Discover newfound independence whilst helping at our school in Haubinda, Thuringia, Germany
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: 15 Juni 2025
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Feedback (3)
Vom Host für Workawayer (Ellie)
Ellie worked in our boarding school for 4 months, unfortunately her stay was cut short due to Corona and we were really sorry she wasn't able to come back.
She is an independent, keen worker who was quick to see where her help was needed. She quickly formed relationships with pupils and staff alike. Ellie is really hard working and goes the extra
… read more mile, making sure children felt comfortable learning English. We would definitely recommend her for other workaways.
Ellie, we wish you all the best at uni!
Vom Workawayer (Melissa) für Host
Coming to work here in Haubinda has been by far the most rewarding experience of my life. I couldn't recommend this work experience enough! I will be eternally grateful to everyone here for making my time here so wonderful. I will dearly miss the friends I have made and the students. This was an incredible Workaway!
The work: The work is
… read more incredibly straightforward; you tutor maybe 10-15 kids, usually one-on-one, in 45min sessions in the afternoons. Each student has different weak areas that should be focused on during the tutoring. You also sit in on a couple english classes and help/assist in class where possible. Occasionally, I help grade essays/find grammatical errors.
During school breaks: This school has many and quite big breaks throughout the year as opposed to the schools in the US, which came as a pleasant surprise to me! On long off-weekends or during breaks you can hitch a ride on one of the many buses that go to various towns, and take a train from there to a city like Nuremburg, Munich, Berlin etc if you would like to, and stay in hostels or use Couchsurfing for an inexpensive little holiday. There are many opportunities to take an extra place, if there is one, on a trip to a big city with the international students on an off-weekend, and the lodging and transportation is generously covered by the school.
The people: Sara, the English assistant coordinator, is one of the kindest humans you'll ever meet. She, along with other teachers, consistently offered to take me into nearby towns in case I needed to go to the supermarket or something. The people I have worked with are incredibly welcoming, patient, and helpful.
The school: Although a bit rural, the school is located in an incredibly beautiful region of Germany. You would be hard-pressed to find a place with a more starlit sky at night, so that was a wonderful surprise for me, having come from a place as densely populated as New Jersey. It was a little challenging for me to get acclimated to Germany at first, because I wasn't comfortable with the language. My one regret will always be not actually practicing speaking German (as opposed to only studying it) before having come to the school. However, everybody is very encouraging. The best feature of this boarding school is the "Familie" structure. You eat breakfast and dinner with the same 5-8ish students and their Family parent/s (a designated teacher) everyday. You really bond with these students and teachers, not only through dinner and breakfast, but also during Familie Abend. This is held every Thursday night, and we do fun things like go-karting, mini-golfing, seeing a movie, ice-skating, cooking, etc. The school also kindly covers all aspects of the visa process and works it out with you. Additionally, they supplied me with a weekly german class to help me learn the language.Du kannst nur Workawayer mit aktiver Mitgliedschaft kontaktieren.
Vom Host für Workawayer (Nicole)
Dear Nicole, thank you for being a lovely English Assistant for the last 11 months here!
Nicole is a friendly, open person who finds it easy to communicate with staff and pupils alike. She has earned her place here as a member of our school community. Her German made an enormous improvement over the year and she now has no difficulties
… read more communicating in German, both socially and at work.
Nicole takes great pride in devising individually tailored lessons for our weaker reluctant English learners and is quick to build a relationship with them and to recognize where their weaknesses lie. She also has a calm and approachable manner which enables pupils to open up to her.
Nicole really rose to the challenge of working here and took on responsibility above and beyond the norm in looking after a group of female boarders when their teacher became ill. She also learned some of the skills of German baking, which will enable her to prepare Kaffee and Kuchen for future workaway employers!
Nicole, you will be missed when you go. Good luck with your studies and come back and see us any time you're in the area!
