Allison Maike Rosenau

905 Madison Street, Brighton, MI 48116

alymrose@umich.edu | (248)425-0041

Allison Rosenaus Philosophy of Teaching and Learning

Ich bin klein, mein Herz ist rein These were my first words in the German language. As a young child, I
did not understand why my mom taught me these words and why I had to recite them each night. All I knew
was that her mom recounted them with her when she was growing up, so it became a tradition in our family.
As I grew older, I became increasingly proud of my German heritage. I wanted to learn more and more about
it. I would always ask my grandmother to tell me stories about living in Germany. At the young age of seven, I
had the opportunity to see where my family came from during a family trip to Germany. While I had no formal
learning of the German language, I tried my best to learn what I could. When the opportunity presented itself
for me to take German in school, I jumped at it. I could finally learn more about my heritage and how to be
closer to my family. To this day, I am intrigued by the German language and culture. I hope to instill this
excitement in others as they learn more about Germany. While most people may not have had the upbringing I
have, I think everyone can benefit from learning a language and can find something that draws them into a
language, such as German.
As a teacher, I want to make learning fun and intriguing for students. There are so many ways to do this for
students and it is ever changing. I have learned a variety of activities through my own German learning that I
find make learning a language more enjoyable. I have picked up these activities from my middle and high
school German teachers, as well as from my teachers while studying abroad in Germany. It is important that
to grow as a teacher, I constantly must learn new activities that students find interesting. By traveling the
world and being available to input from my students, new and exciting activities will continually flow into my
classroom.
While I may be a teacher for my students, it is important that I learn from my students and am taught from
them as well. I hope to be a welcoming and friendly source for my students that they feel comfortable coming to
for help in and out of the classroom. Being a teacher means so much more than teaching ones content area.
Teachers are the people kids spend a majority of their time with during the week. We must help students learn
about the world outside of school, while still teaching them in various subjects. It is my goal to help open
students eyes to more than what they see on a daily basis. Being a language teacher can help me in this feat.
There is so much more to language than the speaking, listening, and writing. These are important aspects of a
language, but it is important to take into consideration where languages come from. Culture is something that
I find extremely important to learning a language. How were the children of Germany raised? Who is
Krampus? Why do they eat those foods? Why do they raise a finger instead of their hand? These are just a few
of the parts of language that go beyond the technical aspect. There is a world outside of one town, one state, or
one country. I will make sure my students are aware of that and help them become citizens of the world.
Becoming worldly people will help my students gain success in life. I hope to help my students becoming
successful in their life plans and goals. Part of this is being available to help all of my students and gaining
their respect. To earn their respect, I will have rules in place and a structured classroom. I have worked to
create a classroom management plan that is well organized and will help my students do their best. By having
an enjoyable time with rules in place, students will learn that fun can be had while being respectful and
following the guidelines. One aspect of my management that I think will be extremely beneficial for students is
my availability to them. I have created office hours where my students can come in for extra help in a safe and
friendly environment.
In being a teacher, I hope to help teach my students about the German language and culture while also
creating respectful world citizens.