Global Teachers Germany 2017: Day Two

Day Two

The delegation started the day with Challenge by Choice activities, challenging themselves to explore Berlin and German culture. Exercises included striking up a conversation with strangers about what it means to be German and what it means to be American, ordering food that was outside of their comfort zone, going to a grocery store and asking about local foods, and asking a stranger what German phrases would be helpful during the program.

The afternoon was spent continuing the exploration of Berlin’s dichotomy of the historical and modern.

The teachers ended the day by visiting the Reichstag, Germany’s parliament building. In German, it’s called Reichstagsgebäude and today, Reichstag refers to the building itself, while Bundestag refers to the actual political entity itself. The Bundestag began officially meeting at the Reichstag in April 1999.

Teacher Cindy Sinicrope reflected on the multicultural environment of Berlin…

An interesting conversation with a rickshaw driver revealed that although he is native to Germany, he feels like more of a “European” than a German per se. He commented that he enjoys spending time in France and Italy, and now sees Germany as part of a larger world community. I was somewhat intrigued to hear this more regional or global, rather than nationalistic, view. Although the man had traveled to New York City, he politely evaded comment on his thoughts about the USA, citing only his taste for American literature and foregoing any social commentary. By contrast, when speaking with our bus driver, Fatih, he boasted a strong sense of national pride in his Turkish roots. Although a Berlin native, Fatih was adamant that he was NOT German, but Turkish, as are his parents. Read more.

ESL teacher Emily Francis shared her thoughts on language in Germany…

And teacher Anthony Johnson began his video series, Johnsonville World Tour, and summed up the first two days of travel.