Jana Richartz, a German education student, is visiting Alpha Elementary, learning about the American educational system. Below is a story about her in a recent issue of the Citizen Tribune.
Class visitor
German student observes American education system
By Bobbie Young, Tribune Staff Writer
A young German woman is visiting Alpha School this month, picking up pointers on the American education system.
Jana Richartz is studying education at the University of Koblenz in her hometown. She plans to take her final exams from December through March.
Richartz is visiting her fiancé, Gaston Pohl, who is working in an exchange agreement with Colortech in Morristown.
Richartz figured as long as she was here, she wanted to see how an American school works.
“We have a business-education partnership with Colortech and when they called, we were happy to have Jana visit us,” said Alpha principal Dr. Julia Price. “We were glad to get her.”
Richartz is working with teachers and students in all grade levels at Alpha. Differences in the German and American education system were apparent from the start, she said. “We don’t have pre-K in Germany. We have kindergarten from about ages 3 to 6 and then they go to first grade,” she said. German children don’t begin learning
their letters and reading until they get into the first grade, Richartz said.
“I was surprised to see the little ones reading here after only a few days,” she said.
The relationship of teachers and students is different in Germany, too. In elementary school, which covers grades 1-4, a teacher will sometimes stay with the same class the entire four years.
“When they leave the school, the teacher will go back and begin with a new class,” Richartz said.
In other schools, she said, the same teacher will have the class for the first two years and another for the second two years.
Price said the practice is called looping and while it has its advantages, it would be almost impossible to do in American schools, because of the grade-specific standards required by the federal and state governments.
Another big difference, Richartz said, is that children with disabilities are mainstreamed into American schools, while in Germany they are mostly in special schools.
“I like that disabled children are included here,” she said. “Everybody learns to respect each other.”
In America, educators encourage parental involvement but it is not the same in Germany, Richartz said.
“Parents do not volunteer in the classrooms there the way they do here,” she said. “They will go on field trips but do not do much else. I like it the way it is here.”
German students have to learn two foreign languages and they start early. Richartz studied French in the fifth grade and English in the seventh grade. Now, English is taught in elementary school.
Richartz said she does not think it is as important for American students to learn foreign languages as it is for European students.
“Everything is in English,” she said.
Richartz will be at Alpha until Sept. 24. She said she particularly enjoys seeing the differences from the very small children to the fifth-graders.
“They get so big,” she said.
Richartz said she decided to be a teacher because she enjoys working with people, especially children.
“I like children,” she said. “They are so happy and open-minded and have this great spirit. They can do so much.”
Richartz is going to take home some ideas she hopes to use in her own classroom and also a letter from Price to the University of Koblenz, praising her qualities.
“She would make a great teacher anywhere in the world,” Price said. “I’d like to find a spot for her here.”
