Unsere Lehrerinnen und Lehrer

Our Teachers – Unsere Lehrerinnen und Lehrer

Helga Thalheimer

Helga has been an instructor with the German School since 1993 and has been President of the German School Association since 1997. Her father, Jakob Thalheimer, was one of the founders of the school and Helga was among the first students to attend. Her approach to teaching children with little or no German background is to make the class time fun and interesting. She incorporates a generous amount of learning games, songs, dancing, and stories, along with her own first-hand experience in German culture, traditions, and lifestyles.

Helga received a Bachelor of Science degree with majors in Marketing and Management and minors in German and English from Southwest Missouri State University. In 1997 she received her MBA, with an emphasis in International Business, from Webster University. When not teaching, Helga is an Independent Travel Consultant for Sixth Star Travel, specializing in upscale, adventure and unique travel experiences. Helga also sits on the Board of the St. Louis-Stuttgart Sister Cities, is a representative to the St. Louis German-American Committee, and a member of the German Cultural Society.

Gisela Baner

Gisela was born near the Black Forest. She and her American husband have two teenage children. Educated in Germany her degree is in the German, French and English languages. She has worked in France, Germany and Switzerland. In 1998 she and her family settled in Missouri.

At GSA Gisela is sharing her German language, games, music, and crafts with the intermediate children's class. She joined the staff in 2007.

Marie Keath

Marie Keath has her Bachelor's Degree in German and is certified to teach German K-12. She joined the staff of the German Saturday School in 2003. The children in the advanced class enjoy her teaching. Every Saturday Marie brings a huge basket and a big bag full of German games, toys, and teaching props to school. During the week, she also teaches German at a local middle school. She is married with two children, who are both learning German. In her free time Marie likes to read and has read books such as Harry Potter in German. When not teaching she loves to travel.

Christoper Lehmann

Christopher Lehmann was born in the northern German city of Lüneburg. He received his Ph.D in Chemistry from the University of Goettingen and moved to the US in 2001. He worked as a researcher for several universities including Cornell, Harvard and Washington University. Christopher is teaching German in the advanced children's class. By sharing his native language he hopes to make a contribution in promoting the language and culture of German-speaking countries.

Gaby Steinhauff

Gabi Steinhauff was born near Frankfurt am Main in Germany. She has a BS in Adult Education and an MA in Human Resources. She met her husband (also German born) here in the United States and enjoyed two tours with the US Air Force in Germany. Gabi taught conversational German to military personnel and their families at Ramstein AB near Kaiserslautern. She also has extensive experience training at the corporate level, specializing in communication and presentation skills. In 2005, Gabi joined the German School and is teaching the beginner adult class. The adult beginner students enjoy her lively teaching and helpful tips regarding learning German. Gabi also tutors German, likes traveling, cooking, music and ... did we mention teaching German?

Erin Hamill

Erin Hamill learned German as an exchange student through the Congress-Bundestag exchange program. She spent her senior year of high school in the southwestern part of Germany where she lived with a German family and attended a German Gymnasium (high school). Erin received her BA in German from the College of the Holy Cross and her MA in German from the University of Illinois, where she taught elementary and intermediate level German classes. She also took courses at the University of Regensburg while in graduate school. Erin is married and has two daughters. In her free time, she enjoys playing violin with the Town & Country Symphony and volunteering at her daughters' school. Erin teaches the Beginning Adult II class.

Karina Schemainda

Karina comes from a cosmopolitan family and is adventuresome and full of spirit. Having grown up in different countries in Europe she has German citizenship. She is a graduated philologist and has been a passionate language teacher for many, many years. Fields of interest amongst others: classical music, history, archaeology, architecture - and teaching languages, of course!

Carmen Freeman

Carmen was born in the southern part of Germany and moved to the United States in 1999. She has a Ph.D in Food Technology from the Technological University in Munich and has worked internationally, leading product development departments in Switzerland and the United States, managing up to ten people. Carmen started with the German School in 2002 as a teacher for the advanced adults class and has been the Principal of the school since April 2006. “Alles auf Deutsch” is the class motto. Her fun-filled lessons include conversation exercises, grammar review and listening to current German recordings. In addition she discusses German history and modern German issues with the class. Since 2002 Carmen has been a German tutor for children, adults and businesses. She gives talks on German subjects and does cross-cultural training. She also contributes to a German radio program on Sunday afternoons at WGNU 920. Her monthly radio contribution is called “Drei Minuten Deutsch” and features interesting facts related to the German language.

