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I am a passionate learner who loves teaching and engaging in challenges. I was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1973.
Although I am not homesick, my heart beats faster when I suddenly hear a Venezuelan accent somewhere or when I cook arepas, a traditional Venezuelan cornbread. Most of my family comes from Bolivia and I even had a German great-grandfather who emigrated to Chile in the 19th century. In order to honor this courageous decision and a history of cultural blend, I always use my two last names. The story of my family is filled with migration tales and I am not an exception! I love traveling because I can broaden my horizons. I feel Venezuelan, Bolivian and German at the same time. I am proud of my Latin American roots and of my German identity.
Antwerp, Belgium | Piñata with my students | 2005
Hamburg, Germany | Magnolia | 2018
In 1999 I emigrated to Europe to satisfy my curiosity. Since then I have lived in Spain, Belgium and Germany. I have fallen in love in every place because I have met fantastic people everywhere and every city has its own magic. I lived for a couple of years in Hamburg and despite its moody weather, I liked the city very much. I know that after grey and rainy days, when the sun finally shines, Hamburgers go crazy of happiness and celebrate life. Nowadays, I live in Kiel, a city where I enjoy running and discovering new places. Kiel has the fantastic seaside but also beautiful parks, and my favorite season is spring! Magnolias, rhododendron and cherry trees blossom. This is definitely an inspiring and uplifting spectacle to watch.
Listening to music is one of my hobbies (or more than that). For me it is like Max Richter -a German composer- said in an interview: “für mich ist Musik so eine Art verstärker, vertiefer von Gefühle und Geschichten”. I think, like him, that music amplifies feelings. Apart from music, running gives me joy and energy! This sport requires dedication and perseverance and it gives so much in exchange. Running a half marathon has elements in common with our continuing professional development and both are challenging and enriching processes.
Kiel, Germany | Check out the ProPIC poster! | 2018
After many years focused exclusively on Spanish teaching, I have discovered new opportunities to develop professionally. For that reason I have embarked in teaching and research projects with professionals from Germany and from abroad. My research and practice interests are: classroom interaction, initial teacher education, the use of technology for language teaching and learning, reflective practice and (e)portfolios for language teaching and learning.
At the University of Kiel, where I currently work, I enjoy teaching and therefore I aim at improving my practice. For that purpose, I ask for external support to evaluate my teaching and learn about my students' needs. I also actively seek for learning opportunities (exploring my classroom, attending workshops, visiting schools, etc.) and I exchange ideas with scholars from other faculties.
I am willing to connect research with practice by developing my new side as a researcher and this is one of my major challenges. In my professional future I look forward to more opportunities for international and interdisciplinary cooperation, to continuing my work in initial teacher education and to designing well grounded educational interventions that promote teacher professional development.
Contact
Isabel Murillo Wilstermann | LfbA für Spanisch | Romanisches Seminar der Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel | Leibnizstraße 10
Zimmer 120 | 24118 Kiel | E-Mail: imurillo@romanistik.uni-kiel.de