commitment

 

During my stay abroad I worked as a German Educational Trainee at Boroughmuir High School, Bruntsfield Primary School, South Morningside Primary School and Buckstone Primary School in Edinburgh. Although I taught German and assisted in more than nine different classes, mainly P6-P7, under the class teachers’ guidance at the primary schools, I spent most of the time as a language assistant at my base school – Boroughmuir High School.

 

 

 

 

“Justus et Tenax“, which means „Just and Tenacious“ is the motto of Boroughmuir High School.  With over 1140 pupils and about 80 teachers, Boroughmuir High is one of the largest high schools in Edinburgh. In contrast to German high schools, it is quite common for British high schools to be divided into different houses, as each pupil at Boroughmuir is assigned to one of the four different houses. Depending on the performance, diligence and discipline of each pupil, they can collect house points throughout the school year, which not only supports the pupils’ discipline, but also their motivation and ambition. The professional competence and especially the motivation of the teaching staff at Boroughmuir High is extraordinary, at least that’s what I experienced in the Modern Language Department.

 

Months before I started my work experience in Scotland, I was already in contact with my mentor at Boroughmuir via email. She not only welcomed me and was quite helpful in organisational matters, but also helped me find accommodation in Edinburgh by sending an email to the teaching staff at school.
On my first day at the school, I was warmly welcomed by everyone right from the start. To begin, I was greeted by the people at the reception, where all staff and visitors have to register on a daily basis. I was then introduced to my colleagues in the Modern Language Department, especially to the German teachers. In contrast to German schools, every teacher in Scotland has his/her own classroom to which the all the different pupils have to go to.

 

At Boroughmuir I often worked with smaller groups of pupils as a part of a German period, focussing on speaking practice and conversational exercises, but also to help prepare the pupils for their upcoming exams. However, I was also asked to prepare whole lessons on cultural topics, such as German TV or our school system. Furthermore, I also had the chance to do a German Conversation Club, called “Laber Rhabarber”, for S3 to S5 Higher German pupils every Thursday during lunch break, which was fun to do. Moreover, I fortunately also had the opportunity to do a bilingual Geography project, namely “Städte als Spiegel der Zeit”, with the help of my colleague Antonio Schiavone and my mentor Simon Alexander. This project covered the city development in Mainz and Munich, and was successfully implemented in an S4 and S5 Higher German class at Boroughmuir High School.

 

Edinburgh itself is such a great city to live in, with all its gorgeous sights and different historic sites in the city centre, from Old Town to New Town, and the beautiful landscape with Arthur’s Seat, Calton Hill and the Pentlands to name a few. Also, culturally wise it has a lot to offer with all its theatres, cinemas, museums and galleries, but also with its huge variety of different bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants and small shops. New Year’s Eve, also known as “Hogmanay” in Edinburgh is a reason worth staying in Edinburgh at the turn of the year.

 

 

 

All good things come to an end, and I’m more than grateful for the amazing and unique time I had in Edinburgh - an experience I will never forget.

 

 

The school that I am working at as a GET, at the moment, is “Stirling High School“. I am very happy to be placed here, as I feel deeply involved in and useful to the school. Every week I work from Tuesday to Friday, and my weekly working hours fit into my timetable very well. There are several German classes at Stirling High School, and there are pupils who want to hold on to German as a language and practice it because one of their parents is German-speaking.

 

 

 

 

My job at Stirling High School is to work with small groups of pupils or even do one-to-one tuition. I always go into the hallway in front of the classroom to work with the children. A table and some chairs are located there. As there are not many other pupils in the hallway during the school periods we can work without being interrupted very often. I play language games with the pupils, talk to them in German, let them read something out, correct their pronunciation and spelling, and so on. To do all that, the groups of pupils (mostly two pupils) are sent outside the classroom, consecutively, to work intensively on their German with me. When I do the one-to-one tuition, I work with the pupil for a whole school period – during this time they seem to be exempted from their actual period. The language which I use to talk to the pupils depends on their level of German. That is why it usually is a mixture of English and German.

