It has been more than five months since I first began assistant teaching here at Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium. And while I have had a wonderful time working with both the students and my fellow teachers, unfortunately this number also means that I have surpassed the halfway mark of my time here. In the beginning, it seemed that a year abroad was so long, but now I cannot believe that my time is almost over. I have barely scratched the surface of accomplishing all of my goals. However, there have been many beautiful experiences and milestones along the way. Some of my favorite activites include:

• In October, a few English colleagues and I threw a Hallowe’en party for the 5th grade
• Lights, camera, action! I helped two 6th grade classes to put on a fashion show in English
• The ninth graders and I created a timeline for Black History Month (in February), celebrating the rights and freedoms of African Americans
• Another sixth grade class created a radio program about animals, including interviewing several “experts” from their class–all in English!
• The ninth graders have also created a book of English idioms

I am continually impressed with the students here at GSG. They are hardworking, polite, and eager to learn. And their English comprehension levels are simply astounding. I never thought I would have the chance to do literary analysis with high school aged students in a foreign language! It is really a delight to be here. I am so thankful to the Fulbright program and the PAD for giving me this opportunity, and furthermore thank you to all of my colleagues who have helped me along the seemingly life-long process of learning how to teach.