DIE UNTERRICHTSPRAXIS/ TEACHING GERMAN

The new editorial team has taken over the reins of the UP and is working hard on the next issue for May 2023. This is a good time to get to know them a little better.

Co-editor Karin Baumgartner grew up in Romanshorn, on the Swiss side of the Bodensee She began her education at the University of Zurich but followed her Wanderlust to Minneapolis, where she worked for the Amity Institute as a German teacher One thing led to another, and she found herself a student in the German department at the University of Minnesota, where she completed an MA After receiving her PhD from Washington University in St. Louis, she ended up at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. Today she teaches at the University of Utah. Her involvement in AATG (beyond paying dues) began when, one fateful weekend, she met Helene Zimmer-Lowe at the regional conference (Go SCOLT!) and was encouraged to apply for TraiNDaF. In for a penny, in for a pound: Before she could blink, Karin was serving as the cochair of the conference selection program, on the AATG executive board, as chair of the FLACH committee, and on the UP editorial board. Thanks to Helene, Karin has always straddled the language/literature divide, publishing on both sides of the ‘aisle’ Karin is mother to two young adults and a lovely dog In her spare time, Karin enjoys running, hiking, yoga, and her favorite, body pump In the summer, she will lead a Brothers Grimm-themed tour to Germany for Go Learn at the University of Utah

Co-editor Mat Schulze was born ‘Mathias’ in the small town of Finsterwalde in Germany and went to school there and later to the Pädagogische Hochschule in Leipzig Soon after graduation, he left the newly united Germany for England, where he earned his PhD in Language Engineering Not even he knew what this meant exactly; he just worked on a research prototype of a grammar checker for English-speaking learners of German. He likes working with computers, as they have always been very nice to him, and their writing was so much easier to read than his own. Mat always dreamed of living where the palm trees grow, and, in 2017, jumped at the opportunity to work at San Diego State University. He enjoys the multilingual nature of the city - particularly its wonderful impact on the gastronomy and cuisine. He likes the simple pleasures in life such hiking and swimming. When he is not doing work for Die Unterrichtspraxis, he directs a center at SDSU, which runs intensive language training courses in many less commonly taught languages for government personnel and he teaches German language and linguistics as well as European Studies courses If you would like to know more, visit his blog at https://pantarhei.press/on-pantarhei/team/mat/.

Book review editor Lucian Rothe is an assistant professor of German at the University of Louisville. He grew up in Blankenburg/Harz (Sachsen-Anhalt). After studying in Marburg (Hesse) to become a teacher, he moved to the United States and received an MA in German Language and Literature from the University of Missouri (Columbia) and a PhD in German with a minor in Second Language Acquisition from the University of Wisconsin (Madison) As an applied linguist, he specialized in perceptions of world language communities and strategies to make the study of German more diverse and socially just. His latest work investigated stereotypical notions about teachers of German, engaging instructional materials, and equitable program-development approaches. He has taught various university courses, mentored graduate teaching assistants, and collaborated with other educators, students, and organizations to promote inclusive and sustainable German programs

Growing up in the Harz, he has always enjoyed the outdoors, especially walks, runs, cross-country skiing, and visits to the Baumkuchen café. If you’re ever in the area, please let him know. He would be happy to grab a hot chocolate together or go for a run/walk with German educators.

The next issue of Die Unterrichtspraxis is dedicated to the Forum “Here and Now.” We asked contributors to reflect on “(Re)Discoveries in a Time of Disruption.” The response to our call for short papers was very positive: 45 abstracts with an expression of interest arrived in our unterrichtspraxis@aatg.org inbox. Disruptions such as Covid-19, German program closures, and calls for decolonization have affected our teaching, and many instructors are grappling with productive responses, including how to incorporate wellness strategies into language teaching and how to address equity, diversity, and inclusion in the classroom. We are in awe of the collective creativity and resilience of our colleagues and the sincere desire to provide our students with the best possible German education. Please look for the spring issue in May, where we will publish a large selection of the 37 short articles we received

We invite regular manuscripts of 6000-8000 words for the fall issue. If you gave a presentation at ACTFL, probably, we have already invited you to submit your manuscript. If you want to discuss your idea with the co-editors, please contact us (unterrichtspraxis@aatg.org). We are interested in all topics, from literature to grammar, from linguistic studies to ideas about how to structure the German curriculum in more equitable ways We are particularly interested in manuscripts from scholars at every level and every school type (high school teachers to graduate students to junior and senior professors).

We are also looking for materials’ reviewers: Do you use or are you interested in exploring printed and digital materials for German courses, such as course books, literary texts, and apps, that could be of interest to other educators? Feel free to reach out to Lucian.Rothe@louisville.edu to volunteer to review or suggest materials for review.