 

The support from my school, though my mentor Ellen Candlish, could not be any better. Since the first second at Stirling High School I feel very comfortable and welcome. Ellen and the rest of my colleagues – especially the teachers whose lessons I observed, and whose classes I worked with – warmly included me and were always very helpful to me.

I could not be any more pleased with the contact person from the Council – Fiona Moffat. She looks after us, the GETs in the Stirling Council area, very well, and always helps us in words and deeds.

 

I like the town of Stirling very much. The town is not too big, and not too small at the same time. Everything is accessible on foot, and there is a train station, as well as a coach station in town. Every other part of Scotland seems to be attainable from Stirling very easily, which is very positive. I found my flat before my arrival in Scotland. I live together in a house with one of the other GETs and a married couple; it is like a flat share. I feel comfortable in the house and it feels like home to me now. Besides, my housing situation could not be any better because I only need 5-10 minutes to get to school by foot. This was one of the main reasons for me to rent that flat. In my free time I always visit a gym course in town and I enjoy spending time with the two other GETs who live in Stirling. Because the three of us all have Mondays off, we are also able to do trips through Scotland that take more than just one day. That is great!

 

 

 

At my school there is a good mixture of students. That is why I think that every day that I work at this school is a day of very good experiences for me. I have learned a lot for my later life (as a teacher) since being at Stirling High School. However, the very best thing that has happened to me until now, was when one pupil, during our period of one-to-one tuition, said that he really enjoyed working with me, that it was the only period of the week that he looked forward to, and that I was such a great teacher! This made me feel so proud and happy, and reminded me of why I want to become a teacher.

 

 

I work in three schools in West Dunbartonshire Council. On Mondays and Thursdays, I'm at Vale of Leven Academy in Alexandria, on Tuesday at Christie Park Primary School and on Friday at Renton Primary School. I don't have to work on Wednesday. I work for four hours a day, so usually I'm in school from 9am to 2pm or 10am to 3pm (one hour lunchtime).

At Vale of Leven Academy I work with younger and older pupils and also one Advanced Higher pupil, who has his oral exam in German next year and I prepare him for the oral (speech) part. In the primary schools I work with pupils from P4 to P7.

 

 

All schools are well-resourced. They have a smartboard in every classroom (sometimes an additional blackboard). They allocate a lot of materials which I can use.

At Vale of Leven Academy I work with two German teachers, one of them is a German native speaker, the other one speaks German very well. In both primary schools the working language is English. The pupils just know some basics like the German greetings or numbers.

In all schools the staff and the pupils are very friendly and I feel very comfortable. Especially the two teachers at Vale of Leven Academy take care of me very well and I can also talk with them about out-of-school-things. I also participate in trips with the classes. We visited a concert of the German rapper Chefket in Glasgow, which was organised by the Goethe-Institut.

In the primary schools, for example, I taught the pupils the months of the year in German and showed them the German song “Die Jahresuhr“ by Rolf Zuckowski. It was a great feeling to come back one week later and the pupils started to sing this song to me! They learn so fast and they really appreciate all the German lessons and so do I.

 

Furthermore, I can always contact Emma Prowse, my tutor from West Dunbartonshire Council. She cares a lot about us and arranged meetings with us in the beginning to make us feel more comfortable. She also helped me to find a room in a shared flat in Bearsden in the west of Glasgow.

 

 

 

 

 

I usually spend my weekends in Glasgow. Emma Prowse connected all the teaching assistants in West Dunbartonshire Council and we spend lots of time together. Sometimes we stay in Glasgow, but we also visit Loch Lomond (very close to Glasgow) and we have already visited Fort William, Isle of Skye, Inverness and the surroundings.

