In the period from 11.09.2017 to 10.10.2017 I completed an internship at the German School of the Borromean Sisters in Alexandria. In my case, this was the first module of the school internship semester for the study of higher education at vocational schools, but internships of other kinds and in all areas of the school are also possible.
About the country:
Egypt has a completely different culture. The people are very warm and the country has a lot to offer (Alexandria, Cairo, the north coast, Siwa (desert),…). Even if you hardly speak Arabic or not at all, you can get along very well thanks to English and German is spoken at school and with your colleagues anyway.
Before the internship:
Even before the internship started, the school helped me to clarify some general conditions. These included planning the internship, accommodation and the journey from the airport to the accommodation. I was accommodated in the guest house of the Pelizäusheim, where the nuns living there took great care of everything. Especially the location of the Pelizäusheim was very good and the garden is beautiful and a real speciality in Egypt. In addition, breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as laundry are included. I really loved my place and the people living there! As another accommodation, I can also warmly recommend the Seamen’s Home. In Alexandria, I first got to know my accommodation and the surrounding area on the first day. The nuns also helped me a lot, who, among other things, walked the way to school with me and also showed me the school.
The internship:
The first week looks very similar for all interns. In order to get to know the school, its structure and everything around it, you don’t accompany teachers but classes for the first few days. On the one hand, it tries to accompany the classes where you will later be deployed (in my case the FOS) to get to know them, on the other hand, it tries to give small insights into all other areas of the school (grammar school, primary school,…) and also other subjects. Afterwards, you accompany the teachers for one day at a time, who will look after you for the duration of the internship. You don’t just accompany one teacher but several in order to get to know other teaching methods on the one hand and to relieve the teachers on the other. In a third step, a separate timetable is created. Here, one’s own wishes can be taken into account. Very quickly, it goes from passively observed to partly actively and actively observed lessons. I had the feeling of being supported at all times and felt the trust of the other teachers. Beyond my supervising teachers, I had the feeling that I had landed in a good teaching staff. Everyone was very warm, you could talk to everyone well and attend classes if desired. They also did a lot together in their free time. In addition
to your own subjects, I can only recommend looking at clubs and participating in events of all kinds that are offered.
After the internship:
The end of the internship was prepared in good time. Documents, booking a taxi, costs for various things and much more were discussed and done. They took a lot of time to reflect on what went well and what didn’t go so well in order to be able to accommodate future interns even better and to improve themselves. For me, the internship was a great enrichment. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at Baumert@web.de