Vom Workawayer (Nicole) für Host
Eleven months ago I was offered to come here and help teach for a year alongside English teachers. My time here is winding down and I am shocked at how fast it has gone by. Though, I can honestly say that it was the best impulse decision I have ever made. This is a special and different place - one that I will never forget!
This has been my
… read more first Workaway and my first real job after graduating college. I have learned so much about myself, the students, and how it is to really be apart of a boarding school community. There are positives and negatives but the positives outweigh the negatives.
Positives:
The work is HARD but it is very REWARDING. I have loved watching the students learn from me and even laugh at me when I make mistakes with English grammar (we're human, it happens ;) ) I am thrilled about the work I have done with them and seeing even the slightest improvements in their English! I have learned to make lesson plans that adheres to every student and to challenge them even when they look at me with blank stares and a "heh?" They do understand you, don't let them fool you!
I also really love being in the classroom. It feels very natural to me to walk around and help the students. You get more of an insight on how they work and where they need the most help.
It has also been great to become a friend to the students. Meet them on their level, while creating a firm boundary, and watch how they come to you and just want to chat!
Being a part of a boarding school family is a huge highlight to this job. I am in Familie Plaumann and I love it. We are a family of eight girls, aged 12-16 and a family "mother", Frau Plaumann. It has been great to learn about the girls and to help influence them or just be there for them. I think within' the family you can be a bit more free and yourself because you genuinely spend more time with them! Each family also takes a family trip. My family and I went to a horse ranch and it was a lot of fun.. I rode my first horse and the girls were ecstatic that I tried it out for the first time in Germany!
There are a ton of clubs or things you can get involved in but don't push yourself to hard.. you'll just tire out. I love going to Sozialgilde and the baking club! It is a good switch up from the day to day activities.
There is plenty of time off to go exploring! If there is a free spot you can join on the international student weekends. With these trips I have visited - Bamberg, Berlin, and Stuttgart.
You can save a ton of money here!
Getting to know the other families that live at the boarding school. I have had such a better experience here by connecting to the people I am living around. They have really made me feel at home and they are always there to help you out!
Use of German and bettering your German! :)
There is CAKE every week! This is a very essential and important part of the job ;) they are absolutely delicious!
Negatives:
Some times life can get overwhelming here but you just have to find the right balance for you and how to also take care of yourself (physically,mentally). I enjoy sharing a glass of wine with Sara, hanging out with different families here, or going out with Regina. I also take full pride in just staying home and relaxing! Find your balance :)
Communication can be sometimes difficult here but be straightforward and don't be afraid to ask someone you're close with here for some help!
It can be very hard to breakthrough with the students but don't take it personally. Keep trying new things and introducing fun ways to approach learning and English. Be kind to them and give them time to come to you.
Work days can be very long and take some time getting used to.
Overall:
It really really helps to have a strong foundation of the German language before coming here. Also an understanding and respect for the culture. I believe my German skills have helped my time here and helped me integrate more successfully. It also helps when trying to understand the mistakes the students make in English.
If you don't have strong skills in German, don't be scared off it is still possible to do well here! You will get a ton of help with your German.
As I said above, I am very happy with my choice to come here. It has been hard but it was worth it. This is an experience I will always take with me. By having experience in teaching English you are open to so many job opportunities, which is great! I have made wonderful connections with some colleagues and will keep in touch with them even after my time in Haubinda.
A huge thank you to Sara for everything! I can, of course, recommend coming here and helping out! Your work here will be/is greatly appreciated.
I will miss and the students. I hope to come back to visit after I leave!
NicoleDu kannst nur Workawayer mit aktiver Mitgliedschaft kontaktieren.
Weitere Bilder
Moritz and Sabrina enjoying being ridden.
A basketball tournament in our sport's hall.
Another view of our main school building.
One of our regular theatre productions: props, set and costume created by pupils.
Our annual school Christmas concert in a local theatre.
An English lesson in the winter!
Year 10 students cooking South African food during a South Africa project week.
Students and staff proud of the artwork they created as part of a project trip.
