How do you address a German teacher?

September 14, 2009 By 8 Comments

With our daughter starting school a few weeks ago, I have had an interesting thought: how do children address a teacher in Germany?

I don’t necessarily mean whether the children are on first-name terms with their teachers, because as far as I am aware they are not.  They are referred to as “Herr” or “Frau” with their surnames.

But, do they use the informal Du or the formal Sie form to talk to them?

Normal German protocol would require them to use Sie when talking to someone that they are not on first-name times with, and especially someone who is considerably older then they are.

I’m just not sure how many 6-year-olds have mastered the formal verb conjunctions.  Perhaps it just comes naturally to them?

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Homework in German primary schools

August 31, 2009 By 6 Comments

Did you know that primary school children in Germany have homework (“Hausaufgaben”) – from DAY ONE!

This is no joke – on her first day at school our daughter was given homework to do, which of course had to be done after opening the Schultüte.  She has had some to do every day since.

For me, this is something completely new, as I am pretty sure that I did not have this sort of set homework until I changed schools at the age of 11.  I believe that my primary school did use to give homework to classes 4 and 5 (called years 5 and 6 these days!), but this was abolished before I was old enough to be in them.

The homework that our daughter receives is supposed to take up to 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week.  Which has led me to start thinking about how much we are meant to help or guide her through it.

Do we sit with her for the entire 30 minutes and guide her through?  Do we help her work out the solutions to the tasks she is being set, so as to get her started, or do we wait for her to say that she doesn’t understand the problem?

At what stage should we step in, if we notice she is making a mistake?  Should we explain the mistake to her and let her correct it, or should we leave that to the teacher the next day?

Comments and suggestions are welcome!

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The first day at School

August 26, 2009 By 6 Comments

The big day finally arrived yesterday: our daughter started school.

The day started at 9am with a church service, where the children were blessed and the satchels were sprinkled with holy water.  From there, it was a 20 minute walk to the primary school.

Starting school: with the Schultüte in front of the Church

Starting school: with the Schultüte in front of the Church

Inside the school, we were crowded into a side area of the entrance hall where, after a few words from the headmistress, the children were called up one-by-one to join their new teachers, who then led them in groups off to their classrooms through an aisle of over-sized raised pencils.

Thus began the long wait outside, during which we were fed and watered by the Förderverein (a sort of “Friends of…” association).

And while we waited, our daughter was being told the rules of the classroom, was given her first homework (!), her timetable and even a school T-Shirt.  Her satchel was also loaded up with various papers for us to read, and some to sign.  Finally, we were allowed to collect her and take her home to open her Schultüte and, of course, for her to do her first homework.

The day is a major event for German schoolchildren, much more than the first day of school in many other countries.  The children are accompanied by their parents, grandparents and even godparents who, where possible, spend the whole day with them.

It means that the children are at the centre of attention on their big day, and our daughter mastered the event brilliantly.  We are so proud of her!

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