Susanne was born in Germany where she was raised and earned her High School Diploma at Schickhardt High School, Herrenberg. She studied English and German at the University of Heideberg, when, at the age of 20, she moved to Canada. She obtained her BA in German history and German Literature from Laval University. She continued her studies at that University for an additional year and obtained a Teaching Certificates for DaF (German as a Foreign Language) and German for College (university) Level German. She started her career as an educator in Canada, teaching in a variety of capacities: ESOL, including working in adult education, a adult drop-out prevention centre, and with onsite training for employees of companies, dealing with Germany. Most courses were within the Québec City public school system. During this time, she also had her first taste of China, working as a language trainer with the Yunnan Institute of Technology. After 18 years in Canada, due to her husband’s new position, she moved to Florida in the USA where she continued in the public school sector at Fort Myers High School, where she had her first encounter with the IB/DP programs, at what was one of the first schools in the US to offer the IB Diploma Programme. She simultaneously worked as an Adjunct Professor of German at a local community college.
After about 15 years in North America she enrolled at Hagen University. As there were no German literature courses offered at Universities in Southern Florida, she enrolled for distant learning courses with Hagen University, Germany. Upon completing her MA, she continued to teach at another IB World School for 6 years, and then she returned to Germany to become Head of the World Language Department at Stuttgart International School, an IB World School. This move into the international schools sector led her to teaching roles at other leading IB schools including the Mercedes Benz International School (India) and College Alpin Beau Soleil (Switzerland) where she gained boarding school experience. She is now teaching at the International School of Tianjin in China.
Her extensive experience has included the Canadian and US curricula, IGCSEs and DP and MYP programs. She has taught young children, adolescents and adults from a wide range of nationalities and socio-economic backgrounds. She has obtained the challenging US National Board Certification, qualifications in ESOL, and attended workshops on mentoring, mass media and education, ICT, literacy and consumer awareness training for students. She also holds US teaching certification and her expertise was sought when she became a member of the revision committee for the Florida Examination for Teachers of German.
Her long career as a teacher in IB World Schools has provided her with many IB professional development opportunities. She attended the ECIS German language teacher training at the International School Munich, Starnberger See, training seminars in IB German A Literature in Paris and Amsterdam, with another planned for German A Language and Literature in Berlin in 2017, and workshops on IB Assessment and Planning. She enjoyed being able to share teaching experiences with colleagues at World Language Conferences in Geneva, Switzerland. A well-rounded IB Educator, she has been involved with the ISA’s Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and German language and film clubs. She has also supervised an IB Extended Essays (Entartete Kunst im Dritten Reich) and several Personal Projects for MYP students. This German polyglot also has experience with supervising an SSST IB French (SL) student! Susanne is a wonderful addition to our ILLTC team of IB educators and her current situation in China makes her an ideal person to supervise SSST German students in Southeast Asia.
