NAME:
Frau Marek
SCHULE:
Northgate High School
KLASSE:
German
SCHULETELEFON:
Mrs Marek was born in Giessen Germany. She received her Abitur at the local
Gymnasium and studied English and Biology at the University of Heidelberg
Germany. She moved with her husband and three children in 1990 to
California. She received her California teaching Credential from the
University of the Pacific in Stockton. She taught in San Francisco for three
years before moving to Vallejo.She received in 2006 the educator of the year
award from the Elks Lodge. In 2007 she received the Duden Award for
outstanding instruction in German from the Association of German
Teachers.2010 she became a John Hopkins Fellow. In 1998 she started an
exchange program between a German High School and Hogan
High School.
Every two years the exchange takes place.
A personal statement:
The greatest personal satisfaction I have received from being a German
Language teacher is feeling as though I have imparted on my students a love
of learning that will make them lifelong learners. I derive satisfaction
from my students being lifelong learners, because I also strive to be a
lifelong learner. When I first moved to the United States, at the age of
18,
I had very limited understanding of English. I learned English by making
friends, reading picture books to my young daughters, volunteering at church
and attending college. The experience of being immersed within the language
and culture allowed me to master the English language. I try to recreate
this
experience for my students through the use of authentic texts, music, film,
and participating in the German American Partnership Program (GAAP).
GAAP matches schools in the U.S. and Germany and helps them set up an
exchange were students travel and attend school in the other country. Many
of my students have told me that this was a “life changing experience” for
them, and this is why I have continued to implement the program since 1998.
Students who participate in this exchange greatly improve their German. I
have witnessed my students being more critical of their own culture. In
many
cases, this experience had an impact on my student’s future career and
educational plans.
My professional satisfaction comes from the process of improving my craft
and
sharing my discoveries with other teachers. I am constantly reading
listserve emails, attending conferences, and reading professional articles
to
improve my teaching. I have always been intrigued by how the brain learns
and keeps information in long term memory. I feel like an explorer trying
out
new techniques that will improve the retention of my lesson. I see myself as
a risk taker: always willing to try out new ideas. Reflecting what worked
and
did not work.
Technology has been a big part of my teaching career. As department chair I
advocated for Smartboards. We purchased them and received training from the
company. During the day we shared our tricks of the trade with one another.
Our students stared to become aware of the change in our teaching. The
smartboards improved the student engagement and time on task. We were very
excited and shared our findings 2007at the CLTA (California, Language
Teacher Association) Conference in Irvine Ca. It was extremely rewarding to
see the response to our session as it was a full house with standing room
only. I feel very privileged to pass on my expertise and make Language
learning more accessible to all students.
Last year I attended a summer workshop for Podcasting and blogging sponsored
by the Goethe Institute in Chicago. I am so proud of myself being one of the
first teachers at my High School that has incorporated blogging in the
curriculum.
Teaching German has been deeply rewarding for me both professionally and
personally.
Every student can learn a language
