Title:
Collegiate Professor
Pronouns:
she, her
Subject Areas
Writing
Humanities
Speech
Education
MFA, Creative Writing, Southern New Hampshire University
MA, English Education and Writing, Longwood University
BS, English, Liberty University
Teaching Locations
Aviano, Italy
Vicenza, Italy
Email
gretchen.koenig@umgc.edu
Teaching is not just a vocation for Professor Gretchen Koenig. Rather, it is the extension of her own passionate desire to know the world around her and to communicate or share what she finds. Professor Koenig knew she wanted to teach at the end of her undergraduate journey, but it took her a long time to get into the classroom. Like many of our students, she worked full-time while completing all her degrees. When she finally got a full-time teaching job at the United States Air Force Academy, she knew the journey had been worth it. She joined the faculty of UMGC in October of 2016 and never looked back.
Professor Koenig believes that teaching is a process of conveying a sense of wonder and inquiry about life, culture, and our circumstances. Being a good educator requires paying more attention to our student’s abilities and comprehension than to a particular schedule or lesson plan. For example, crafting a perfect lecture on thesis statements is less valuable than workshopping each student’s thesis statement. She knows that practical application and personal interaction reaches our students and opens doors to transformational learning.
In her free time, you can find Professor Koenig exploring the world with its wonderful variety or at home with a puzzle, audiobook, and an old-fashioned cocktail.
