Biography

Anita van der Merwe’s (Sra. V.) interest in foreign languages stems from extensive travel and living overseas, including Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, Sweden, and South Africa. She has been fortunate enough to study in multiple regions of Spain and developed a true passion for the Spanish language. She graduated from the University of Denver, majoring and minoring in foreign languages. She also earned her master’s degree in education - curriculum and instruction. Over the past 27 years, Ms. van der Merwe has taught Spanish, French, and German at both the high school and middle school levels in the Cherry Creek School District.

She is looking forward to sharing her passion for Spanish and different cultures with the students of Cherry Creek Academy.

Teaching Philosophy

Ms. V believes learning a language is an innate human capacity and that all students who speak one language can successfully learn and benefit from another, as long as they are motivated and are given the right tools to do so. She strives to make her classes active, lively, and fun by incorporating storytelling, music, dance, technology, and games. Culture is also incorporated into her lessons to help students build an understanding of the language and appreciation of cultures other than their own.

For the 7^th and 8^th graders, Ms. V is committed to making sure these students are well prepared for high school with good reading, writing, and grammar skills. This will involve repetition, daily practice, and memorization on the student’s part.

Ms. V’s ultimate goals for her students are instilling a love for learning a different language and culture, starting the path of mastering Spanish to enhance their enjoyment of future travel, and developing an extra skill to make them better candidates for their dream job, whatever that may be.

For more resources and to visit the class site please click here.