Moin!
I am sad (but also happy in having this experience) to say that it was my last week at Hansa-Gymnasium Bergedorf! It was such an honor to be a part of the German schooling routine, meet some amazing students, and hear so many amazing tips, tricks, and experiences from teachers at this school. I had such an honor teaching a Grade 8 geography class about Canadian climate and topography, and when I am in my next placement back home, I know I have better resilience to tackle the school year. One special thing I will be taking away is language. As someone who has been born and raised in Canada to first-generation Canadians, I speak one language, English. Being able to walk into a supermarket or a classroom and just hear people speaking the language I speak gave me confidence as a student. Now, and especially being in a country that mostly speaks German, the difficulty and confusion I have had over the last two months has shown me what it might feel like as an ELL student. This Teaching Across Borders experience has checked my privilege in more ways than one and has taught me to be more open-minded and appreciative of how hard ELL students work inside and outside the classroom. Being able to teach young students English has not only been an honor, but has taught me that as teachers, it is our job to make everyone feel welcome, wherever they come from.
Aside from these giant revelations, I have also had some fun while abroad! I got to go to Berlin last week with some of my flatmates and it was spectacular. As an avid Berlin person (it has been my third time now), being able to explore the city with new perspectives and appreciations of German culture was spectacular. As someone who also takes deep interest in history, being in a place which such a rich past opened my eyes up to how expansive and interesting the world is. Seeing the Berlin wall, walking around memorial sites, and being able to also trace my family lineage to such rich European historical moments has been such an informative experience! My favourite part of the trip was of course getting to see the wall! Posted below is a picture of the Berlin Wall!
In the next few weeks, I will be making my way back to Calgary! I am both so excited to see friends and family but also sad to say goodbye to my friends that I have made over here in Hamburg. A few days ago was Canadian Thanksgiving and we decided to round up all of the friends we have made on TAB and celebrate how thankful we are of them! We had a potluck of the traditional Thanksgiving foods you see back home and ate tiramisu for dessert! Pictured below is what our Thanksgiving looks like!
All in all, I am so grateful for everyone who has made this trip so successful and wonderful, and that also includes the University of Hamburg, who took us all out for traditional German food as a farewell! Within my last few weeks year, I am excited to be able to take a solo trip to Amsterdam for a few days and fly back home! I hope to write again soon!
Alex Robertson.