As a German teacher for Red River High School in Grand Forks, Erika Feole is likely familiar with an old saying by former German chancellor Otto von Bismarck, in which he cautioned against diving into all the messy details of how things are created, or “seeing how the sausage is made.” More probably, she can even translate the phrase “en Deutsch,” if asked.
But as an educator, mentor and leader in the field of foreign language studies, Feole regularly goes against this advice, teaching her students the value in exploring as many of the tiny details on how anything is made in this world, including literal sausage.
It was, therefore, kind of fitting that we had an opportunity to observe Erica practicing her craft of immersive teaching in early May by deep-diving into the history of a kind of sausage, namely currywurst.
“It was believed to be invented in 1949,” Feole tells her students. “It is German sausage covered in ketchup and sprinkled with curry powder and often served with french fries. This is a common street food that people would eat. It's easy to eat with your hands, it's not too messy, and it's relatively inexpensive, which is really nice.”
Feole regularly “brings the heat” into her instruction by incorporating her own personal experiences, family heritage and the numerous cultural tchotchkes that she’s collected from multiple trips to Germany into her teaching. And her process works, as evidenced by Feole having been named the 2024 Graciela Wilborn Foreign Language Teacher of the Year, which is awarded by the Foreign Language Association of North Dakota (FLAND).
“For me, German isn’t just another subject,” Feole said. “It’s something that is my life, not just something that I teach. And most of the stuff that you see around me, in my classroom, is my stuff – stuff that I have gotten on my trips (to Germany), stuff that I've gotten from my sister or my mom and dad.”
Feole said her goal is to inspire students into being as excited as she is to learn more about German language and culture. Her enthusiasm for the subject can be contagious, she said, and she finds it helps to motivate student learning.
“Sparking curiosity in students, I think, is one of the key things. The curiosity to want to learn a little bit more – and it can be hard with some students – but most want to be here, and if I can show my enthusiasm, I hope that basically gives them a little boost.”
When Feole received the 2024 Graciela Wilborn award at the FLAND Summer Conference this past August, she continued what has become a family tradition. Her dad, Walter Wolf, taught German in Center, N.D., and won the same award in 2002, while Feole was one of his students. “During high school I took German for three years, and at that time, my dad was also my teacher,” Feole said. “He was a very active (FLAND) member, as well.”
Wolf didn’t just inspire one daughter into following in his footsteps and becoming a German teacher; he inspired two. Feole’s sister, Martina Dvorak, teaches German through ITV to area schools out of Mandan, and she also won the Foreign Language Teacher of the Year award in 2022.
“My sister also teaches ITV German,” Feole said, “She started German at (University of North Dakota), and so, we were both involved with German at UND. She became a teacher here at Red River as well, and then moved out west, back to the home area.”
Feole doesn’t just collect German mementos and knickknacks in her classroom; she’s also amassed an impressive list of titles and responsibilities, in all her roles as an educator and union member.
“I am a member of North Dakota United, Grand Forks Education Association, and the GFEA secretary,” she said. “With FLAND, I am also the treasurer. I am the president of North Dakota AATG, which is the American Association of Teachers of German. I'm also the GAPP coordinator for the German American Partnership Program between Grand Forks, Red River and Central High Schools, and the Lise Meitner Gymnasium in Remseck, Germany. So, it's a very busy time.”
Just like the immersive learning experience she endeavors to provide all her students, Feole commits herself wholeheartedly in all she does. That level of involvement comes from always keeping an open mind toward any opportunities she’s offered to help and starting from a place of “ja” instead of “nein.”
“I enjoy GFEA, it is a great soul thing for me, (and) it's a great professional thing for me,” Feole said. “I enjoy being with like-minded people. We have similar goals that we have for our district and for our state and for our country, and it's nice being around those same types of people.”
