Err no! Inverness would be a city in Scotland - a country found north of England - and Cornwall a place on the south coast.
"Oh, because I thought of the stone circles."
Do you mean Stone Henge?
"Yes"
This question came from my year 12 Leistungskurs - oh dear. No wonder their teacher thought I should teach them a bit about Scotland before they go on a trip there... Their English may be good, but their Geography is shocking!
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Summer in the city
Well, not quite summer seeing as it's about -2°C outside, but we do have perfectly blue skies and sunshine...
Shame I'll be spending the afternoon indoors gazing longingly out of the windows during the next Lehrerkonferenz...
Last week was definitely record breaking, and not in a good way >> last week I worked just one lesson. Poor effort. But thanks to my school's complete lack of organisation I effectively got given my own private half term! And what better week to have it than when having visitors to stay :) Good times.
It also gave me time to (finally!) go on a trip to Dortmund, where not only was it match day, but there were also these two really good piano buskers being filmed for the local TV station, and playing songs such as Umbrella / Just the Way You Are.
This week I have already more than sextupled (is that even a word?!) the hours I worked last week. With a third early morning in a row to go, I have already worked 6 hours, attended a (far from fun) Beratungstreffung in Köln, and somehow agreed to run an English conversation AG for near fluent students in Klasse 8/9... Definitely actually earning my money this week!
I'm also talking a lot more to teachers / Referendare in the staff room, and not just the conversations that have to happen. If ranks of importance are declared by how many people you speak to / speak to you during the breaks, then I'm definitely working my way up! Now just to shake off the always moaning Referendarin...
When doing an exercise in Klasse 6 about making polite requests in a cafe, today's 'overheard when teaching English':
"Excuse me, this table is dirty. Could you wash it up please?"
 |
| Midday in Bergisch Gladbach |
Last week was definitely record breaking, and not in a good way >> last week I worked just one lesson. Poor effort. But thanks to my school's complete lack of organisation I effectively got given my own private half term! And what better week to have it than when having visitors to stay :) Good times.
It also gave me time to (finally!) go on a trip to Dortmund, where not only was it match day, but there were also these two really good piano buskers being filmed for the local TV station, and playing songs such as Umbrella / Just the Way You Are.
This week I have already more than sextupled (is that even a word?!) the hours I worked last week. With a third early morning in a row to go, I have already worked 6 hours, attended a (far from fun) Beratungstreffung in Köln, and somehow agreed to run an English conversation AG for near fluent students in Klasse 8/9... Definitely actually earning my money this week!
I'm also talking a lot more to teachers / Referendare in the staff room, and not just the conversations that have to happen. If ranks of importance are declared by how many people you speak to / speak to you during the breaks, then I'm definitely working my way up! Now just to shake off the always moaning Referendarin...
When doing an exercise in Klasse 6 about making polite requests in a cafe, today's 'overheard when teaching English':
"Excuse me, this table is dirty. Could you wash it up please?"
Monday, 14 February 2011
Amsterdam and an immer longer weekend
Amsterdam
This weekend it was off to a place where they have traffic lights for bikes - yet crossing the road still requires a degree - and far too many canals. Hello Amsterdam, and a weekend of Denglisch.
A couple of thoughts about a short break in a town that on weekends is infact at least half filled with Brits...
And a photo or two...
Also a boat trip on the canals narrated in 3 languages did bring out the language geek in me. Once you've picked up a few little words, Dutch is basically Denglisch, or at least that's enough to get you by (never mind the fact that, no exaggeration, they all speak English). For example,
English: day
+ German: Tag
= Dutch: Dag
Genuinely fascinating.
Another day off...
As for school? Well today was apparently to become day 4 out of what is now my 5 day weekend. Given that I am timetabled to work both Monday and Friday, that's quite impressive. Such news should normally evoke a smile, however, I can assure you that at 7.40am this morning, after having already got up and walked to school, I was not impressed! On quizzing the secretary about what was obviously not happening today I got told: "Es gibt heute keine Schule" as apparently it was in fact a Fortbildungstag / training day for staff. How this school is so incapable of telling me these things in advance is beyond me. Pea soup in a brewery comes to mind.
Still, time for some visitors tomorrow :)
This weekend it was off to a place where they have traffic lights for bikes - yet crossing the road still requires a degree - and far too many canals. Hello Amsterdam, and a weekend of Denglisch.
