Inspiring teaching placement in Austria
– It was amazing to see how well the teachers cooperated to plan joint activities and coordinate lecture plans. Even senior teachers with decades of experience were eager to learn new activities. These are the words of Hege Ringdal, one of three students who recently completed a 3-week teaching placement in Linz, Austria.
Undervisning i kroppsøvingsfaget i Austerrike. Foto: Privat
We were 3 students from the one-year course Practical Pedagogical Education (PPU) at Volda University College, who arrived in Linz on the first Sunday at the beginning of March. On the first day we checked into the student dormitories boasting a beautiful view over the city and landscape. In the distance, we could also see the host school for our teaching placement, the Europagymnasium Auhof, where we would spend a lot of time in the coming weeks.
At the start of our stay in Linz, we were warmly welcomed at the Pädagogische Hochschule Ober-Osterreich. This is one of VUCs partner institutions that helped us set up the teaching placement in Linz. We received information about both the school and all practical aspects of the internship, as well as tips on museums, sightseeing, and hikes we could explore. On Monday evening, we had dinner with one of the teachers at Die Gelbe Krokodille, followed by sightseeing in the city. A great way to get introduced to the city of Linz and its surroundings.
Tuesday was the first day at our internship school, LISA (Linz International School Auhof). It was overwhelming to come to such a large school with around 1500 students aged 10-18, but we were warmly welcomed by both teachers and students. The first days of observation were both exciting and insightful. The teachers were very nice and inclusive, and I felt that no matter which class or teacher I followed, they were interested in my background, where I came from, and how I could get the best possible benefit from my time in Austria.
If you get the opportunity to study abroad, I highly recommend it!
– Hege Ringdal
Teaching physical education
Since I have physical education as my main subject at home, I spent a lot of time in the part of the school with the sports hall. I got a lot of inspiration from my mentors but also from other teachers who had classes parallel to mine. It was amazing to see how well the teachers cooperated to plan joint activities and coordinate lecture plans. Even senior teachers with decades of experience were eager to learn new activities.
During my 3 weeks at the LISA school, I got to observe 7 different classes, with physical education for both boys and girls, and to participate in swimming lessons. I also had the freedom to plan and carry out the lessons I was going to teach myself, and this was something I appreciated a lot.
Differences and similarities in teaching
The biggest difference in physical education (PE) is that Austria has a system of gender-separated PE classes. This is something we are not used to in Norway, but I got the impression that it worked well, and that there are advantages and disadvantages to both systems. However, a lot was similar as well, with dodgeball in all its variants being popular at LISA school similar to the schools I've experienced in Norway. At LISA, the days were packed with lessons and sometimes quite long, also including activities in the afternoon/evening such as ball sports with the teachers, a circus organized by students, and an art exhibition. We also participated in a class at the pedagogical university in Linz called "classroom management", together with other international students. This was very beneficial with a skilled lecturer who came up with many useful exercises where we exchanged experiences and learned from each other. Through the university, we were also invited to do a podcast recording and live broadcast about the teaching placement and reflections on differences and similarities between the school systems and teaching methods in Norway and Austria.
Lots to experience outside of school hours
Outside of school, there was more than enough to experience. Our housing had the perfect location between the city center and the surrounding countryside. It was a short distance to nice hiking trails to explore the landscape around the city with viewpoints, churches, and buildings. In the city center itself, you could stroll around to see buildings and art, drink good coffee, and taste fantastic pastries.
One evening, we traveled to Pöstlingberg to watch the sunset, which is highly recommended, absolutely beautiful! In addition, we had a local guide to Ternberg to show us a tour in slightly higher mountain terrain. The fantastic city of Vienna is also just a good hour away by train, and here you can plan a weekend or take a day trip as we did
Recommend teaching abroad
The 3 weeks went by in a flash. I am very grateful for this opportunity, to be so warmly welcomed at the school, to challenge myself with teaching, in an international context and to learn a lot from it. I take from this experience an increasing insight in teaching methods and new activities that I will take with me into my everyday life as a teacher in Norway. Experiencing the city of Linz and its surroundings has also been a wonderful addition. For any future students, I highly recommend the opportunity to do a placement abroad.
Auf wiedersehen, Linz!
