Here's to the Crazy Ones

Tomorrow (Monday or montag, as I have learned in German) will be our last day here in Germany. I am hoping to return to the school one more time to see the classrooms again and discuss the possible TA position with the principal and HR representative.

The first time I visited, I was preoccupied with being interviewed and meeting some of the staff, so I don't think I took as close a look as I could have. When I think back on the classrooms I don't remember seeing much besides student desks in the rooms. I didn't see cozy library areas or lots of materials, so I want to go back and take a closer look this time. I did notice that the teachers had office spaces outside the classrooms where they had a desk, phone etc. I thought that was interesting. The classrooms were all about learning and not the other business that needs to be taken care of like lesson planning and parent interactions.

I am so curious to learn more about the instruction at this school and I am starting to look forward to the fact that I will be able to do a lot of observation if I take the position as a teacher's assistant. From the looks of the classrooms, the instruction and educational atmosphere is very different that what I am familiar with so I am sure it will be a great learning experience. The principal told me they have very few discipline issues because the families pay so much money to have their children attend the school. I always had a lot of discipline issues in my classroom and often dealt with students talking when I was teaching and/or not following directions. Again, I am very intrigued to see how this plays out in a very different school environment.

My meeting with the professor went really well. He was a bit crazy, but he is very accomplished and is quite well known in the area for his achievements. He was very enthusiastic about helping me and indicated that I would be the first person to ever complete a Ph.D in this way in Germany. He said that as long as the professor in Portland is willing to "think outside the box" and do something different that it sounds like I will have great success. He referred to himself as being crazy in that he has 8 different jobs and does a million and one different things for the university and city and he said that I seem crazy too. I took that as a comliment that he would put me in the same category as himself and that he recognizes that I am a go getter.

He mentioned that he can help me get support from other faculty members at the university and conduct research around education and different cultures. He did say however, that I might not get support from a certain female faculty member because I am an attractive female and therefore she may take issue with me. He referred to this as "mare biting" like when female horses bite and fight with each other...... hmmmm. Did I mention he was a bit crazy?

It reminds me of a great advertisement from the apple Think Different campaign:

I would be honored to be one of the "crazy ones"