A couple of thoughts about a short break in a town that on weekends is infact at least half filled with Brits...
- Canals are disorientating, whoever said Amsterdam was easily walkable lied. That or my sense of direction needs improving!
- Amsterdam is definitely prettier by night when it's all lit up
- Visiting the Anne Frank house can only be described as a combination of fascinating and harrowing. It's certainly a bizarre feeling to stand inside the same (really quite small) rooms that her family were unable to leave for two years...
- A little Van Gogh goes a long way
- Trams and buses should really run past 1am... Walking following the tram lines is not a very quick way of getting back across the city.
- Capital cities are expensive
- The Dutch police aren't actually as friendly as their name 'Politie' suggests
- The Netherlands lives up to its stereotype and really does sell lots of cloggs and tulips
And a photo or two...
 | ||
| I realise that residents in Amsterdam must get really fed up with all the tourists, but taking your kids out to use the 'I amsterdam' letters as football goals, is not photo friendly! |
 |
| By a canal / 'Gracht' |
 |
| Pretending we went into the Rijks museum |
English: day
+ German: Tag
= Dutch: Dag
Genuinely fascinating.
Another day off...
As for school? Well today was apparently to become day 4 out of what is now my 5 day weekend. Given that I am timetabled to work both Monday and Friday, that's quite impressive. Such news should normally evoke a smile, however, I can assure you that at 7.40am this morning, after having already got up and walked to school, I was not impressed! On quizzing the secretary about what was obviously not happening today I got told: "Es gibt heute keine Schule" as apparently it was in fact a Fortbildungstag / training day for staff. How this school is so incapable of telling me these things in advance is beyond me. Pea soup in a brewery comes to mind.
Still, time for some visitors tomorrow :)
Thursday, 10 February 2011
No longer the newbie!
Funny how just a little bit of know how can go a long long way towards boosting your confidence and making you appear like you know what's going on! We have a new Referendarin at school (just the one to replace the four that finished last week) and suddenly I've found myself answering her questions about what to do, and how things usually work etc. - most bizarre.
Also in my (unplanned) quest to rise above being 'just an assistant', I not only taught Monday's lesson ganz allein (and in other classes take smaller groups out for conversation practise), today I was spontaneously called away from my free - in preference to a couple of the Referendare also there - to go and cover the rest of a Klasse 7 lesson whilst their teacher had to go to a meeting. Definite progress, just don't tell my rule-abiding mentor teacher!
As for the rest of the week, thanks to it being the end of the Halbjahr tomorrow, and 2 year groups being on Praktikum, I've still had quite a few lessons cancelled, but this time known about them all in advance - hurray! Walking anonymously round school has definitely been rendered near impossible now though. I don't often get very far without hearing a "Hello Mrs Groves!" (Yes, 'mrs'... they struggle to comprehend 'miss' as every adult in Germany automatically becomes known as 'Frau') - the year 6s are just too süß! :)
Also in my (unplanned) quest to rise above being 'just an assistant', I not only taught Monday's lesson ganz allein (and in other classes take smaller groups out for conversation practise), today I was spontaneously called away from my free - in preference to a couple of the Referendare also there - to go and cover the rest of a Klasse 7 lesson whilst their teacher had to go to a meeting. Definite progress, just don't tell my rule-abiding mentor teacher!
As for the rest of the week, thanks to it being the end of the Halbjahr tomorrow, and 2 year groups being on Praktikum, I've still had quite a few lessons cancelled, but this time known about them all in advance - hurray! Walking anonymously round school has definitely been rendered near impossible now though. I don't often get very far without hearing a "Hello Mrs Groves!" (Yes, 'mrs'... they struggle to comprehend 'miss' as every adult in Germany automatically becomes known as 'Frau') - the year 6s are just too süß! :)
Monday, 7 February 2011
A flying trip
Last weekend I made a flying trip back to the UK - literally. 6 trains, 2 flights and over 1200 miles travelled in just 2 days.
Passing through security on my way home the guy there firstly observed that I apparently speak German with an accent (I'm guessing not in a good way!), then went on to compliment me on how good my German was, and ended by saying that if I was flying from Cologne again, I should go back to him ... or not!
I also saw a Subway sign advertising this:
Translation fail.
After a day house hunting in Leeds, and much parental TLC / feeding up at home, just under 46 hours after landing I was back in the air again, returning to the land of the Deutsch. Even if it was a very short visit, a five and a half hour door-to-door journey back is quite impressive!
