Anke Woodsmall

I was born and raised in Bonn, the former Capital of the Federal Republic of Germany, in North-Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). During school I attended the German Scout program (St. Georgs Pfadfinder) and became an international scout leader. I enjoyed the challenging work with children. After my A-levels I applied for business studies at the Fachhochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg. The desire to become a teacher became clear through the Scout program and the exciting work with children. I moved to Paderborn and started my studies for elementary level education at the University of Paderborn. During this time I had the chance to go to Australia as an exchange student for one year. In 2007 I passed das Erste Staatsexamen (first state exam). I continued my teacher training in Wipperfürth, close to Cologne. There I completed my studies with das Zweite Staatsexamen (the second state exam). For two years I worked as a substitute teacher in different primary schools in the Rhine Area. After moving to Portland, I got married and we are now raising my son in this beautiful town. My interest in different cultures and the cultural exchange with children are the major reasons why I work for the German International School. In my free time I like to travel, do artwork, go skiing, read a good book, and simply spending time with my son.  I'm looking forward to another challenging and interesting year in Portland.