Chapter 1: Snippets from the first several months

Chapter 1: Snippets from first several months 

Debriefing where in the world I have been (figuratively and literally) since my post in September 

Hello friends and family: happy 2023! Typically, I am not one for New Year's resolutions, but this year my pledge is to not go several months without posting. Oops. But ample amounts of exploring and learning were accomplished during my hiatus, and so I do not feel too remorseful. :-) 

Perhaps I should start by saying that the glow of Bergen has not faded, even though the sunshine has (on the shortest day, the sun rose at 9:44 and set at 15:28). If anything, the more time I spend here, the more I appreciate it. As the months have gone by, I have been able to sink into life and appreciate things that take time and comfortability to notice. While the past couple of months cannot be summarized in a single post, what follows are just a few of the many experiences that stand out to me for one reason or another. 

An overview of my work as a Fulbright: 

It only feels fitting to begin with my work as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) since it is the reason I am here! People often wonder about what specifically I do, which is a great question. Every ETA position looks differently depending on which country the Fulbright grantee is in and even within the same country. This depends on factors such as how many ETAs are placed in the same city and what age group the ETA is working with, for instance. I am the only ETA in Bergen, and I split my time between leading a Writers’ Workshop at the University of Bergen (UiB) and working in English classrooms at Bergen Katedralskole (Bergen Cathedral School), which is one of the city’s most competitive upper secondary schools. 

 

                Photo taken on the UiB campus  

Throughout the fall, the Writers’ Workshop I led was a part of an American Literature and Culture course at UiB. Before each workshop, I came up with a focus pertaining to some part of writing or analyzing literature that I built the lesson plan around for that day; just for fun (well, fun for me at least hehe), I liked to create some kind of “catchy” title—for example: “The Sun in the Solar System” (focus on thesis statements) and “Yes, but what do you think?” (focus on summarizing vs. analyzing). As I recently described to a mentor, when I began the workshop, I had a *I just spent 16 years as a student, and I need validation that I am doing a good job* mindset. So, even though it is no secret that I enjoy being in charge, having so much freedom and space was initially incredibly challenging for me. However, as the weeks progressed, I improved—at things such as estimating how long activities would take—and also better understood the students wants and interests, which made the workshop more enjoyable. Hands down, my favorite part was watching the students who came each week improve and feel more confident. Next semester, I will be leading a similar workshop on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and am looking forward to being able to revisit and improve last semester’s content!   

At the Cathedral school (or “Katten,” which is its nickname), I worked closely with two English teachers in their classes throughout the fall. I assisted these teachers in many tasks from helping prepare lesson plans and teaching lessons on various topics from writing and U.S culture, to working with students in small groups during class and observing. Some of the topics I presented on include gun control, the education system, and the good ol’ 5-paragraph essay. I will continue to work with these two teachers closely throughout the spring (an interview with one is in the works!), as well as visit other classes at the school. Before continuing, I would be amiss not to at least briefly mention two unexpected twists in the road during the fall at Katten:  

1. When arriving in Bergen, several of the teacher unions were engaged in what ended up being the longest strike in history.  

When there is a teacher strike, the union strategically picks which members of its union will stop working and when. The union began “pulling teachers” to strike in the summer, and the strike continued for almost seven weeks into the school year before it came to a forced resolution. I, of course, continued to work during this time but was in some different classes than originally anticipated.   

2. I was hired as a real-life substitute teacher for about seven weeks at Katten! 

First things first, this was independent of my work as an ETA and contingent on me still being able to fulfill my duties as an ETA. But yes, I taught English for a Vg1 (11th grade) class independently for over a month. It was comparable to what I expected attending an emersion school would feel like: intense and accelerated but very rewarding. I was surprised by just how much I could learn and retain in that time about the Norwegian education system, teaching, and the students I taught. The best day of teaching was when my grandpa, Dave, came to school with me and answered questions about the American Dream, which leads to the next snippet—the week my family visited.

 

Family Visit: 

In mid-November, my mom’s parents, DiAnne and Dave (Mema and Poppie), and parents arrived in Bergen. FaceTime is great, and I am eternally grateful for it but being able to actually walk with them through the city was bliss. Their visit was especially well timed because it was right as all the Christmas festivities began to open in Bergen; we went to the Festival of Lights in the city center, meandered through the Gingerbread village, and I was even able to explore the Christmas Market with my mom. The highlight of their visit, for me, was introducing my family to the people in my life here. Camilla, one of the teachers whose classes I assist in, invited us all over to her home to visit and made Svele, which are traditional Norwegian cakes (seemingly similar to but definitely not pancakes). We also spent a night at the collective I live in with my housemates; we even made Minnesota Wild Rice soup and apple crisp and all ate dinner together. What made the visit feel truly complete was that my brother flew from London, where he was studying abroad, for a few days, and the following week, my mom and I met him there! 

Adventures in Europe:  

Throughout the fall, I took three trips outside of Norway! Sometimes this is mind boggling; my move to Bergen in August was my first time abroad. Now, I have not only lived in Bergen for five months, but I have also strolled the streets of Copenhagen, Denmark (photo: bottom left), visited Buckingham palace (photo: bottom right) and Broadway with my brother and mom in London, England, and stood in St. Peter’s square during the Vatican’s tree and nativity lighting in Rome, Italy (photo above). I will leave it at that for now with hopes and plans to create a separate post to unpack these experiences in the future. But for now, I want to leave space to talk about everyday things. 

 

The Everyday things: 

Hiking: One of the most marvelous parts of everyday life is the time spent outdoors. Most weekends in the fall included a “fjelltur,” or mountain trip, with my housemates. Often, we would bring a thermos and sip apple tea or hot chocolate at the top and enjoy the view before coming   down. Our hikes never failed (and continue to never fail) to be a highlight of my week. 

 

      Photo by Austin, Trondheim ETA and friend, on a hike at Mount Ulriken  

Running: Bergen is a hub for runners, and I hopped on board. Throughout the fall, it became part of my daily (or every other daily) life! I joined a student running club, which has been a great way to meet people and get to know the city.  

SAIH: SAIH is the Norwegian Students’ and Academics International Assistance Fund, and I joined the local chapter and so throughout the fall, attended weekly meetings to organize events that raise awareness to issues surrounding students’ access to education globally.  

Eating Brunost: Brunost, which directly translates to brown cheese, is of the cheese variety, has a somewhat sweet flavor, and is what would come to mind first if someone asked me about Norwegian foods. It is typically eaten with bread or waffles and jam. It is delicious, and I eat it often (sometimes even plain, which some people consider strange).  

 

              Photo by Forbes

The last thing I will mention is that the best part of each of these things is having the time to live in it. I’ve noticed that my life moves more slowly here. Undoubtedly this is in part a biproduct of no longer being a college student, but I do think it is also a part of the energy here. Or maybe it is balance more than slowness; either way, it has been a lovely thing and has shaped how I have experienced the last several months.  

If you are still with me—phew! I am relieved that this is the first- and last-time post that is a crash course of five months. That being said, check out the interview with my housemate and friend, Ann-Kristin, if you haven’t already, and be on the lookout for another interview post in the upcoming weeks! In the meantime, I hope you all have healthy and happy winters.  

 

With hugs and (still rare but extremely special) Bergen sunshine, 

Sarah  

 

         In Bergen City Center