World Language: Ms. Merritt

After taking two years off to spend with her newborn, Ms. Lauren Merritt has returned to her life as a teacher with a new gig at Benilde-St. Margaret’s. She is excited to take on this position as a French teacher and join the BSM community. 

As a high school student, Merritt knew she wanted to be a teacher. At first, math was her subject of choice. But as high school went on, she found that French was her new passion. “French is my heritage, and my grandpa grew up speaking French. In high school, I discovered I liked my French classes, and it made me want to become a French teacher,” Merritt said. 

Merritt attended St. Cloud State University. She majored in French Education and developed her teaching skills and techniques. She began her career teaching at White Bear Lake middle school and high school before switching over to Totino-Grace. With only five years of teaching experience, she has discovered many valuable lessons while teaching students. “The best lesson I have learned is to never assume that somebody knows something,” Merritt said.

As she searched for a new job, she found that Benilde-St. Margaret’s was the perfect fit for her. Her short hours, only teaching first and second period, give her the opportunity to be home with her family for a good chunk of the day. “The position I was offered worked great for me because I only wanted to work part time, so I could be at home with my family,” Merritt said. 

In the classroom, Merritt’s interactive teaching style is intentionally designed to keep students interested and involved. “I want students to enjoy my class and have fun. I want students to be engaging, so I do a lot of participation and speaking activities to keep the students involved,” Merritt said. 

In her short time at BSM, Merritt has felt comfortable and welcomed by students and faculty, “My favorite part about Benilde is the sense of community that has been built up and the support I get from colleagues,” Merritt said.