on ideas, reflecting on our time together and how we can use the knowledge and skills we have gained in our individual schools has been invaluable. Every time this group gets together I feel like I fill out three new journal pages of insights and ideas! This truly has been a fellowship in every sense of the word.
Guiding Questions
I came into this experience with a few questions about German schools, art programs and the incoming refugee students from Ukraine. I have left with some answers, but even more questions.
What I have learned is that as a nation, Germans are curious thinkers. They are always learning, pushing the boundaries of what education can look like, and asking questions. They are also courageous to be able to face their troublesome history, learn about it and from it, and move forward. This is something we need to consider as at home there are lawsuits in many districts and board take-overs changing what teachers can teach about topics like slavery, Jim Crow laws, and LGTBQ+ members of our society.
I've often talked about how art is a lens through which we can learn about the world. Nearly all cultures throughout history and across the globe have participated in the creation of objects for personal, religious, or political reasons. But now I'm discovering more and more how much art is also a way to examine and respond to events and and ideas happening around us. Looking at work such as the Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery or the safe house murals in Kuerzburg brought home the connection of how art can be used as a promotion of ideas and the exhalation of a wide range of voices.
1. How could the inclusion of the fine and visual arts enhance core curriculum in
a German school at various grade levels?
2. What impact has the current Ukrainian invasion, or other global conflicts, affect
schooling? What are the polices, both official and unofficial, for helping new students feel
welcome, integrated, and a part of the school?
I'm home now.
My feet are kind of torn up and the treads on my sandals are worn smooth.
My passport has a few more stamps, and my camera roll might break my phone.
My journal is full to bursting with ideas and images captured and encounters recorded and ideas for future connections to lessons and learning .
And my heart is so so full.
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