Seeing cows roam ‘freely’ during a hike in Austria. I made way too many selfies with these cuties!

During the summer semester of 2024, I had the chance to gain my first Erasmus experience. I purposefully write “first experience”, because that semester pleased me so much that I actively researched for ways to stay in Graz afterwards. The staff from the Institute of Intercultural Relations at the PHSt helped me find out that the Erasmus organization offers something called “Erasmus internship for graduates”. So, since I graduated that summer semester, I immediately applied for another Erasmus experience!

And there I was, after a summer spent home organizing my internship and accommodation, back in Graz in September of 2024. For the following eight months, my main pastime was to be in Volksschule Rosenberg, discovering inclusive education in Styria, and to my surprise, I discovered so much more.

The primary school of Rosenberg is a school for inclusive education, with focus on kids with a hearing disability. Alongside of improving my German, I had to learn Austrian Sign Language to be able to communicate with some of the kids. I assisted in 4 different classrooms, with varied tasks and expectations.

During those eight months, there has been such a big learning curve. At the start of my internship, I mostly felt so lost! I was only capable of understanding the basics of the school language, let alone speak it correctly. I felt helpless when another communication with a kid ended up in a confused face. But with a lot of patience, and studying both languages in my free time, bit by bit, my language skills improved and the communication became more and more successful. I started to have a more specific time schedule, where I mainly taught English, music and some arts classes. Slowly, the school system became second nature to me, I knew the teachers and the kids, everything fell into place, and I ended up finding my place and utility in the school. I received all the support and kindness that I needed to grow, the teachers made me feel extremely welcome, and I created a real bond with the kids.

Now, the time has come to say goodbye and that makes my heart is so sad! I will miss these kids with my whole heart, and some of the teachers left a big impression on me and on my way of teaching. I am immensely grateful of this experience, and with a bit of luck, I might still end up working in that school. Who knows?

Beautiful Austria mountains. Hikes bring you to the craziest places. Isn’t it breathtaking?

ERASMUS+ HIGHLIGHTS:

• During my first Erasmus in Graz, I fell in love with the nature of Austria! Whether watching those mountainy and hilly views while on the train or going on the most beautiful hikes, Austria always took my breath away.
• I was invited to join the school excursion of a class of year 4. These 3 days with the kiddos, were pure fun and laughter. I loved every minute of it, and it improved the bond with those kids even more. I keep this memory very preciously in my heart.

Playing some games with the class on school excursion.

LEARNING GAIN:

• In Belgium, where I come from, we don’t have lessons of “Werken” (arts and crafts). I learned so many handy things during those classes! It piqued my interest a lot, and I think I will start to name it as a hobby of mine, from now on. 😊
• Of course, the cultural exchange is a big part of the Erasmus experience, and not only did I deepen my understanding and knowledge of the Austrian culture, but also and mostly of the culture of the hard of hearing community.

After having lived for almost a year and a half in Graz, I’m sure this place counts as a second home for me. I will always come back to it with a backpack filled to the brim with beautiful memories. Yet, there will always be space for new ones, and I am very much looking forward to them!

Lou Heusdens