Kite-flying on the sport's field.
Some Year 10 students after a hard day's canoeing...
A view of the assistant WG (shared flat, left) taken from the main school building.
The "Zuckertütenfest" for our new Year One pupils.
Feedback
Dies sind zusätzliche optionale Bewertungen, wenn Mitglieder Feedback hinterlassen. Es wird die im Schnitt hinterlassene Bewertung für jede Option angezeigt.
Korrekte Angaben im Profil:
(4.5)
Kultureller Austausch:
(5.0)
Vom Host für Workawayer (Ellie)
Ellie worked in our boarding school for 4 months, unfortunately her stay was cut short due to Corona and we were really sorry she wasn't able to come back.
She is an independent, keen worker who was quick to see where her help was needed. She quickly formed relationships with pupils and staff alike. Ellie is really hard working and goes the extra
… read more mile, making sure children felt comfortable learning English. We would definitely recommend her for other workaways.
Ellie, we wish you all the best at uni!
Vom Workawayer (Melissa) für Host
Coming to work here in Haubinda has been by far the most rewarding experience of my life. I couldn't recommend this work experience enough! I will be eternally grateful to everyone here for making my time here so wonderful. I will dearly miss the friends I have made and the students. This was an incredible Workaway!
The work: The work is
… read more incredibly straightforward; you tutor maybe 10-15 kids, usually one-on-one, in 45min sessions in the afternoons. Each student has different weak areas that should be focused on during the tutoring. You also sit in on a couple english classes and help/assist in class where possible. Occasionally, I help grade essays/find grammatical errors.
During school breaks: This school has many and quite big breaks throughout the year as opposed to the schools in the US, which came as a pleasant surprise to me! On long off-weekends or during breaks you can hitch a ride on one of the many buses that go to various towns, and take a train from there to a city like Nuremburg, Munich, Berlin etc if you would like to, and stay in hostels or use Couchsurfing for an inexpensive little holiday. There are many opportunities to take an extra place, if there is one, on a trip to a big city with the international students on an off-weekend, and the lodging and transportation is generously covered by the school.
The people: Sara, the English assistant coordinator, is one of the kindest humans you'll ever meet. She, along with other teachers, consistently offered to take me into nearby towns in case I needed to go to the supermarket or something. The people I have worked with are incredibly welcoming, patient, and helpful.
The school: Although a bit rural, the school is located in an incredibly beautiful region of Germany. You would be hard-pressed to find a place with a more starlit sky at night, so that was a wonderful surprise for me, having come from a place as densely populated as New Jersey. It was a little challenging for me to get acclimated to Germany at first, because I wasn't comfortable with the language. My one regret will always be not actually practicing speaking German (as opposed to only studying it) before having come to the school. However, everybody is very encouraging. The best feature of this boarding school is the "Familie" structure. You eat breakfast and dinner with the same 5-8ish students and their Family parent/s (a designated teacher) everyday. You really bond with these students and teachers, not only through dinner and breakfast, but also during Familie Abend. This is held every Thursday night, and we do fun things like go-karting, mini-golfing, seeing a movie, ice-skating, cooking, etc. The school also kindly covers all aspects of the visa process and works it out with you. Additionally, they supplied me with a weekly german class to help me learn the language.Du kannst nur Workawayer mit aktiver Mitgliedschaft kontaktieren.
Vom Host für Workawayer (Nicole)
Dear Nicole, thank you for being a lovely English Assistant for the last 11 months here!
Nicole is a friendly, open person who finds it easy to communicate with staff and pupils alike. She has earned her place here as a member of our school community. Her German made an enormous improvement over the year and she now has no difficulties
… read more communicating in German, both socially and at work.
Nicole takes great pride in devising individually tailored lessons for our weaker reluctant English learners and is quick to build a relationship with them and to recognize where their weaknesses lie. She also has a calm and approachable manner which enables pupils to open up to her.
