Testimonies of Past Students

    Bridget Warner: This trip was a truly amazing experience! Teaching on a military base offered a wealth of experiences and opportunities that I couldn’t have gotten anywhere else. I was able to deal with a variety of students and situations which helped me to grow significantly as an educator. The school and staff were greatly supportive. They were all willing to help and answer any questions I had. They were also willing to offer advice and feedback to help me mature. When it came to traveling, transportation was easily accessible. Often times, faculty and staff were interested in going somewhere as well, so they offered transportation. The housing was also up the hill from the train station if I wanted or needed to travel via the train system. Traveling was amazing! I went somewhere almost every weekend. I traveled a lot within Germany and it is truly an amazing country! I also visited the Alsace region of France and Paris! Everything is worth seeing and each area offers its own beauty and greatness. Most of all, my favorite thing about Germany was the school and the people there. It was a very intimate setting and everyone understood our situation and went out of their way to make us feel comfortable. The students at the school were awesome. I miss each one of them everyday. The faculty was great too. They were always there to offer themselves no matter what the situation. They wanted to see us achieve and went out of their ways to make sure that we did. Everyone made sure that even though we were far away from home, we were able to make a new home while we were there!


    Sera Hawkins: In the fall of 2006, I student taught in Baumholder, Germany at Wetzel Elementary School. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life for many reasons. One is that I got to travel for a semester throughout Europe. I saw many places that I had previously only seen in history books. It was a wonderful opportunity to immerse myself in other countries and cultures. Another reason I loved the semester was because I could not have asked for a more enriching student teaching placement. I was assigned to a 2nd and 3rd grade multiage room, which was hard to get used to at first. However, now I feel comfortable with a multiage setting and appreciate the benefits it provides to students as well as teachers. Wetzel Elementary is located on a military base, so I also got a chance to familiarize myself with the military lifestyle. Teaching within DODDS is a very different experience than I was used to in the States, but it is full of valuable learning opportunities. Throughout the semester, I was surrounded with highly qualified teachers and had a Ball State professor available every day. These people continually helped me become a better educator on a daily basis. The entire experience was really more than can be described. I learned so much about myself, teaching, the military, European culture, and other countries that it is hard to explain. I would definitely recommend the experience to anyone. It was a semester that I will remember for the rest of my life.


    Tiffany McBain: Student teaching in Germany provides an experience that is unlike any other you will find in the states. From a professional stand point, Wetzel Elementary and the military community provide classrooms with a variety of students. My students came from a variety of backgrounds and I had many different learning styles represented in my classroom. What was wonderful about Wetzel, too, was the amount of support that was given by everyone in the school. Even teachers that were not supervising a student teacher were willing to jump in with ideas, resources, and advice. Plus, they were more than willing to help outside the classroom, giving rides, making dinner, and donating living supplies. These domestic comforts meant a lot so far from home. From a personal perspective, student teaching in Germany was just as impacting as from a professional point of view. Very few other student teaching experiences offer a scenario where weekends off mean trips around Europe. I had the opportunity to visit so many beautiful and historic places. I became comfortable hopping on a train or plane and visiting places where I did not necessarily speak the language or understand the culture. The result was a greater understanding of people in general, and a greater understanding of myself. Being on my own in Germany, working, being responsible for my students, and traveling helped me to grow in a way I never thought possible. I came back believing I really could do anything, go anywhere, and be successful. In fifty years, no matter where life takes me, I honestly will look back on this experience as one of my great adventures.



    Megan Hill: My name is Megan Hill and I plan to graduate in May 2007 with a major in Elementary Education with a concentration/minor in German and I student taught at Wetzel Elementary School in Baumholder, Germany. I love when people ask about my Student Teaching because I get to tell them that I student taught in Germany on an Army base. It was an amazing experience. You are right in the heart of Europe on the border of Germany near France in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz. There are so many things I could say about his trip, that I don’t know where to start. Travel is probably the biggest reason one would look into this trip and within Europe it much easier and cheaper to travel than you would think. The easiest way to travel is probably by train, which is a short walk from where we live in Neubruecke. Make sure you check out the trips put on by Outdoor Recreation on base because there are some amazing day trips for reasonable amounts, and if you can get at least 6 people together you can pretty much plan your own trip. I took several trips including a large wine fest in Bad-Durkheim, Oktoberfest in Munich and Neuschwanstein Castle. The faculty at Wetzel is amazing and they realize that are you far from home and they are willing to help with almost anything you need including things for your apartment or resources for the classroom. A US Army post is probably the most diversity teaching environment you can imagine. At first it seems very different to live on post, but after a while you will start to pick up the lingo and you carry it home with you.