German teacher named Alabama World Language Teacher of Year

Vestavia Hills High School German teacher Laura Buder has been named Alabama World Languages Teacher of the Year by the Alabama World Languages Association. 

She qualified for the award after being named Alabama German Teacher of the Year in 2016 by the state chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German. 

Teacher of the Year awardees are chosen by demonstrating excellence in world language education and evidence of promotion of world language teaching and learning, according to AWLA. As Teacher of the Year, Buder will travel in March to the Southern Conference on Language Teaching and be placed in the running for regional Teacher of the Year honors. 

“I was honored and humbled to receive this award because I know how hard world language teachers work around our state,” Buder said Wednesday. “I think it shows that our world language program at Vestavia Hills High School is really doing a lot of good things.” 

Buder, who has spent her entire teaching career at VHHS, earned national recognition in 2016 after receiving the Teacher of Excellence Award from the German Embassy in Washington. Just three teachers nationwide were selected for that award. 

– Submitted by Vestavia Hills City Schools.