Two German department student instructors reveal what the classroom’s like from a teacher’s perspective.
When most undergraduates go to class, they expect to sit behind a desk and listen to their instructor teach new material and answer questions. However, in the College of Humanities, some undergraduates go to class not to sit at a desk but to stand in front of it as the class instructor. In the College, many language programs provide students in advanced language classes the opportunity to teach an introductory language course while at BYU. These teachers fulfill all the traditional roles of college-level instructors, including grading and curriculum development. Recent graduates Ellie Nelson (Communication Disorders, German ’24) and Maria Bacon (MA Second Language Teaching ’25) spent the bulk of their undergraduate years as student instructors for German classes and are now preparing to one day teach a class of their own—not as students, but as professors.
Stepping into the Classroom
Nelson and Bacon grew up speaking German and were later called to serve church missions in Germany, where they further improved their language skills. As undergrads, they met German professor Teresa Bell (German), who introduced them to the student instructing program. Once on track to teach, Nelson and Bacon enrolled in two courses made specifically for student instructors: one course introducing teaching methods and the other allowing undergraduates to sit in on student instructor classrooms. Nelson explains that in these preparatory classes, “it’s all the language [instructors] together. So, you get mini lessons in Czech as well as Spanish. It was a really fun class.” Once Nelson and Bacon completed these precursory classes, both undergrads began to create their own curriculum, write coursework and tests, and teach incoming language learners.
When Nelson began teaching, she found her time in the classroom difficult for a myriad of reasons, one primary reason being that though she was the course instructor, she was also the same age, or younger, than her students. Nelson explains, “It was weird at the beginning. But after a while, it was very fun to have everyone be the same age. Being a student myself, I tried to make my class really fun and high learning but also an engaging class that I would want to take myself.”
Bacon too began teaching at a young age, but her biggest obstacle was tackling the unique challenges that came from online learning during COVID-19. Teaching for the first time during a global crisis felt discouraging at first, but Bacon persisted in teaching, and the following semesters proved much more fulfilling. She says, “I had a horrible first semester, but [now] I don’t want to stop [teaching] because there are so many more things I want to try.”
Embracing the Role of Teacher
This excitement for teaching has rubbed off on both Nelson and Bacon, inspiring both of them to pursue a teaching career. They enjoy personal interactions with students in the classroom and have even found the planning, preparation, and personal meetings with students exciting. Bacon and Nelson have both found that this work behind the scenes actually makes the biggest difference in the students’ classroom experience as well. Bacon explains how grateful she felt for the support she received from her department as she prepped for her classes. She says, “The professor’s adjunct department wants [instructors] to take as much time as we need, [which] motivates you to want to go out of your way to make creative activities or bake something for [the students].” This has helped Nelson and Bacon have a firm focus on not just teaching students German but also creating educational and meaningful experiences for German students.
Aside from their experience in the classroom, both students have had the opportunity to attend the annual Vienna, Austria, study abroad as German teachers. Bacon recalls the trip, saying, “It was really good for me and my teaching skills because I realized that you have to know what the goal of your students is." With this perspective in mind, Bacon was able to revamp her lessons catered at learning German in the US and instead teach her students curriculum that helped them use their language skills to navigate Vienna. Making this change required a great deal of creativity, but by the end of the trip, Bacon’s students expanded their conversational German through grocery store scavenger hunts, impromptu conversations with natives around the city, and lots of out-of-classroom practice.
Opportunities for Student Instructors
As student instructors, Nelson and Bacon have also been able to attend and present in numerous conferences for the Utah Foreign Language Association (UFLA), giving them a plethora of tools to help them in the classroom. Nelson particularly enjoys these meetings, both as a learner and as a teacher. She says, “It’s been really cool to sit in on all the lectures and learn so much that we can bring back and teach, as well as present on methods we use in class. It’s been a great learning experience.”
Above all, both Nelson and Bacon agree that the greatest rewards can be seen in the classroom. Nelson explains, “It’s so cool to teach a 101 class, and they know no German on the first day, and then doing their oral exam at the end of the semester and they can have a full-blown conversation with you.” Throughout their time teaching, both instructors have seen how the rewards of teaching outshine any difficulties. Bacon now says, “It’s so special to see that progress happen and to see them engaged, asking lots of questions because they’re genuinely interested—it’s so fun.”
Check out your department’s website to get started as a student instructor today.