Hi there! Here is a little side post I thought of and wrote on the train on the way back from work the other day.
I don`t actually want to be a teacher, despite the amount of enjoyment I`ve got from doing the Assistantship, but I got to thinking about the skills I`ve learned this year which can be applied (hopefully) to wherever my career may take me after graduating. Here are some that sprung to mind.
1. German schools like to start early, and getting up at 6 ain't no big thing.
2. The impressive skill I've acquired of being able to hide all signs of fear and glide through a crowd of screaming, swearing, fighting kids will help control my emotions in stressful situations in later life.
3. Ditto the knowledge that head up, shoulders back, a deep breath in and a smile can make the world of difference to your outer confidence, and a surprising amount to your inner one too.
4. Teachers like to complain, which is good to an extent but I can now differentiate between the important and not so important issues. (I really don't care if the school fair is on a Sat or a Sun, but the school felt the need to debate it for 35 mins, including 4 votes.)
5. When speaking your own language, as well as any foreign ones you may speak, be aware of what you're saying, and say it as clearly as possible.
6. Preparation is good, winging it considerably more risky.
7. If you feel you're being misused, (too much subbing in my case for instance) then don't be afraid to speak up
8. BUT if stuff seems out of your depth at first, stick at it for a bit. I was surprised how the Big Scary Thing that was standing alone infront of a class of 30 kids became just average and No Big Thing at all.
9. Force yourself to speak to your coworkers, no matter how insociable, exhausted or anti-german-speaking you may feel that day. They'll respond very happily, 9 times out of 10.
10. Cake is always welcome. Everywhere.
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