The pioneering GIS Head of School, dog whisperer, and Biology enthusiast has a fondness for parenting and teaching kids to be independent thinkers.
The Proust Questionnaire has its origins in a parlor game popularized (though not created) by Marcel Proust, the French essayist and novelist, who believed that, in answering these questions, an individual reveals his or her true nature. We put these questions to Bettina Gregg, Head of the German International School, so we can learn a bit more about the person behind the Head of School title.
Read on to learn more about Bettina’s values, character, and sense of humor! We’ve added two ‘Proust-like’ questions about school setting at the end. Enjoy!
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Enjoying my backyard in the summer, or a good book by the fireplace in the winter.
What is your greatest fear?
Snakes!
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Being a perfectionist–it’s not possible to do everything perfectly, so the pressure never goes away.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Lack of awareness.
Which living person do you most admire?
“Most” is tough to answer, but I do admire Jennifer Doudna, who (along with Emmanuelle Charpentier) changed the landscape of biological research with her CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Nice perfume.
What is your current state of mind?
Ask me again in 5 minutes, and it will be different.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Patience, especially when it comes to tolerating situations that should be addressed quickly.
On what occasion do you lie?
When it helps protect someone’s dignity.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
Nothing—I plan on aging gracefully.
Which living person do you most despise?
I would rather not say…
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Courage.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Resilience.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
In my teaching life, it was always “a little less talking, a little more working.” How did I know that I overdid it? When kids imitated me in front of the class and shouted it…
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My high school boyfriend (don’t worry–I married him!).
When and where were you happiest?
Hearing my newborn babies cry for the first time were the two most emotionally impactful moments of my life.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Really awesome cake and cookie decorating skills.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would like to take better control of my life and job–I sometimes let situations control and stress me out too much.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Raising two smart, self-sufficient, kind, responsible and funny kids.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
A school dog. What a great life!
Where would you most like to live?
I would love to live in a cabin on a lake. Or in Rome.
What is your most treasured possession?
My integrity!
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
The lowest depth of misery is being so deeply insecure that you make other people's lives miserable just to feel better about your own.
What is your favorite occupation?
Teacher! Or pastry chef.
What is your most marked characteristic?
The two symmetrical birthmarks on my face.
What do you most value in your friends?
Authenticity–I want to know that they are being completely themselves and are allowing me to do the same, even if we disagree on things.
Who are your favorite writers?
Jörg Maurer, Stieg Larsson, Charles Williams, Agatha Christie, Ross Macdonald, Raymond Chandler… There is a theme.
Who is your hero of fiction?
Don Corleone, The Godfather–he is loyal, always composed under pressure and listens more than he speaks.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
I don’t know if she’s “historical” or if I identify with her exactly, but I aspire to be like Julia Child. I enjoy cooking and baking, particularly when I can devote some time to it. Julia was always willing to try new things and wasn’t afraid to fail. She also had a great sense of humor.
Who are your heroes in real life?
My grandparents. They lived through war and built a life from scratch, with a spirit and determination I deeply admire.
What are your favorite names?
The names I chose for my children: John Nolan and Lilah Simone.
What is it that you most dislike?
Hypocrisy and a lack of awareness.
What is your greatest regret?
I wish I had asked my grandparents more questions about their lives, especially their experiences during World War II in Germany.
How would you like to die?
Quickly!
What is your motto?
Everything in moderation, including moderation.
What do you hope every student carries with them long after they leave our school?
I hope they leave our school with a natural curiosity about the world and the confidence to ask good questions. I also want them to approach incoming information with an open mind and a healthy dose of skepticism.
What moment in a typical school day makes you feel most proud, or most joyful, to do this work?
The funny and wonderfully random conversations I have with students in the hallways, along with the joy I see when they discover something new in the classroom, remind me every day why I love this work.
