Just how different are American and German schools?
The teacher workroom at Hardtberg Gymnasium
To a degree a school is a school is a school. They are full of students eagerly (or not so eagerly) learning basics and more advanced material from any number of subjects deemed important by the school, government, or board. We visited many types of school in Germany, and you can read about a gymnasium, vocational school, or charter school in my other blogs. But today we're going to look at some of the things that make each of these schools, and others across Germany, different from the average American school. If you want to understand a little more how German schools are organized K-University, check out this blog post.
‘’It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. -Albert Einstein
Classrooms:
We visited a number of different kinds of school while in Germany, and one of the first things I noticed about the classrooms themselves was how clean, tidy, and, well, empty they were. My room is a little over-the-top when it comes to decor. I have posters, artwork, random colors and flags and lights all over the place. It may be a little overstimulating to some, but I love the slightly chaotic creative energy it gives as students enter and get to work. Most of the classrooms we saw had very little in the way of decorations, charts, or even the ever-present motivational posters found in most American schools. Turns out there is a logical reason, and its not because the Germans hate pretty things. Most teachers do not actually have a room that is their's. In the US, the teachers have their own classroom and students will move around. In Germany, students will have their own classroom and the teachers will have to switch classrooms instead. Since there are so many teachers potentially in and out of each room, they are kept very neutral.
Teacher Offices
Typically if I need to lesson plan, grade papers, or even eat my lunch I just sit at my desk or one of the tables in my room. In nearly every higher level public school I've been in there are also a variety of closed-off offices for different departments for teachers to utilize. The German schools we visited did not have many individual offices, but instead a large communal conference and work room. Check out the picture at the top of the page to see what the work room at HGB looks like. The rooms are full of large tables where each teacher is assigned a spot. Every time we walked into one of the work rooms there would be teachers grading, collaborating, eating, or just generally hanging out. You could also find all sorts of school announcements posted, extra text books, and of course a small kitchen. I can see lots of benefits to this! In the amount you see your colleagues, have opportunities to collaborate, and just a place to be together.
Teacher and Student Schedules:
The day-to-day school schedule is VERY different from most public school in the US. Really, the schedules look more like we would see in a college or university setting. Check out this teacher's weekly schedule:
Even with the language barrier, you can see the different blocks for different classes and that each day is different (times are listed on the side of the chart, days of the week across the top). If a teacher does not have class in the afternoon they are allowed to leave school. There is not a notion of "contract hours" the way my district has.
Here is a student's weekly schedule:
Tests and A Levels
German students do take tests, but they are much more essay based. Multiple choice tests are not really a thing they have at all.
At the en
The Advanced Level, generally shortened to “A-level”, poses the highest school-leaving qualification within the school in Germany. In February of senior year (grade 12), all students take the written examinations for the German International Abitur in three subjects including German. In late spring, students have mandatory oral examinations in two subjects, which are overseen by a German educational official.
Subjects
Many educators started teaching because of an interest or love of a subject. I know my love of art was the primary force initially driving me to the field of education. In Germany teachers actually have to have certification in two fields. For example, Karina (one of our cooperating teachers) is certified in English and Philosophy. As far as differences in subjects, students have fewer choices in electives until their last few years. Most students take religion or philosophy classes. The religion teacher at one school was shocked when I told him we do not offer such classes in public schools. "But you are such a religious country!"
Doors and Security
I did not do a deep dive into security, but did notice a few things about many of the schools we were in. Doors to classrooms were mostly closed and locked, wether students were in them or not. Occasionally a door would be open as class was taking place, but this felt more due to the hot temperatures. As guests we did not have to check in with the office the first day, though we did meet the principal pretty quickly.
Freedom and Movement:
When students were not in a class, were free to hang around various parts of the schools. At HGB there were students out in the courtyards, in the cafe, and even just in the common areas of the school hanging out with their friends. Time is scheduled in between classes to allow for this, sometimes there is 10-20 minutes in between classes.
Bikes!
So many students rode their bikes to school! There were tons of racks right outside of each school and they were always very full. Most schools do not have big yellow school buses. students have to find their own way to school, and from an early age most walk, ride their bike, or use public transportation. We saw students as young as 3rd or 4th grade getting on and off bus lines by themselves or with a few friends.
Sports
Sports are not part of public schools in Germany. They have "sports" class which is like our gym classes, but no sports teams. Sports have become such a huge part of so many districts for better or for worse. Because there are no teams to root for, mascots and school spirit activities do not hold quite as much weight as they do in America. Kids do play sports, they just practice and compete with groups/teams outside of school.
More differences? Felicia from Germany explains more...
These two videos do a great job of explaining the technical differences in the structure of the school systems as well as more colloquial day to day things. Felicia is originally from Munich, but has been living in Cincinnati, Ohio since 2016. I really enjoyed watching many of her videos before leaving for our trip. The first video is more about the structure of German schools. The second is smaller details.
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