Practicum

So (besides having to wake up at 6am to get there on time twice a week) I'm loving my practicum!

It takes 45 minutes each way, so it's a bit of a hike.  The school I'm doing the practicum at is called The Carl von Linne School for Disabled Children.  The kids can have any kind of disability that would hinder them from doing well in a "regular" school.  The class that I'm working in has 7 kids, which I think is great!  I'm really getting to know the kids well, which is nice.  One girl has high functioning autism, a few of the kids have learning disabilities, and a few have physical disabilities.  I think it's really going to be a learning experience.

I go on Mondays from 8am to 12:45 and Fridays from 8am to 11am.  On Mondays, the kids have math for two hours and I'm basically just go around and help them if they need it.  After math, they have two free periods, which is something completely different from in the States!  In the States we don't really have free periods (and if we do, it's just study hall)...but in the free periods here, the kids are free to go around the whole school, go outside, and basically do whatever they want.  It's amazing how much freedom they give the kids, and how they don't take advantage of it.  After the free period, they always come back to class on time, which I just don't think would happen in the States.

After free period I go with them to lunch and then to music class and then I head back to IES for my two classes in the afternoon.

Fridays are the only day I don't have class, but I have to wake up early anyways to go to the school!  Fridays they have German for two hours and then they have "Sachunterricht", which we don't have in the States.  It's basically like general knowledge class, and from what I understand they learn about anything from potatoes, to water, to whatever they think is interesting.  It's definitely a different type of class.  After class I go back home, take a nap, and then do homework or something.

It's only been one week so far, but I'm really liking it and I think I'm going to learn a lot.  It'll definitely be good for my resume!