Nicole really rose to the challenge of working here and took on responsibility above and beyond the norm in looking after a group of female boarders when their teacher became ill. She also learned some of the skills of German baking, which will enable her to prepare Kaffee and Kuchen for future workaway employers!
Nicole, you will be missed when you go. Good luck with your studies and come back and see us any time you're in the area!
Vom Workawayer (Nicole) für Host
Eleven months ago I was offered to come here and help teach for a year alongside English teachers. My time here is winding down and I am shocked at how fast it has gone by. Though, I can honestly say that it was the best impulse decision I have ever made. This is a special and different place - one that I will never forget!
This has been my
… read more first Workaway and my first real job after graduating college. I have learned so much about myself, the students, and how it is to really be apart of a boarding school community. There are positives and negatives but the positives outweigh the negatives.
Positives:
The work is HARD but it is very REWARDING. I have loved watching the students learn from me and even laugh at me when I make mistakes with English grammar (we're human, it happens ;) ) I am thrilled about the work I have done with them and seeing even the slightest improvements in their English! I have learned to make lesson plans that adheres to every student and to challenge them even when they look at me with blank stares and a "heh?" They do understand you, don't let them fool you!
I also really love being in the classroom. It feels very natural to me to walk around and help the students. You get more of an insight on how they work and where they need the most help.
It has also been great to become a friend to the students. Meet them on their level, while creating a firm boundary, and watch how they come to you and just want to chat!
Being a part of a boarding school family is a huge highlight to this job. I am in Familie Plaumann and I love it. We are a family of eight girls, aged 12-16 and a family "mother", Frau Plaumann. It has been great to learn about the girls and to help influence them or just be there for them. I think within' the family you can be a bit more free and yourself because you genuinely spend more time with them! Each family also takes a family trip. My family and I went to a horse ranch and it was a lot of fun.. I rode my first horse and the girls were ecstatic that I tried it out for the first time in Germany!
There are a ton of clubs or things you can get involved in but don't push yourself to hard.. you'll just tire out. I love going to Sozialgilde and the baking club! It is a good switch up from the day to day activities.
There is plenty of time off to go exploring! If there is a free spot you can join on the international student weekends. With these trips I have visited - Bamberg, Berlin, and Stuttgart.
You can save a ton of money here!
Getting to know the other families that live at the boarding school. I have had such a better experience here by connecting to the people I am living around. They have really made me feel at home and they are always there to help you out!
Use of German and bettering your German! :)
There is CAKE every week! This is a very essential and important part of the job ;) they are absolutely delicious!
Negatives:
Some times life can get overwhelming here but you just have to find the right balance for you and how to also take care of yourself (physically,mentally). I enjoy sharing a glass of wine with Sara, hanging out with different families here, or going out with Regina. I also take full pride in just staying home and relaxing! Find your balance :)
Communication can be sometimes difficult here but be straightforward and don't be afraid to ask someone you're close with here for some help!
It can be very hard to breakthrough with the students but don't take it personally. Keep trying new things and introducing fun ways to approach learning and English. Be kind to them and give them time to come to you.
Work days can be very long and take some time getting used to.
Overall:
It really really helps to have a strong foundation of the German language before coming here. Also an understanding and respect for the culture. I believe my German skills have helped my time here and helped me integrate more successfully. It also helps when trying to understand the mistakes the students make in English.
If you don't have strong skills in German, don't be scared off it is still possible to do well here! You will get a ton of help with your German.
As I said above, I am very happy with my choice to come here. It has been hard but it was worth it. This is an experience I will always take with me. By having experience in teaching English you are open to so many job opportunities, which is great! I have made wonderful connections with some colleagues and will keep in touch with them even after my time in Haubinda.
A huge thank you to Sara for everything! I can, of course, recommend coming here and helping out! Your work here will be/is greatly appreciated.
I will miss and the students. I hope to come back to visit after I leave!
NicoleDu kannst nur Workawayer mit aktiver Mitgliedschaft kontaktieren.
