Highlights

I have absolutely loved going into the schools and meeting with the teachers and students of Germany! Their school system is quite complicated and different from the American system, but the people are wonderful! The school staff in all the schools we've visited have been so gracious and kind, and the children have loved meeting us! I feel so privileged to be here experiencing the culture in such an intimate way! I wanted to share two highlights of my school visits...



Last week I was walking through the Oberstadt (old town/market place) and I heard, "Ms. Viedauer! Ms. Viedauer!" My immediate thought was, "Oh no! How did my students find me here?" And then I realized that my name was pronounced with a German accent. I turned around to find two of the German students I had visited on my very first day. They were very excited to see me and ran up to me to say hello. I was very impressed that they remembered my name. (I guess it pays to be of German descent when visiting German schools.) I enjoyed talking to them again and decided that it's kind of fun to be around students who actually like me. :)

One of my favorite memories will always be of my visit to the Erich Kastner Schule. This is a school for students with disabilities. In Germany, the school system is very much like a hierarchy, with students divided into separate schools according to ability. Those children with physical and mental limitations are separated from the rest of the population and go to special schools. Unfortunately these kids are not accepted by the population as a whole, which absolutely breaks my heart! But at this school, the kids are happy, and the staff is loving and very supportive.


When it came time for lunch, we were informed that a special group of students had made our lunch and wanted to serve it to us. Can you imagine how I had to choke back the tears as each child came to us to offer to pour our drinks and serve our food?! I felt completely humbled that I was being served by children who had been treated as outcasts in their society. What a blessing it is to be here experiencing these things!