Country Information - Teaching in Germany
Friday, 16 January 2009 17:53
Teaching Jobs in Berlin
German businesses need global markets so there is a great need for English language speakers who bring their families with them to work here and so there is a need for English speaking teachers in International Schools.
Education in Germany
The academic year in International schools begins at the beginning of September and concludes early in July. A typical school day runs from 8.30a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Extracurricular activities are valued for the contribution they make to learning respect for others and building self esteem, these activities take place either at lunch time or after school.
Schools tend to follow the English National Curriculum through Key Stages Foundation to Three, children in KS4 are prepared for I.G.C.S.E exams and senior students graduate with an I.B. Diploma.
As with most International schools the children are motivated and well behaved. Schools in Germany tend to be well resourced.
Living in Berlin
Berlin is a bustling modern city populated by many different cultures, a lively and affordable place to live. The various districts in Berlin all have their own characteristics. Many see Berlin today as New York was in the 1980’s it has evolved as the creative capitol of Europe, it is very metropolitan in its outlook and inexpensive to live there, the rents are a third of what you would expect to pay in Paris or London.
Shopping in Berlin is very diverse. There are large shopping malls with everything you need from designer clothing in stylish boutiques, to the daily milk. For a cheaper alternative why not shop at the market or produce stands and shopping seasonally is a great experience. There is always something to do in Berlin, with over 150 theatres, 3 opera houses and numerous restaurants, cafes and bars. In fact there are usually over 1,000 events on each day in Berlin’s cultural calendar.
Places of Interest
The splendor of the Brandenburg gate with its Doric Columns and Quadriga statue on top is not to be missed. This is the only remaining gate through which you gained entry to Berlin. The gate marks the entrance to the Unter den Linden the well known boulevard lined with linden trees which used to lead to the city palace.
When people think of Berlin they are often reminded of the Berlin wall, now happily demolished but you can still get a feel for what this was like by visiting the Memorial of the Berlin Wall. Here you will get a sense of the enormity of the wall and what the no man’s land space in between was really like. The Visitors Centre plays films which give an idea as to what Berlin was like when it was dominated by the wall. A legacy of the divided city that was is that there are twice the numbers of museums here.
A museum with a difference in Berlin is the DDRMuseum, one of the most interactive museums n Europe. It depicts life in the GDR. The museum is very hands-on, drawers and cupboards are there to be opened and you are encouraged to rummage through them.
Take a seat in an old Trabi (Trabant car) start the engine, put your foot on the gas pedal and take a simulated ride through the concrete slab housing estate giving the impression of what it was like to go for a ride in an original. Children particularly love this.
Berlin’s largest public park the Tiergarten, is well worth a visit, people flock here to enjoy the natural splendor as they walk or jog. The grounds are home to not only to war memorials but include the home of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the zoo.
History of Berlin
Since its founding, Berlin has had an eventful history. The Medieval trading center of Colin and Berlin were united at the turn of the 14th Century but remained two separate municipalities. It wasn’t until 1432 that they became one municipality. Their union allowed better protection and enabled them to expand their rights. The city continued to expand and by 1688 the population had reached 20,000. This was due to trade and the economy experiencing sustained growth and also the number of immigrants.
In January 1701 the elector Friedrich 111 had himself crowned Friedrich 1, King of Prussia and made Berlin the royal residence. Within 8 years Berlin had become the capital.
On the 27th October 1806 the French Emperor Napoleon and his troops began their occupation of the city, they remained there until December of the same year although the French rule in Prussia was not finally ended until 1814.
It was in 1871 that Berlin became the capital of the German Reich, this boosted its status and an industrial and economic boom followed.
The First World War made it more and more difficult to feed the populous of Berlin and war weariness and hunger towards the end of the war resulted in revolution in Berlin.
Kaiser Wilhelm 11 abdicated and the government was handed over to Friedrich Ebert and the Free Socialist Republic of Germany was created. This effective democracy in Berlin was ended with the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and the takeover by the National Socialists in 1933. By 1935 all of the city’s elected bodies were disbanded. In 1938, the Annexation of Austria means that Berlin became the capital of what was called The Greater German Reich. In 1939 The Second World War began in Berlin when the war against Poland was declared.
In 1940 the Allied bombing of Berlin began and much destruction followed. The battle for Berlin began in 1945 when the Red Army entered the city, 9 days later Hitler committed suicide and the city was surrendered shortly after, thus ending the war in Berlin.
By the end of the war much of Berlin lay in rubble. Following an agreement by the Allies, Berlin was divided into 4 sectors administered jointly by the USA, GB, France and the USSR. During the years following this, conflicts arose between the various victorious powers.
When the German democratic Republic was formed in 1949 East Berlin became its capital. In August of 1961 began construction of the wall to run along the sector boundary and seal the two parts of the city off from one another.
Germany grew and developed as two separate cities and it was not until 1989 that the Berlin wall fell. From this point on Berlin has not looked back and has evolved into the vibrant city that it now is.