Happy

 



 This week the focus on the German school system centers on those at the center of the class. As a student in a condensed program, it can sometimes feel like the preparation for leading a group of students is inevitably inadequate. There are times when I am envious of my undergraduate peers who have a plethora of opportunities to learn the ins and outs of being a teacher. Yet after talking about the process of becoming a teacher in Germany, I did not covet the intense training they are obliged to complete.

 

Early in the program here, we had the wonderful chance to listen to a lecture from a University of Hamburg professor about the state of education in Germany. From that evening, and conversations with current education students and practicing teachers, I have a clearer perspective on the process here. Fairly recently a mandatory masters degree program has been implemented for all new teachers. So they spend several years completing their undergraduate studies and even more completing their masters degree. This is the new minimum to become a teacher in Germany. What was most interesting about this process is the year and a half of student teaching they are required to complete. This differs greatly from the current state of things in the U.S., where only a few months is required. While all this practice seems like a wonderful way to develop confidence and hone your personal approach to educating, I wonder if it really is.

 

My student teaching stint was stressful. It is draining to constantly feel like you are being observed and under scrutiny. In a way, you are always on edge. Furthermore, in my experience, there were key challenges to leading someone else’s class. Much of this pressure was self-imposed, since my mentor graciously granted freedom to try my own thing. Yet somehow, it was never truly “my class” since someone higher up retained authority. Having to go through this for an extended period like the Germans must has definite perceived drawbacks.

 

As I mentioned, this system is new. I talked to a number of teachers which trained under the older method, when just an undergrad degree was required. One of the questions they frequently asked me when discussing training in the U.S. was if I studied pedagogy, which seemed to be a big buzz word in their studies. Many of the courses they took sounded very interesting. One in particular looked at how to grade subjectively in a fair manner. When I mentioned rubrics they were perplexed, since they are not really used here. Despite the differences, when I am actually in the classes, I observe many familiar traits of a skilled teacher. Wait time, counting down, metacognitive examples, scaffolding, explaining why they are doing things, providing daily agendas, and more seem to be integrated seamlessly into classrooms here by the German teachers.