Today has been gloriously sunny, and even quite warm - helloo spring :) Today I also confiscated my first note, much to the distress of the lad who begged me not to take it. Serves him right for being such a little bugger all lesson! Safe to say though, this wasn't what I was expecting to read:
I wonder who he was trying to pass it to...
In other news, whenever the Royal Wedding gets any coverage in the newspaper, my landlord seems to feel it is essential to give me the article. Today the Süddeutsche Zeitung printed the following gem:
It's good to know the British are portrayed so well in the German press...
4 sleeps till Amsterdam!
Passing through security on my way home the guy there firstly observed that I apparently speak German with an accent (I'm guessing not in a good way!), then went on to compliment me on how good my German was, and ended by saying that if I was flying from Cologne again, I should go back to him ... or not!
I also saw a Subway sign advertising this:
"Your last subway befor you are leaving Germany"
Translation fail.
After a day house hunting in Leeds, and much parental TLC / feeding up at home, just under 46 hours after landing I was back in the air again, returning to the land of the Deutsch. Even if it was a very short visit, a five and a half hour door-to-door journey back is quite impressive!
Today has been gloriously sunny, and even quite warm - helloo spring :) Today I also confiscated my first note, much to the distress of the lad who begged me not to take it. Serves him right for being such a little bugger all lesson! Safe to say though, this wasn't what I was expecting to read:
 |
| Roughly translated as: "Please can i talk to you? Yesterday I said things which I was completely entitled to. Give me the chance to apologise to you personally...please...??? I won't let you go that easily shooting star" |
In other news, whenever the Royal Wedding gets any coverage in the newspaper, my landlord seems to feel it is essential to give me the article. Today the Süddeutsche Zeitung printed the following gem:
 |
| "HRH Prince William & Kate Middleton's 4 day bender" |
4 sleeps till Amsterdam!
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
A mid-week weekend
Apparently year 11 are on some form of placement, for the next two weeks. No-one thought to tell me this. Apparently Wednesday is some sort of Zeugniskonferenz for the staff so everyone else gets a day off. No-one told me this either. Just as well I have some initiative and actually read the school calendar then! All in all means that I worked just 2 lessons on Monday (the 1st and the 6th) and have Tuesday and Wednesday free...
This gave me plenty of time to finish off my next bit of Korrekturlesen (proof reading), for which I seem to be getting less notice and shorter deadlines, but still being paid. After that, time to tick off another NRW city before the semester ticket runs out. Hello Aachen, and all your weird little statues and fountains!
It was only a quick little visit (the cold got the better of me!) but it's a very characteristic town, almost patriotic, and probably a lot more appealing in the summer. The heated, brightly coloured, and slightly schizophrenicly designed cathedral did win me over though.
And now it's snowing, again. Germany, you have definitely proved you are good at winter, so maybe we could stop now? Please? Thank you kindly.
This gave me plenty of time to finish off my next bit of Korrekturlesen (proof reading), for which I seem to be getting less notice and shorter deadlines, but still being paid. After that, time to tick off another NRW city before the semester ticket runs out. Hello Aachen, and all your weird little statues and fountains!
 |
| Or not so little... |
It was only a quick little visit (the cold got the better of me!) but it's a very characteristic town, almost patriotic, and probably a lot more appealing in the summer. The heated, brightly coloured, and slightly schizophrenicly designed cathedral did win me over though.
 |
| Outside the Aachner Dom |
 |
| Inside the Aachener Dom |
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Do you know the muffin man?
"Muffin muffin muffin muffin muffin muffin muffin ...."
The highlights of this farewell do were of course the muffin man performance, and also the little year 6's bank robbery sketch which I had helped them practise. Those aside, the whole to do came down to sitting through about 2 hours of various speeches and vows of thanks, followed by another hour of socially awkward mingling in the staffroom. Fun.
This wasn't the only singing I was audience to this week though. One of the lads in Klasse 6a is leaving at the end of the Halbjahr, which apparently somehow led to him agreeing to perform to his class. Song number one - a trio with 2 of his mates: "Alle meine Entchen schwimmen auf dem See" (which, if you don't know, sounds a little like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1fnhjP-Cz0 And, fyi, also has a techno version...). Second song choice was a solo performance of Queen's "We will rock you".
I wish I could have videoed all of these performances.
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