Interview Katharina
We spoke to Katharina about her experience as a Teaching Assistant at Southend High School for Boys in England.
What did you do on your stay abroad?
I worked as an assistant teacher in German lessons at a high school.
What were your tasks?
I had the chance to work with small groups in German lessons and observe an English and a Music lesson per week. Mainly, I focused on improving their oral skills in the target language, but if other skills needed improvement, I also designed tasks to support that.
How did the application process work?
As I spent my first 6 weeks at the same school, I simply got in contact with the German teacher again. But when I applied the first time, I contacted them via mail, including my CV and a motivational letter. Then, I received a confirmation mail and had to provide some other papers and sign a contract upon my arrival. All in all, it was a very easy process.
What effect did the internship have on your teaching/English skills?
I improved my task-development skills and my teacher personality. Also, I could observe several teachers and implement elements of their teaching styles into mine.
Do you have any advice for potential future interns at SHSB?
Just enjoy your stay - the whole staff is so friendly and there's always a helping hand if needed - but improving your skills and developing tasks on your own should come first and is expected. I would recommend this school and the teacher to anybody, I was very happy there.
How did you arrange your accomodation?
rI stayed with the German teacher that I assisted at school. We knew each other from my first stay last year.
Which must-see destinations would you recommend?
London, Oxford, Windsor Castle, WB studios (Harry Potter set), Leigh-on-sea
With time, what cultural differences did you observe?
Food and friendliness are probably the most obvious ones. Some things are handled differently.
Did you miss anything from Germany while you were away?
Not really. I knew it was just a short stay abroad and had friends visiting in London nearly every weekend.
We know it is difficult to find time to go abroad, how did you manage to fit your 12 week stay into your studies?
I split the 12 weeks into 6 weeks twice. That way, I had the time to fly there immediately after my exams and missed only a week of uni courses when coming back.