SPARK for German Lab
Since the fall of Fall 2021, Montclair’s German Program has run a SPARK Lab as part of a fast-growing national network of SPARK Labs, sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of German and the Goethe-Institut.
At our SPARK Lab, a team of about 15 student volunteers work in an after-school program in a local school, teaching elementary school children for about 6 weeks per semester, one hour per week.
Our curriculum is always changing, and we have taught enrichment courses on topics such as “Little Einsteins,” “LEGO Medieval Castle Building + Deutsch,” and “KinderUni Deutsch.” Typically, the topic combines STEM topics with language learning, songs, movement games, soccer, yoga, crafts, and other hands-on activities aiming to increase global awareness, multilingual curiosity, and intercultural openness. We also like to celebrate Laternenfest and Fasching!
Students have many responsibilities, including lesson planning, teaching material creation, song performance, technical coordination, photography, team leading, and small-group facilitation.
Most students have at least intermediate proficiency, but some motivated 101 and 102 students are also successful leaders in the program. We are especially fortunate to frequently have our Austrian exchange students join our teaching team.
Read about the NYC Goethe-Institut’s recent visit to our SPARK for German Teaching Lab.
Students have used their qualifications to:
- Take discounted Goethe-Institut courses
- Participate in national SPARK seminars
- Win prizes such as the Northeastern Conference of Teachers of Foreign Languages (NECTFL) Future Language Educator Scholarship
- Receive scholarships at Middlebury German School
- Gain valuable experience for careers, Fulbright and USTA applications, and graduate school.
