Greetings from Dresden, Germany!
Since graduating in June with a B.S. in speech and hearing sciences and a B.A. in linguistics and Germanics, I have moved 5,000 miles away to my new home in Dresden, Germany. I was fortunate to find a wonderful apartment in the Löbtau area with three fantastic roommates who have quickly become good friends. A few trips to IKEA and a number of EBay Kleinanzeigen purchases later and I am finally feeling settled.
As an English Teaching Assistant in the Fulbright program, I spend most of my time working with students at the Geschwister Scholl Gymnasium in Nossen. About an hour's bus ride away from Dresden, the Geschwister Scholl Gymnasium consists of grades 5 through 12 and has around 700 students. Primarily I work with the 5th, 8th, 11th and 12th grade classes. My favorite activities so far have been hosting classroom discussions and planning events, such as a class spelling bee, as well as getting to work with students in small groups to improve speaking and listening skills.
Over the past month I have been able to connect with other Fulbright researchers and teachers from the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and France. Once a week, or sometimes more, we meet to discuss everything from teaching strategies to soccer to what it’s like to live in Germany as an expat. This group has played an invaluable role in my experience in Germany so far. Having such a support system has been especially helpful in navigating the challenges of German bureaucracy.
Outside of school I have been able to visit different areas of Germany! Last month I had the opportunity to travel to Munich where I attended Oktoberfest, or Wiesn, with a few of the other Fulbrighters. During fall break I will travel to Weimar, where I look forward to visiting the former homes of Goethe and Schiller.
I plan to stay in Germany until next July and I am excited to see what the year has in store.