Or should I say “Moin”?
Being an incredibly beautiful and welcoming city with so much to offer, it didn’t take long for me to feel right at home in Hamburg. From bustling pop-up markets, historical buildings, museum after museum, a lively nightlife scene, and a gorgeous harbour, there is no shortage of things to do and see and every day here has been jam packed with fun activities.
After my initial few days of sightseeing, the TAB experience began with a meeting at Universität Hamburg, where we fuelled up on coffee and Franzbrötchen before being given an overview of the teaching profession and educational system in Germany. Notable differences from Canada include that fact that yup, university here mostly free aside from a few administrative fees; in an effort to regulate the content of education, homeschooling does not exist here; students learn English beginning in Grade 1; student teaching practicums are paid; the stream you study (either primary or secondary) dictates where you will teach; teachers specialize in 2-3 subject areas and can’t really teach outside of that; and in primary school, teachers remain with the same group of students from Grades 1 to 4, so they have incredibly strong and special relationships with each other. Our informational session wrapped up with some tourist suggestions for Hamburg and nearby cities/towns, along with a tour of the university campus, and the faculty published an article about our welcome day on the school’s website.
It’s been quite hot here and it’s been lovely to sneak in a few more summer days filled with ice cream, walking through gardens, enjoying patios, and paddle boarding in the Alster. The remainder of my time here so far has consisted of taking in the major sights and attractions and enjoying visits to my partner school. The staff and students have been so kind and welcoming, and they even made me a card for my 25th birthday which I celebrated on the 6th.
I can’t wait for what’s to come over the next several weeks and to experience more of what this beautiful country has to offer.