Category Archives: Teaching

Music Colors My Life!

Posted on December 28, 2018 by maryannniemczura

Musical notes, beats, rests, keys, sharps, flats, major, minor, staff, treble clef, bass clef, rhythms, voices, moods, time signatures, adagio, allegro, forte, chant, chamber, carols, classical, dynamics, fermata, leitmotifs, sonata, staff, concerto, tones, voices – all this and more characterize … Continue reading →

Day of the Red Pen

Posted on June 2, 2017 by maryannniemczura

Morning alarm at 4 AM. Walk the school track in Pre-dawn moonlight. Usually 3-4 miles and plan for the day ahead. All alone or so I thought. What was that approaching? Oh, no! Mr. Skunk. What do I do? What if … Continue reading →

Posted in education, red pen, Teaching, walking | Tagged newspaper lady, police officer, red pen, retired teacher, skunk encounter, walking school track | 15 Comments

The Adagio of my Life

Posted on August 22, 2015 by maryannniemczura

Having just turned the page to a new chapter of my life this past Monday, I can ruminate on new adventures ahead. I handed over the baton to my successor and trust my students will be in good hands. Letting … Continue reading →

Posted in adagio, Fulbright to Germany, high school, pen pals, rallentando, retirement, Teaching, technology, university, video conferences | Tagged adagio, changes in technology, Fulbright in Germany, life-long learner, pen pals, rallentando, retirement, teaching, tools of the trade, video conferences | 26 Comments

Wir Lieben Deutsch!

Posted on June 13, 2015 by maryannniemczura

Blessed with the best profession in the world as a German teacher, I bid my students goodbye as they embark on life’s adventures. It is my custom with the seniors to offer them a handshake or a hug as they … Continue reading →

Posted in bidding goodbye, German, memories, rewarding profession, students, Teaching | Tagged bittersweet time, college, German, hugs, rewarding profession, saying goodbywe, seniors, students, teaching | 2 Comments

Planting the Seeds

Posted on April 25, 2015 by maryannniemczura

As a teacher, I have learned to expect the unexpected. Leaning in over my desk, he almost whispered his question to me. Had I gone to college? Now we all bring different life experiences to the table. I noted he … Continue reading →

Posted in becoming a teacher, college, fortitude, graduate school, organizational skills, perseverance, Teaching, time management skills | Tagged college, college dgrees, students, studying, studying in Germany, teaching | 4 Comments

Celebrations and World Languages

Posted on February 28, 2015 by maryannniemczura

Except for our July baby, most of our family celebrations fall during January and February. We take time to honor one another and express our love with gestures such as cards, flowers, a cake or pie and dinner with family … Continue reading →

Posted in 6th grade registration for world languages, birthday celebration, birthday celebrations at school, customs in Germany, education, family, family tradition, friends, German culture, German customs, German language, global citizens, interdisciplinary projects, languages, love, pen pal letter exchanges, preparing world leaders, Teacher, Teaching, video conferences, video conferences between US & German schools | Tagged birthday celebrations, birthday songs, family, German, teaching, tolerance, traditions, video conferences, world languages, world peace | Leave a comment

Free German University Study for American Students

Posted on February 21, 2015 by maryannniemczura

It’s that time of the year in our American school district for 6th graders and their parents to make decisions regarding which world language to study. I would like to offer reasons to study German. The emphasis these days is … Continue reading →

Posted in 6th grade registration for world languages, About the book, Colorado, education, Foreign Language Learning, Free German University Study for American students, Fulbright Teacher Exchange, Germany, languages, Massachusetts, parents, preparing world leaders, school, schools in Germany, Teaching, Teaching in Germany | Tagged arts, business, car manufacturer's internships in the US, careers in science, college loans, engineering, German language, German teaching, importance of learning German, jobs using German, literature, medicine, study abroad programs, university study | Leave a comment

Our Lives Were Forever Changed

Posted on February 7, 2015 by maryannniemczura

During the first Fulbright Teacher Exchange Year in 1990-91 when I taught English as a Second Language in Neresheim, our son, Thomas, turned seven in February. His younger sister, Emily, turned three at the beginning of the Fulbright year in … Continue reading →

Posted in birthday celebration, children, customs in Germany, education, family, Fulbright, Fulbright Teacher Exchange, Germany, Oscar Mayer, parents, schools in Germany, Teaching, Teaching in Germany, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Tagged culture in Germany, family, Fulbright Year, German kindergarten, German Schools, Koesingen, Oscar Mayer, remembering, rural towns and villages, teaching in Germany, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | 6 Comments

Quick thinking…

Posted on January 24, 2015 by maryannniemczura

As part of being a teacher, parent and a mother, I have grown accustomed to “assuming blame” when something has been misplaced or heaven forbid moved somewhere such as sweaters or a sock. Even my husband claims he put in … Continue reading →

Posted in : Critical Thinking, languages, life lessons, Mother, parents, Problem Solving, Teaching, Thinking Outside the Box | Tagged children, German vs. English, humor, laundry basket, parents, problem solving, skills, teachers, teaching, tools | Leave a comment

Languages Reveal Cultures

Posted on January 17, 2015 by maryannniemczura

As a German language educator for some forty-eight years now, I am still intrigued with languages and words and recall as a young girl in Massachusetts how we used certain words for everyday things. When I was ten and moved … Continue reading →

Posted in children, Colorado, education, family, Foreign Language Learning, Fulbright Teacher Exchange, influences in life, languages, Massachusetts, parents, rural America, school, South, Sturbridge, Teaching, Teaching in Germany, Western Massachusetts | Tagged bag, childhood, childhood play. Massachusetts, Colorado, countries, cultures, education, family, foreign languages, Fulbrighter, Germany, poke, regional differences, remembering, rural towns and villages, sack, teaching, words | Leave a comment