Annette Frey
About Me
My name is Annette Merzouk Frey and I have been teaching for over 20 years in the classroom and 12 years in the virtual setting. Teaching is a passion of mine and I love to write supplemental educational materials to make learning pleasant for students as they build on their individual thinking skill, able to produce in a second language.
I decided to become a teacher many years ago when working as a graduate teaching assistant at West Virginia University. My M.A. is in Education Resources (emphasis in second language acquisition) and my professional teaching certification is Pre K to Adult, French and Spanish. Working with students is a rewarding experience for me. Helping students process new material to create original work is very gratifying. In regard to language studies I was fortunate to have the opportunity to study in France, Spain, Mexico and Costa Rica, as well as teach English for one school year in Grenoble, France.
I consider my family very eclectic and culturally diverse with five languages on four continents and three religions. My father, Boudjema later known as Jimmy came to the United States from North Africa in 1947 as a professional boxer to begin his boxing career. He was successful in his transition to the US later to retire from the ring permanently to learn English, get a GED then go on to college. He eventually became a teacher after attending ten universities, earning two M.A. degrees and further studies in French, Spanish, Latin, Greek and Bible. My mother, a coal miner’s daughter and farming community from West Virginia was the first in her family to obtain a formal education. She also earned two Master of Arts degrees and became an elementary school teacher. One thing I learned from my family was ‘An education is money in the bank. It’s the one thing nobody can take from you’. My parents served our community for many years to uplift and inspire others.
In regard to my own family, I have two very talented children. My daughter Simone is in a pre-engineering program and my son, Robin, a music major, both at West Virginia University. They also have a diverse background (dual citizenship) with their father from Switzerland and their second language German. For fun and pastime we love to ski in winter and spend our summers on the lake. Cooking and playing music is a daily ritual when we are together and live for the moment. I am very proud of my family and heritage, and fortunate to have so many opportunities both in the home and in my profession.