Vom Workawayer (Madeleine & James) für Host
I stayed in here for four months. It was my first job abroad and my first time away from home for more than three weeks… and I had a great time!
In short:
You should definitely consider this WorkAway opportunity because like it states in the description, the benefits really are numerous. Doing this work, you don’t have to compromise anything in
… read more your own lifestyle - you'll only gain!
More info -
The Work:
As an English assistant I had around 20 students who I did individual "tutoring" with in the afternoons. In the mornings I sat with them in English lessons, which was helpful for me as well as them because I could see how they learnt, what topics they covered, what they had for homework, etc. Whenever I had questions, teachers were always happy to help which made working here so stress-free and enjoyable!
Your Own Opportunities and Self-Development:
- Before going to work at the school, I hadn’t spoken German in two years. When I first arrived, I could hardly string a sentence together but everyone was so patient and helpful, and of course communicating became so much easier with time. Plus, there’s a whole library full of books to practice reading and building your vocab!
- I had plenty of opportunities to experience German culture here, from the local Kirmes (which are like village Oktoberfests during the summer), to visiting towns and cities (Berlin, Munich, Erfurt, Mainz, etc.) during the long weekends and school holidays. Other highlights included the Schulfest, drinking 1EUR beers on Saturday evenings on the over-16 evenings, watching the world cup on the projector with the students.
- The school has an almost endless list of clubs you can join, or you can create your own if you have a different hobby.
The People:
The students are very polite, friendly and funny. It also has "families" of students which assistants become a part of, helping with homework some evenings and joining “family evenings” every Thursday night which include going to the cinema, barbecuing, ordering Pizza, cooking, etc. Teachers meet up at least once a week in the evening to relax and drink a glass of wine, which was great for getting to know people and having some fun.
Sara herself, who "looks after" the assistants, is absolutely amazing. She's friendly, approachable, funny, and made me feel so at home. It's hard to convey just how thoughtful she is and how much she did for me: she reorganised my timetable so that I was able to go horse riding, invited me to go Geo-caching and join her family for a dinner out (which they wouldn’t let me pay for!), she invited me to her house for wine on my birthday, invited me to multiple church events and even to join her family for dinner during the Easter holidays when the school is empty and could’ve been very lonely! Her children are just as kind and friendly - they shared their Easter chocolate with me and Ella took me with her to a youth evening in a nearby village. I really can't thank Sara and her family enough for everything they did for me.
Sara's husband also took me with him and another teacher to Erfurt one day and Frau Peters took the other English Assistant and I to Bamberg for a day of sight-seeing and beer tasting, so as you can see I was taken good care of! :D
NB:
The only possible downside is how isolated the school is, which may come as a shock if you're used to a busy town or city lifestyle. However, the school does a lot to combat this - including shopping trips once a fortnight. I also asked other teachers for a lift to the supermarket if I ever needed something I didn't have. Plus, the benefits of being isolated is that the surrounding countryside is absolutely beautiful and the woods behind the school are full of the best jogging / walking routes!Du kannst nur Workawayer mit aktiver Mitgliedschaft kontaktieren.
Vom Host für Workawayer (Madeleine & James)
Dear Maddy, thank you for being a wonderful English Assistant here!
Maddy is a friendly, bubbly, enthusiatic and hard-working person who spent 5 months working with our reluctant English English learners. She took no nonsense from the pupils and ensured that they made the most of their extra lessons. She really did her best to ensure that the
… read more pupils had a more positive outlook on lerning English in general. Maddy really rose to the challenge of working here and took on responsibility above and beyond the norm in looking after a group of female boarders when their teacher became ill.
Maddy had no hesitations about communicating with staff and pupils alike in German and fitted well into the team here.
Maddy, you will be sorely missed. Come and visit again when you're back in the coutry.
Liebe Grüße,
SaraJoin our family for cultural exchange and small daily tasks in Cottbus, Germany
Learn about sustainability and help conserve an old historic building in Erfurt, Germany
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