Umzug inklusive! Unsere COST Studentin von März bis Mai 2022

Auch in diesem bewegten Frühjahr, in dem die KLS das neue Gebäude in der Palmstraße bezogen hat, hatten wir wieder eine COST-Studentin aus Michigan. Elizabeth Dora, ursprünglich Grundschullehrerin, hat mit dem erfolgreichen Abschluss ihres Praktikums an der KLS nun auch die Möglichkeit als Lehrerin an der Middle oder High School zu arbeiten. Aber hören wir sie selbst:

Hello! My name is Elizabeth Dora, and I had the amazing opportunity to complete part of my student teaching in Cologne, Germany, this past semester at KLS through the GVSU COST Program. I am in a unique position in that I graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2017 for Elementary Education. I decided to continue with my education and pursue a secondary Social Studies teaching license. While working with KLS and the COST Program, I have been able to gain a unique perspective of education from around the world that I would otherwise not have.

During my 7 weeks at KLS, I was able to work with a multitude of wonderful teachers and their incredible students.  While working with KLS, I was able to work with a wide variety of students, 7th-10th grade mainly. I was primarily working with the English classes since being a native speaker would give the students the opportunity to practice their English at a casual level, provide help with grammar issues, and help build up their vocabulary. The best part about being in these English classes is that the students were learning more about the cultures of different English-speaking countries so I could provide first-hand experience about the United States and compare that to other English-speaking countries.

Working with KLS and its students has been a wonderful experience for me and my future teaching career with secondary students back in the United States. One aspect that stuck out to me the most was the teaching method of being more student-centered. Teachers did not simply provide the students with answers, they are asked to research, analyze, and come up with their own conclusions. German students also take pride in their learning and create their own creative ways of learning through projects and presentations. As I finish my Secondary Education certification, I hope to bring the new and different teaching styles that I have learned in Germany into my own classroom!

Thank you to the amazing staff and students at KLS for letting me work and learn with them! Thank you to Grand Valley for giving me an amazing educational experience with the COST Program in Germany!

Wir wünschen ihr für die Zukunft alles Gute!

E. Wright