Jourdan Biocic

Overall Experience

Student teaching abroad is one of the most eye opening, life altering, intense, fulfilling, and rewarding experiences I have ever had in my life. I can honestly say that I am coming home to America with no regrets and have made the most of my time here in Germany. I have learned so much about who I want to be as a teacher and an adult in American society and this experience has made me rethink a lot of things and solidify that teaching is for me. I absolutely loved every second of being in the classroom and working with students. I am grateful to have loved something so dearly, it makes saying goodbye so difficult.

Learning experience

Traveling and living abroad is something that I have dreamed of for my entire life. I love learning about culture and immersing myself in the human experience. For me, coming to Germany was more than just exploring a new place, it was to understand and learn from people and how they live. There is no one right way to teach, live, or exist in this world. It is important to learn that things can be done in many ways and that it is ok to change and be flexible. That was one of the pillars I learned from this experience, I have been able to learn from many different perspectives, teaching styles, and ideas. This will help me in my future endeavors as a teacher because I can listen to multiple perspectives and adapt my teaching to what works best for my students.

Memorable experience

I was able to travel to Stuttgart, Schwabisch Gmund (my placement location), Munich (to see the Dachau concentration camp), Italy (Venice, Florence, and Bologna), Ludwigsburg, Heidelberg, Nordlingen (to see a medieval wall that is still fully intact after the world wars), Esslingen, Zurich Switzerland, Nuremberg, and of course more Christmas markets than I can count.