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Information bulletin
(June 1951)
Merchant, Mary
A lesson to be learned, pp. 51-[52]
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Page [52]
Side by side German and illustrated books and discuss American youngsters scan contents in fluent German. have been guided through the library, had the behavior chart explained to them, and been shown how to play the bottle xylophone, it is no longer easy to distinguish the guests from the hosts. Meanwhile, the visiting teachers and student teachers are seeing that the American school methods about which they have heard so much really work in practice. WHILE SOME OF THE GERMAN teachers are enthu- siastic about the new ideas developed in shop talk with their American counterparts, many of them put the main emphasis on their problems -overcrowding (usual- ly more than 40 children in a primary class), bombed out schools and lack of trained teachers; lack of facilities and money for new books, teaching aids and art supplies. At present, German youngsters can go to grade school only three hours a day; the school has to run a morning and an afternoon shifts. Every German grade school pupil carries his Rucksack (knapsack) or school bag, a symbol of the fact that he has to carry his books home every day to work over with his mother the material hisi techer h.. no WHEN THE CHILDREN arrive, a welcoming committee elected by the American class meets them at the door, where a blond American tot does the honors with a welcoming speech in German that astonishes the German teachers. The Ger- man children are pleased but not astonished. As far as they are concerned it is per- fectly natural for everybody to speak German. What surprises them are the bright, cheery classrooms, the col- -- V--, 1- ~~German visitor plays a Ge able desks. It looks as if while equally young Ameri school could be fun. In the classroom, American and German youngsters sit in alternate seats (whispering is encouraged on these mornings), and while American and German teachers go into a huddle, the Americans' German language teacher takes over as mistress of ceremonies. A few songs break the thin ice, and soon Americans and Germans are in friendly competition to answer the teacher's questions. Miss Schniederkotter, who is almost always addressed as "Miss Ilse" both by her colleagues and her pupils, carefully selects the questions so that both groups can shine equally. At recess, American insistence begins to break down German shyness, and by the time the little Germans time to teach him. Meanwhile, the German boys and girls, for once without their knapsacks, get along famously with their new American friends. Some over-patriotic Germans might shiver to see young Germany admiring American blue jeans;unthinkingAmeri- cans, in turn, could object to young America becoming so interested in "foreigners." But men of good will the world over would smile to see it, would wish the whole rman can I tune on bottle xylophone world could act like second- zostess holds musical score. graders. +END 'Miss Ilse," more formally Miss Schniederkotter, explains behavior chart to nuzzled visitor. Rainer Stenhan (right). INFORMATION BULLETIN I I:f
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