Student Reports
Here you will find reports on experiences by students who have completed a semester stay or a four-week Teaching practicum in Zug.
In the fall semester of 2022, we welcomed more visiting students to the University of Teacher Education Zug than ever before. A total of eleven students from Wuppertal, Potsdam, Regensburg, Fribourg, Prague and Dublin spent a semester in Zug. Three students from the Czech Republic and Ireland attended the English language program offered by the PH Zug to international students. Barbora Kudláčková described her stay in Zug like this:
"PH Zug is a wonderful place to study. All teachers are very friendly and helpful with everything you need even though you don’t speak their language. All the students speak very good English as well and they are not shy to speak with foreign students not only during the lectures. Lectures are effectively planned and well managed – teachers focus on the practical experience, they offer a lot of teamwork and active exercises during classes. School is well equipped, so the conditions for studying are perfect!"
María Vicente Hernández from the Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid attended PH Zug in January 2022 and completed a four-week teaching practicum at the International School of Zug and Lucerne.
«Coming to Zug has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. As for the goals and professional benefit of this experience, they have exceeded my expectations in a very positive way. Mainly, my learning aim at the school was discovering how to apply new methodologies and knowing new resources/activities to carry out in my future class. Moreover, I have been able to analyze how those methods affect the level of development in the students, and what attitudes or values teachers have when teaching.»
Alejandra Quintana Gonzalez and Laura Romero Martin from the Universidad Pontificia Comillas Madrid and Elisa Zanini from the Università di Bologna attended PH Zug for a semester exchange in autumn semester 2021. They studied within the English course programme that PH Zug offers to international students. Elisa Zanini said about her stay in Zug:
"The subjects were all in English for us and all the professors could speak it perfectly. My favourite subject was Intercultural pedagogy in the focus week, were we could meet people who immigrated to Switzerland from different parts of the world. We could hear their stories and talk about integration as citizens and as teachers; for me it was amazing, very practical, very emotional and very diverse and I loved that the University provided a course like that."
Interview Elisa Zanini
Report Elisa Zanini
Report Alejandra Quintana
Report Laura Romero
Belén Ruiz Santos from the Universidad Pontificia Comillas Madrid attended PH Zug for a semester exchange in autumn semester 2020. She studied within the English course programme that PH Zug offers to international students. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic she was unfortunately the only exchange student in this semester. Belén Ruiz Santos said about her stay in Zug:
"When I think about all the things I have learnt during my exchange program I definitely think about all the lectures I have received at PH, because they were all very different of what I was used to learn and they taught me important aspects for education that I will use in my future. Also, having the opportunity of doing teaching practice in an international school let me understand a new way of education with many different characteristics that I will keep with me forever."
Ainhoa González Uriarte, Maria Perez Garcia (both Universidad Pontificia Comillas Madrid), Lam Yu Ching and Lau Chak Man (both the Education University of Hong Kong) have attended PH Zug for a semester exchange in autumn semester 2019. They studied within the English course programme that PH Zug offers to international students. Ainhoa González Uriarte said about her stay in Zug:
"What is most worth about this exchange is undoubtedly the internship. Two days a week at the international school are a real supplement to the exchange. I have learned more in four months here than in two years of career. The method of organizing and monitoring practices is also much more reflective than what I am used to. You will be able to make an important reflection about what you would like to pursuit in your professional future. It is a unique experience where you can also improve your level of English."
Read the interview with Ainhoa González Uriarte
Final report Ainhoa González Uriarte
Interview Maria Perez Garcia
Final Report Maria Perez Garcia
Breanne Packer, Lindsay Sandstrom, Natalie Gummow and Sadie Haslam from Utah Valley University (USA) attended PH Zug in November 2019 and completed a six-week internship at the Tagesschule Elementa and the International School of Zug and Lucerne.
«The overall program was fantastic! I loved the school I was at, the classroom teacher I had, and the students I taught. It was such an amazing experience learning about the curriculum, the education system, and view points throughout this part of the world. My eyes have been opened and my perspective and beliefs about education have been widened. I believe I am a better teacher because of this program!»
Final report Breanne Packer
Final report Lindsay Sandstrom
Final report Natalie Gummow
Final report Sadie Haslam
Brianna Stephens, Brigette Roberts, Joshua Barret und Sarah Knowles from Deakin University in Australia attended PH Zug in November 2019 and completed a four-week teaching practicum at the Tagesschule Elementa and the International School of Central Switzerland.
«The information, observation and experiences from this program will definitely impact my future teaching in a positive way. I feel the experiences of the school allowed me to see different ways of teaching and engaging students in learning.»
Final report Brianna Stephens
Final report Brigette Roberts
Final report Joshua Barret
Final report Sarah Knowles
Stéphanie Condie (Universidad Pontificia Comillas Madrid) and Chan Chun Hin (The Education University of Hong Kong) have attended PH Zug for a semester exchange in autumn semester 2018. They studied within the new English course programme that PH Zug offered to international students for the first time. Stéphanie Condie said about her stay in Zug:
"It has been a very powerful experience and made myself grow. Not only because of the modules here but because of the different experiences that I lived and the way challenges came into my way and how I overcame them. But overall because of the people that I have met here and all the things I have learnt from them. I really feel that this experience has been very enriching and gave me a completely new perspective about life, inclusion, openness and diversity."
Read the full interview with Stéphanie Condie
Ellen Boundy, Jemima Dunham, Charlotte Dutton und Cassie Furst from Deakin University in Australia attended PH Zug in November 2018 and completed a four-week teaching practicum at the Tagesschule Elementa and the International School of Central Switzerland.
«I have managed to push myself out of my comfort zone and overcome the challenge of the language barrier. I will take all my learnings from this experience in a Swiss school and try to find a way to incorporate the elements I think worked well into my teaching back in Australia. This experience has questioned my pedagogical philosophy and has pushed me to become a better teacher.»
Final Report Ellen Boundy
Final Report Jemima Dunham
Final Report Charlotte Dutton
Final Report Cassie Furst
Elena Garcia and Marta de Miguel from the Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid attended PH Zug in January 2018 and completed a four-week teaching practicum at the Tagesschule Elementa.
«We really recommend to have the experience we had to future students, we think it allows you to open your mind, share different ideas and points of view and this is very enriching for anyone.»