Tag der Zahngesundheit

Ok, so I've decided to put some pictures of my apartment up. The one on the right is my bedroom. It's very nice. The window looks out into the backyard, which is full of pretty flowers and plants. The one on my left is the kitchen. In the kitchen I have a sink, microwave, fridge, hot pot, small oven, and small stove.

So, for those of you confused about the title, today apparently is Tag der Zahngesundheit (Dental Health Day). It hasn't had much of an impact on my day, other than they have been talking about it on the radio.

Well today I just observed again. I also met with Monika today to discuss my schedule. It looks like I will be working 8-12 hours a week depending on the week and what teachers want me to come. I'm very excited because I will have Fridays off. Most of my other Fulbright friends have Fridays off too, so it should be good for traveling. I will be working with the 9th and 10th grade bilingual History classes, 12th grade English, 13th grade English, 9th grade Realschule English, and 6th grade English. In addition, I will be offering an afterschool activitity/club. In it I will do reading, creative writing, discussion, and watch some films with the students (all in English of course). It will be offered to the 9th and 10th graders.

This afternoon I went to 12th grade English for the first time. They meet every other Monday for 2 periods. They are working with the American Dream and The Challenge of the Individual, so I will be helping with these topics. Today they were reading Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have a Dream speech. It was very interesting to hear what they said about it. I guess, I kind of take for granted that people should understand the Civil Rights Movement, but it really cannot be compared to anything that has happened in another country's history. It is so tied to how the United States was founded and really starts with the first slaves brought over and continues on today. It is also very interesting to hear the words they sometimes use to describe things, since their teachers are not necessarily aware of the current, politically correct way to say things.

I am pretty excited about the classes I will be working with. I'm really ready to just fast forward to where I am settled into a routine, know the students, and know what I'm doing!