
Department(s)
Education & Experience
- BA in English and German, The College William and Mary, summa cum laude and with honors
- MA in German Language and Literature, Vanderbilt University
- PhD in German Language and Literature, Vanderbilt University
Courses Taught
Bio
I’ve heard German since I can remember, since both of my parents are native German speakers. Still, we only spoke English at home, and I would hear Swiss German every summer when I visited my grandparents or when my mom chatted with friends on the phone. (When I was growing up, they thought kids would mix up languages if they heard more than one–we now know that this simply isn’t true.) Despite this exposure, I didn’t really learn the language until the 8th grade, when I was in a German 1 class with 25 other language learners.
I continued learning German in college, and I had the opportunity to spend a year abroad at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster. That year, I expanded my academic abilities, and also enjoyed using German to communicate in my daily life. I was able to have conversations with German students, and also fellow exchange students from around the world. Speaking a language other than English fostered relationships and opened doors to more opportunities. One such opportunity was pursuing my doctorate in German Language and Literature at Vanderbilt University. While working on my degree, I got to study literature, translation, and theology at the Freie Universität Berlin.
As Chair of World Languages, I support our teachers as they help students acquire another language. My hope is that students learn to engage with people and ideas they might not otherwise have access to, so that they expand their worlds and learn to be global citizens– and good neighbors.
I live in rural Virginia with my husband and sons. When I’m not outside in the garden or riding my bike, I’m reading the latest German novel or cooking the recipes my Swiss mother taught me.
On teaching: In my classroom, language is a tool students use to navigate meaning and encounter new ideas. I provide an input-rich environment, where students are immersed in the language through videos, songs, texts, and stories. Through these different sources, students see language as it’s used in daily context. From there, they grow their vocabulary and grammatical abilities, and gain confidence communicating about an ever-growing range of topics and ideas.
Teaching Sample
Question & Answer
At WTMA, I get to work with students who are interested in learning the language. Most students sign up for German because they want to learn! While I do have the occasional student who might not be as interested in learning another language, I find that the enthusiasm of the other students is infectious. And because language is communicative, students get to interact with one another in class. This means that we get to have fun while acquiring new skills, and so even reluctant learners have a chance to get excited about learning German.
I love teaching online because I am able to bring German to students all over the world. Whether they are taking an online class because they don’t have a similar opportunity in their school, or because they are homeschooling, online classes give students access to further learning opportunities. Students who stick with German might wind up studying abroad, traveling, or even using German in their own communities.