Recommendation

• My name is Joseph Lee, and I have been studying German for the past three semester with Gwyneth. I have enjoyed the past three semesters so much, and when Gwyneth asked me to write a recommendation for her for the Teacher of the Year Award, I was very excited to share my experience working with her.
• Three semesters ago, I had zero background in German. When I discussed foreign language options with my advisor, she recommended I take German because she knew Gwyneth had designed the entire program herself and that it would work out well for me. I am extremely grateful for this advice from my advisor.
• I had no background in German or any other foreign language, but from the very beginning, I knew this German sequence with Gwyneth would be successful. Gwyneth hosts a weekly conversation table with all of her German students, and so when I attended this conversation table in the first weeks of my first semester, it became readily apparent to me how effective the entire program is. I was blown away at how easily all of her upper-level German students used the language. This German conversation table is a huge reason for my interest and success in the course, and it perfectly demonstrates how dedicated Gwyneth is to her students.
• This German conversation table is held outside of class times and office hours as a supplement for all students provided on Gwyneth's own time. She chooses to spend her time with us every Thursday evening, and many students like me take advantage of this opportunity every week. She provides coffee and snacks, and even former students who want to still practice their German will regularly attend.
• There are many other aspects that demonstrate Gwyneth's commitment to her students. Her courses are entirely built from scratch. All the material is accessible through Canvas, but it is not simply some publisher's digital content. Instead, Gwyneth has created all the content herself. There are two important benefits for students. First, all the materials are completely free, a significant benefit for students. But maybe more importantly, all of the content of the course is carefully designed and completely aligned each lesson. Publishers with comparatively limitless resources could not design better materials than with what Gwyneth provides us.
• Gwyneth's commitment to students through her weekly conversation table and her ambitious course design is amazing, but on a more simple point, Gwyneth is just an effective teacher.