In my opinion, Glasgow is the best place to stay for this internship and it is very easy to get to know new people (internationals and locals) and to reach all the different places in Scotland.

 

Especially the time in the schools has been more of a great experience than I could ever have imagined. I never expected to feel so connected to a country and its culture so fast.

 

To work as a German Educational Trainee was a very good decision and I would always choose Scotland again. All the people are really kind and lovely and Scottish nature and landscape is unique and beautiful.

 

 

 

My school is Balfron High School which belongs to the Local Authority of Stirling Council. It is situated in a rural environment, and from the city of Stirling, it takes you about 40 minutes by car to go there.

 

I am a member of the Modern Languages and RME Department in which, besides German, also French and Spanish are taught. When I began to work there, there was one German class consisting of students of different levels: several beginners, Highers level students, as well as one Advanced Higher student. What is more, there were also German taster classes that served to bring the students close to the German language before they could choose to study the language properly later on. Now, there are two German beginner classes studying the language for three periods a week.

 

In the Staff Base, where all the teachers of the Department come together during the breaks, I have my own workplace with a computer and access to a printer. Primarily, my job is to support the two German teachers during the German classes. In the German Taster classes, I for example work with small groups of students to teach them their first German words and phrases, mostly using communication games. On a higher level, I also practice communication and do reading exercises with the Highers students of the normal German class. With the Advanced Higher student, I work together very intensively in terms of speaking and pronunciation, writing, listening and grammar. All the classrooms are equipped with modern smart boards, and in the Staff Base there are several Ipads available that come with a special software for learning.

 

All the teachers and most of the students are really friendly and helpful, and from my first day onwards they made me feel very welcome. Working with the students, who are most of the time cooperative and interested, is not only fun but I also learn a lot. With my mentor, I get along very well, and although she is most of the time very busy, I always feel supported and taken seriously. Just like her, my contact person at the council is always ready to help me. I also had the chance to observe Biology lessons (Biology is my second subject besides English and my third subject Maths) and help a German exchange student there for a couple of weeks.

 

 

 I live in a modern house in Stirling with a very friendly young Scottish couple and with a friend from my university who is also a German Assistant in the council. With our flatmates (and at the same time landlords) we get along very well, and we are glad to have the opportunity to speak English after school. We have our own bathroom and can use their kitchen, living room and anything else that we need like domestic appliances. The city is really nice and you can find everything there you need concerning shopping as well as leisure time activities. Stirling is a very good place to stay as it is located in the centre of Scotland, and you can reach cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow in less than an hour by train. As a result, it is very easy to travel and discover many regions of the country.

 

By now, I can say that I am more than happy with my situation in Scotland, and I am looking forward to the next months in this beautiful country!

 

 

 

 

I have been working as a GET in two secondary schools (James Gillespie’s HS and Gracemount HS) and three primary schools (East Craig’s PS, Gracemount PS and Hillwood PS) for almost five months now. So far, I have had a great time in Edinburgh and am looking forward to working here for a further two months.

 

Not only does my job give me an opportunity to practice teaching, but it also gives me an insight into the Scottish school system, which is very different from its German equivalent. For instance, at the start of their fourth year in high school, pupils have to choose five of their subjects, on which they will focus from then on. They drop the others. Therefore, most of the pupils who choose German as one of their five subjects are interested in the German language. Even in my primary schools, many pupils are eager to learn German.

 

 

At James Gillespie’s High School, German classes are almost exclusively held in German and pupils tend to have exceptionally good language skills. At the other schools, fundamental sentence structures are being taught and the German language is being analysed in terms of grammar.

My main tasks as a teaching assistant consist of leading discussions in German about a range of topics, helping pupils when they have questions, recording German texts, and helping pupils to prepare for upcoming exams.

 

 

 

As a native speaker of the German language, I can support both the pupils and the teachers. The teachers always appreciate a little assistance while explaining complex sentence structures and sometimes like to be corrected when even they make an obvious mistake!

