Learning About Berlin

I acquired a German sister when I was 15 years old. She came to live with our family and shared stories of her own experiences with East Berlin and East Germany. In World History, I got a further introduction to Berlin, but over the past two days, I walked in the places about which I had read. My husband and son and I stood with that sister (who has been a wonderful tourguide this week) in locations that brought joy and sadness. This morning, I was reminded again of the power of enthusiasm in teaching others about something important.

We boarded a sight-seeing bus to get an overview of Berlin's important sites. It was a "live" tour, meaning the guide would speak in both German and English. How fortunate we were to be led by the Berlinfluesterer (http://www.berlinfluesterer.de/). His knowledge of the city and it history was obvious in his words. His willingness to answer questions from the crowd made me think of conducting inquiry lessons with students. We were all so engrossed in his stories and facts that we decided to stay on the bus for the entire tour instead of getting off to see and do things (like climbing the steps of the Victory Column (Siegessaelle). 

If you visit Berlin, do contact this interesting and knowledgeable man, and if you work with students, remember how it feels to love learning!