Ute Hoefel
I grew up in beautiful Austria and after finishing my M. A. at the University of Vienna, I moved to Berlin and got my degree in DaF (German as a Second Language) from the Free University of Berlin. I also got my certification to teach German in high schools and middle schools and taught for a while in a high school in Celle, Germany. There I got my first taste of teaching DaF classes as well.
When I moved to Texas, I started teaching German at a local high school and later I taught at the Rice University. In 2016, I started working at the German Institute for the Southwest. Now, besides teaching language classes, I administer the language exams (Goethe A1 – C2, TestDaF, Goethe Pro, etc.), do teacher training, and help organize cultural events.
Teacher training and ongoing support for my fellow German teachers are very dear to my heart. Teaching German is my great passion and I always look forward to the moment when my students start talking back in German. However, I remember only too well the feeling of being the only German teacher at the school and longing for some exchange with another German speaker. I’d love to be this person for you. I’d like to support my German colleagues, help them with optimizing their teaching skills and thus building up their German programs. I am looking forward to working together with other German teachers, exchanging ideas and developing new skills.
I am excited to join the German Educational Multiplicator Network, offer workshops and help bring the newest methodological and pedagogical approaches to my German colleagues so that together we can expand the German teacher community.