As you all know from our call some weeks ago, I am working as a teacher in a German school. This week, I want to share with you what I do there, how it is different from school in the United States and what German students wonder about the U.S.
The school I work at is an Integrierte Gesamtschule, which literally translates to “integrated collective-school”. This means that the students have many different education plans available to them, all under one roof. IGS Rülzheim serves grades five through thirteen. In Germany, students attend Grundschule or elementary school (grades zero through four), and then decide on an educational plan. They have to complete school through grade 10; but to go to university, they need to continue through grade 12 or 13. For university track students who want more difficult classes, they will often choose a Gymnasium for middle school/high school. Gymnasium is the highest level of study for gifted students to prepare for college. It's very rigorous and quite challenging. However, if it gets too hard or if they change their minds, they would have to change to a completely new school. For this reason, IGS schools have become a more popular option.
The school day at my school starts at 7:30 a.m.