GSA Home

	Helga Thalheimer Helga has been an instructor with the German School since 1993 and has been President of the German School Association since 1997. Her father, Jakob Thalheimer, was one of the founders of the school and Helga was among the first students to attend. Her approach to teaching children with little or no German background is to make the class time fun and interesting. She incorporates a generous amount of learning games, songs, dancing, and stories, along with her own first-hand experience in German culture, traditions, and lifestyles. Helga received a Bachelor of Science degree with majors in Marketing and Management and minors in German and English from Southwest Missouri State University. In 1997 she received her MBA, with an emphasis in International Business, from Webster University. When not teaching, Helga is an Independent Travel Consultant for Sixth Star Travel, specializing in upscale, adventure and unique travel experiences. Helga also sits on the Board of the St. Louis-Stuttgart Sister Cities, is a representative to the St. Louis German-American Committee, and a member of the German Cultural Society.
		Gisela Baner Gisela was born near the Black Forest. She and her American husband have two teenage children. Educated in Germany her degree is in the German, French and English languages. She has worked in France, Germany and Switzerland. In 1998 she and her family settled in Missouri. At GSA Gisela is sharing her German language, games, music, and crafts with the intermediate children's class. She joined the staff in 2007.
	Marie Keath Marie Keath has her Bachelor's Degree in German and is certified to teach German K-12. She joined the staff of the German Saturday School in 2003. The children in the advanced class enjoy her teaching. Every Saturday Marie brings a huge basket and a big bag full of German games, toys, and teaching props to school. During the week, she also teaches German at a local middle school. She is married with two children, who are both learning German. In her free time Marie likes to read and has read books such as Harry Potter in German. When not teaching she loves to travel.
		Christoper Lehmann Christopher Lehmann was born in the northern German city of Lüneburg. He received his Ph.D in Chemistry from the University of Goettingen and moved to the US in 2001. He worked as a researcher for several universities including Cornell, Harvard and Washington University. Christopher is teaching German in the advanced children's class. By sharing his native language he hopes to make a contribution in promoting the language and culture of German-speaking countries.
	Gaby Steinhauff Gabi Steinhauff was born near Frankfurt am Main in Germany. She has a BS in Adult Education and an MA in Human Resources. She met her husband (also German born) here in the United States and enjoyed two tours with the US Air Force in Germany. Gabi taught conversational German to military personnel and their families at Ramstein AB near Kaiserslautern. She also has extensive experience training at the corporate level, specializing in communication and presentation skills. In 2005, Gabi joined the German School and is teaching the beginner adult class. The adult beginner students enjoy her lively teaching and helpful tips regarding learning German. Gabi also tutors German, likes traveling, cooking, music and ... did we mention teaching German?
		Erin Hamill Erin Hamill learned German as an exchange student through the Congress-Bundestag exchange program. She spent her senior year of high school in the southwestern part of Germany where she lived with a German family and attended a German Gymnasium (high school). Erin received her BA in German from the College of the Holy Cross and her MA in German from the University of Illinois, where she taught elementary and intermediate level German classes. She also took courses at the University of Regensburg while in graduate school. Erin is married and has two daughters. In her free time, she enjoys playing violin with the Town & Country Symphony and volunteering at her daughters' school. Erin teaches the Beginning Adult II class.
	Karina Schemainda Karina comes from a cosmopolitan family and is adventuresome and full of spirit. Having grown up in different countries in Europe she has German citizenship. She is a graduated philologist and has been a passionate language teacher for many, many years. Fields of interest amongst others: classical music, history, archaeology, architecture - and teaching languages, of course!
		Carmen Freeman Carmen was born in the southern part of Germany and moved to the United States in 1999. She has a Ph.D in Food Technology from the Technological University in Munich and has worked internationally, leading product development departments in Switzerland and the United States, managing up to ten people. Carmen started with the German School in 2002 as a teacher for the advanced adults class and has been the Principal of the school since April 2006. “Alles auf Deutsch” is the class motto. Her fun-filled lessons include conversation exercises, grammar review and listening to current German recordings. In addition she discusses German history and modern German issues with the class. Since 2002 Carmen has been a German tutor for children, adults and businesses. She gives talks on German subjects and does cross-cultural training. She also contributes to a German radio program on Sunday afternoons at WGNU 920. Her monthly radio contribution is called “Drei Minuten Deutsch” and features interesting facts related to the German language.