Additionally, since I have spent my whole life in Germany, I can also give the pupils an understanding of German as well as teaching them the language. Primary school pupils especially are interested in German culture and were surprised that I did not wear leather trousers on my first day in school!

 

 

My main support contact person is Michael Alexander from James Gillespie’s High School. Up to now, he has helped me whenever I had a question and supported me, for example, in filling in the PVG form.

 

Moreover, I really enjoy living in Edinburgh. Besides its stunning architecture, the capital city impresses with its many sights and breath-taking countryside. My flat is located next to “The Meadows” public park, and I am able to reach the city centre in less than twenty minutes by foot.

In my leisure time, I play a lot of tennis and meet up with other FLAs (Foreign Language Assistants). Edinburgh has a vibrant nightlife and I would always recommend climbing up Arthur’s Seat, which offers a view over the entire city centre.

 

In conclusion, I am very satisfied with my current situation and enjoy working and living in Edinburgh!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do GETs do?

 

German Educational Trainees (GET) are prospective teachers of English and German native speakers who support German teachers in Scottish classrooms. This activity comprises work in small learning groups, individual language training as well as independent teaching. Furthermore, GETs are partly based in primary schools as autonomous German instructors. Apart from that, they get the opportunity to organise interdisciplinary or extracurricular events and projects. Thus, GETs obtain an insight into many aspects of the Scottish school system and contribute to the creation and updating of teaching materials for German lessons.

 

What are the working hours of a GET?

 

German Educational Trainees have a full-time internship at a Scottish state school for a period of six months. During this time, they teach between 12 and 16 hours per week. As is usual in the UK, lesson preparation and follow-up takes place in school as well. The total weekly workload should not exceed 36 hours.

 

Where do GETs work?

 

GETs are placed in primary and secondary schools in the state school system. As a rule, they operate in more than one school, i.e. mostly at a secondary school and its feeder primary schools. Arrangements vary. 

 

When does the internship take place?

 

Internships typically take place between mid-September and the Easter holidays of the following year - depending on the school district and the specific school. This means that they run concurrently with the German winter semester, so university studies can be resumed at the beginning of the summer semester.

 

How are GETs prepared for their internship, and supported during their stay abroad?

 

While still in Germany, GETs participate in preparatory intercultural training. This provides them with an introduction to the Scottish educational system and offers them opportunities to contact former GETs. Later, during their time in Scotland, they are supported by the Goethe Institute in Glasgow, the SCILT (Scottish National Centre for Languages) the Scottish school authorities and the German Consulate General in Edinburgh.

 

Will the internship be accredited as an “Orientierendes or Vertiefendes Schulpraktikum” in Rheinland-Pfalz?

 

The internship cannot be accredited as an “Orientierendes or Vertiefendes Schulpraktikum”, as the completion of “Orientierende Schulpraktika” constitutes a precondition for application. Besides, “Vertiefende Schulpraktika” may only be performed in Rheinland-Pfalz. However, the internship will be accredited as a stay in an English-speaking country, as prescribed by examination regulations. Before the beginning of the internship, its succeeding accreditation will be settled by contract within the ERASMUS+ scholarship programme. In addition, you may request the registration of the internship in a Diploma Supplement.

 

How many places are available? Is there a waiting list?

 

The number of available places varies every year. Due to high demand for places, a waiting list will be created. While this means that there is the possibility of students moving up on short notice, being on the waiting list is not a guarantee of a place.

 

Does “GET across borders” also help to find accommodation in Scotland?

 

Students are individually responsible for finding accommodation. They can, however, get advice and support from their respective school authority or their mentor. Former GETs are also happy to share their experiences and recommend contacts from their time in Scotland.

 

Any further questions?

 

For further questions, please consult Dominik Wallerius via MS Teams during his office hours on Fridays, 14-15. Please use email (get-across-borders@uni-mainz.de) only in very urgent cases.