In conversation with Johanna Thiele - February 2025
In conversation with Johanna Thiele - The former pupil of the Schloss-Schule currently lives in Kirchberg-Lendsiedel. Johanna comes from an inland shipping family. She began training as a helmswoman while still at school. She successfully completed this. Johanna is now studying civil engineering by distance learning, as she already works part-time in her profession, which gives her more flexibility.
What is the first thing that spontaneously comes to mind when you think of your time at the Schloss-Schule?
The first thing that comes to mind is that the teachers always make sure that you are not alone. There really is always someone there and there is support. I also thought it was great that there were so many different courses on offer in the upper school. This gives you a wide choice and a real variety to pursue your own interests at school.
What did you find different about the Schloss-Schule compared to the other schools?
At the other schools, I felt there was significantly less support and personal contacts. There was also much less digital media used in lessons. This was really good at the Schloss-Schule, especially during the coronavirus period, and it made completely different lessons possible.
I was at the Schloss-Schule from Year 10 and attended the upper school here. At that time, I decided to repeat year 10.
What has changed for you at the Schloss-Schule?
There were musical activities, which I really enjoyed. I really enjoyed that. I then also took music as an advanced course. Thanks to the wide range of activities on offer, I had many more opportunities, especially in the field of music, and also had the freedom to try things out and learn a lot.
What did you find formative at the SK? What values, life lessons or other influences have stayed with you to this day?
Due to the internationality and the many different students and teachers, you experience great diversity at the school. There is a great deal of mutual acceptance. You get to know different cultures and how important it is to treat each other with respect and consideration. What is also noticeably lived at the Schloss-Schule is that everyone is equal and that no differences are made. We talked a lot about the different cultures and the different ways of behaving as a result. Things were explained, which meant that everyone understood each other better. Nobody is excluded because he or she is different. Everyone is included.
What was your experience of changing schools in the sixth form?
I had the feeling I was getting on well right from the start. We were all picked up well in terms of subject matter. A lot of emphasis was placed on balancing out the different levels of knowledge, depending on where someone came from, and that everyone was at the same level at the end of year 10. Through subjects such as ethics, for example, you also got to know other students with whom you were then together again in the course level. That made it easier for me to get into the course system because I already knew some of them. What is also very noticeable is that everyone is working towards the same goal. You feel like you belong and support each other accordingly. My course choice of music, math and biology was great for me.
What happened after Schloss-Schule?
After graduating, I started my distance learning course in civil engineering straight away in October 2023. The distance learning course requires a high degree of self-organization and discipline. I've already had to learn this during the coronavirus period and it's helping me now. Distance learning allows me to work part-time as a helmswoman and support my family when I need to. This is the big advantage of distance learning for me.
What are you grateful for?
I am very grateful that I was accepted at the Schloss-Schule. I had the feeling that grades alone are not the deciding factor, but that the person is seen. And if you want to achieve something, the Schloss-Schule gives you the best opportunities to develop and pursue your interests. That's really great! I also think it's worth mentioning that the coronavirus period at the Schloss-Schule was handled so professionally and I'm very grateful for that. I had experienced the beginning of Corona at another school and that was completely different in terms of organization. You also got the technical equipment from the school if you didn't have the facilities at home.
Looking back on your time at school, what would you do differently today?
With hindsight, I would perhaps have taken more of an initiative to get in touch with the other pupils from the boarding school. Perhaps we could have arranged to meet up again and again to study together. But this was simply more difficult during this time of Corona due to the general conditions.
Would you like to support the school and the current students?
If so, what would you like to do?
I would be very happy to give presentations, for example in the field of shipping. I would also be happy to talk about my experiences with distance learning after graduation.
What else would you like to say?
What I found really great was that I always received good feedback on my current level of knowledge. I felt well informed here. Due to the interaction with each other and the circumstances, I became independent very quickly and still always had contacts at the school that I could turn to.
Sometimes it would have been nice if we, as local students, had had more opportunities to use the boarding school's facilities to spend more time together. The Schloss-Schule is definitely not just a place to learn, but also a place to live.