Teaching in Germany

So, this was my first week of working with the whole staff and my first week of teaching middle/high school students.  The staff is great and I've been fixing their problems left and right, so I think they like me!  Ha!  I'm actually lucky, because I'm the technology person, I get to know everyone very quickly and they all know me.  I think I'm helpful and friendly, so it's great.  There are 2 people who work in the office - Doris and Martina that are especially friendly and I have a lot of interaction with them asking for keys to this and copies of that.  Luckily, they haven't gotten tired of my visits - yet!

Wednesday was the first day that the students were here, but I don't teach on Wednesdays.  So, it was a nice easy transition and I got time to plan (thank heaven).  On Thursday I did my first teaching and I found that I only had 4 or 5 students in each of the 3 classes I taught and I could be relaxed and easy going.  I had 2 of the students that were "hyperactive" and I was a little worried, but with only 5 students, it is not a problem at all.  (But of course it's the first week of school.)  The only problem that I found was these students do things a lot faster than my elementary kids, so I need to make sure I plan extra things to keep them occupied!  Next week I have a class with 16 kids for 2 hours!  :)  That should be interesting!

On the IT side of things, I'm learning how to do a little networking - so far I'm horrible!!!  Kids with Macs and Iphones come to me and beg me to put them on the network.  NO CLUE how to do that!  I don't know the password for the guest wifi and even when I did put it on one, it didn't work.  Grrrr!  So someone is coming who used to work here.  Luckily his wife had an appointment at 6 in Ulm.  So, I'm at school at 6:00 waiting.... on a Friday. :)  I'm so excited he's coming though! 

My life in Neu-Ulm:  Outside of school it is quiet.  Very very quiet.  I'm such a social person, I'm jealous of people walking with their friends into town.  I think I'll take a German class.  That is twice a week.  It will help me get to know people and I won't be quietly on my own.  I think the biggest difference is that in the US, I was Soooo busy with so many things.  Now, I have work and that's it.  On Fridays we have shorter classes, an early dismissal and have a staff meeting.  After every staff meeting they go to the beer garden to socialize.  I thought that was so fun!

I do walk a lot.  Some days, I walk to Ulm - about a 20 minute walk - by the river.  I think it's actually longer to walk by the river, but it's so gorgeous I can't help it not to mention it's healthier.  This picture was taken on my walk home.  There are actually 2 sidewalks - one for bikes close to the road and another one through the trees for pedestrians.  I bought a camera - a real one, so pictures very soon hopefully!