Today's photo, taken in Barnes and Noble, Friendly Center, is of French teacher extraordinaire, Sue Duemmel. Madame Duemmel, originally from Warren, Ohio, relocated to Greensboro in 1997. She majored in French at Baldwin-Wallace College and obtained an M.A. in French Translation from Kent State University. At first, she worked in the business sector, transitioning to the classroom along the way. Madame Duemmel has a special talent in helping French programs grow. She currently teaches at Ben L. Smith High School to students in Level 5 International Baccalaureate (IB) French. Recently, she cut back to teaching part time, continuing to teach the IB students. They are preparing for the IB French exam. When asked what it has been like teaching during the pandemic, she said, "The last two years have been a sprint, turned into a marathon, at sprint pace." She hopes to continue teaching part time, tutoring, or working in the educational technology field.
When asked what she liked about Greensboro, one of the first things Mme. Duemmel mentioned was the natural beauty and the change of seasons. She walks the watershed trails almost daily. With 18 trails in the area, she pointed out you can walk a different one each day and by the time you return to the first one it has a completely different look. She finds walking the trails very meditative. "You have to pay attention to ensure you don't trip on a tree root." Talking about the French language and culture with Mme Duemmel was so engaging, she had us ready to sign up for lessons! Recently, Mme Duemmel has given presentations at the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina and will present at the end of the month at the Southern Conference on Language Teaching. We sure hope she stays in teaching!
Happy Friday!
GCS are lucky to have her. Hope they can keep her.
Posted by: Jane Mitchell | Friday, March 04, 2022 at 12:59 PM
Very accomplished.
Posted by: William Kendall | Friday, March 04, 2022 at 04:03 PM