Meet Frau Wilkerson!

Well hello there!

I figured I'd write a little intro letter so you can get to know me a little more before our class begins. (Which will be something you will have to do, too, so I can get to know YOU!)

So first off, my name is Mrs. Wilkerson, but please call me Frau Wilkerson. Frau [pronounced Fra-OW] means "Mrs." in German. It's what I'm used to being called in the classroom the past 11 years of my teaching life. Actually, if you yell Mrs. Wilkerson, I might not respond at first because I immediately think of my mother-in-law.... or I'm in trouble. (Does that happen to you when someone uses your full name? Yup, it kinda feels like that when people call me Mrs. Wilkerson!) Frau works just fine even though this isn't a German class. It's just apart of who I am.

My family: I met my husband on a flight to study in Germany back in 2006. We started dating while living in Europe - our first date was in Berlin , Germany & our second was in Oslo, Norway. (But he's not German - he's just from NJ!) We have 1 son, Logan, who is 4 years old and he actually hates German. He keeps us pretty busy. We also own a small zoo of rescued animals: two Shiloh Shepherds - Kona & Rey - plus two cats - Mieke & Blitz. We hosted a Spanish exchange student, Sofía, for 2 summers. We consider her like our daughter. Our families live about 6 hours away, so we only see them on holidays or during the summer. Sometimes this is really hard and frustrating. But we have a very large "Pittsburgh family" that has adopted us out here and helps out when we need it.

I've been teaching German for 11 years and 10 of those years have been here at Greater Latrobe. Besides German, here are some other things I really like to do:

• Traveling! I've been to 28 states so far - including Hawaii where I hiked the Na Pali coast. I've also been to over 10 countries - most of a which in Europe. I also speak a little French in addition to German.
• Dancing & Music! I studied ballet for 14 years during my childhood. After college, I got involved in German Folk Dancing. Nowadays, I just like to bust a move whenever I'm feeling good. I enjoy hits for the 90's/early 2000's, but I was raised by my dad on classic rock.
• Movies! Whether it's a just a family movie night with our favorites or headed out to the theater, I love watching (and re-watching) movies. But I can't do scary movies. I'm a wimp.
• Cooking! Actually, I really HATED cooking for a long time. Unfortunately, both my husband and son are allergic to gluten. This is really hard sometimes when we go out to eat or parties. So I've learned to get creative and re-create a lot favorites that usually have gluten that are safe for them to eat.
• Being outside! My dad was a forester, so I went camping a lot as a kid. My favorite is being at a lake and just watching the world go by for hours.
• Reading! I don't read as much as I used to because Logan keeps me so busy, but I love to curl up with a good book and forget the world for hours if possible. I'm a HUGE Harry Potter fan. I also really like to read what you are reading, so be sure to give me your favs!

A challenge I face is that I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes 4 years ago. I was very sick for a long time because the doctors couldn't figure out right away what was wrong with me until I ended up in the hospital. I'm really lucky to be here today. Something a lot of people don't understand is that only 5% of diabetics are Type 1 and that is a life-threatening autoimmune diease - a genetic mutation that you are born with - and my body is literally at war with itself 24/7/365. In order to live, I must give myself insulin. I wear 2 medical devices at all times - one is my insulin pump and the other is a blood sugar monitor. You will hear them beep sometimes in class and I may need to take care of them. At first, I was very scared and overwhelmed. I was sad I would have to be dependent on medical devices the rest of my life. I wasn't sure I could do all the things I used to do. With time and support, I learned my diease does not own me - I own it! Now I decorate my cyborg parts and like showing them off. I like to see what I CAN do despite of it. I also love helping others who may be facing similar or different challenges in their lives. Everyone has a battle they are facing - so always remember to be kind.

I was first introduced to things like mindfulness and yoga after I was diagnosed. I really enjoy how some exercises both for my brain and body help me deal with the stress of my diease as well as what I encounter in my every day life. Especially to learn to take breaks from this fast-paced, tech driven, social media centered world. I am excited to have the chance to be apart of this brand new course. I wouldn't have said yes if I didn't think it was something you need, too. I want to make this worth your time and FUN!

I know you aren't sure what to expect for this class - that's ok! Just relax and know it's going to be good. You will learn a lot about yourself and how to take a time-out from anything that's bugging you. You'll learn why your brain causes you to react certain ways - lots of science, too! But more importantly you can use all these little thoughts, lessons and exercises the rest of your life.

Soon it will be your turn - tell me about yourself, your likes, your family/pets and maybe a challenge you face in your own life.

-Frau Wilkerson (aka Mrs. Wilkerson)