Sep 13, 2017
From September 4 – 7, 2017, 138 Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (ETA) met in the Jugendbildungsstätte Haus Altenberg in Odenthal/Altenberg (near Cologne) for the Orientation Meeting to prepare for their Fulbright grant year. Representatives from the Fulbright Commission and the Pädagogischer Austauschdienst (PAD) provided the grantees with information regarding administrative and organizational matters such as insurance, residence permit, teaching duties, etc.
English teachers representing 12 of the 16 German Bundesländer (9 of them Fulbright alumni) played an integral role in the meeting by sharing advice and tips regarding teaching methodology and classroom management, and they observed small groups of ETA’s teaching a simulated lesson and provided very helpful feedback.
Benjamin Chapman, Consul for Political and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Consulate General Düsseldorf and Martin Kohler, Vice President Communications of the Fulbright Alumni e.V. also addressed the grantees.
Four Fulbright ETA alumni from 2016-17 were present throughout the orientation meeting to share valuable advice from their Fulbright experience. On the final evening of the event, the Fulbright alumni organized a talent show in which the current grantees displayed an incredible array of diverse talents including guitar and piano playing, opera singing, storytelling, stand-up comedy, poetry reading, and much more. These amazing talents will be very helpful to the grantees in engaging their students during the upcoming year!
