Overseas Participant Comments

Check out comments from recent Fulbrighters, both teachers and administrators, from many countries who have done an exchange in the United States as part of the Fulbright Teacher Exchange program.

Reelika Sinijarv (Estonia)
I feel that I have grown professionally during the exchange program indeed; in addition to improving my language skills I have learned new methods of teaching the language, both to native speakers and ESL students. I am definitely much more confident now; I have learned that I am able to survive and even be successful in totally different environments, and I enjoy it. This exchange has broadened my world, my knowledge; showed that whenever there is a will, there is a way, that I can make a difference.

Samuel Enriquez Montiel (Mexico)
It has been a very rewarding experience that allowed me to apply new teaching methodologies and strategies. All the activities of the program were organized with quality and excellence.

Ulrich Steckelberg (Germany)
... Most important, we have all changed in a way that we could never have, had it not been for this exchange: we have learned to reflect, live in, adapt to and finally enjoy living in another culture. This is an experience that you can only make when completely immersed in a new culture for at least one year. We have truly broadened our horizons in a way we never could have done at home or by just visiting for a few weeks.

Maria Zegalb-Tufnell (United Kingdom)
It was a superb experience both professionally and personally and one that I could not recommend highly enough to anyone in the teaching profession.

Mouna Hourmatallah (Morocco)
Thank you for the opportunity of exchanging my experience and knowledge with educators from America. I have enhanced my understanding of the educational system here in the U.S. and its relationship in the community. All of the above will for sure make to return to complete my mission that I had started here: bridging two cultures and two educational systems for peaceful relationship based on mutual understanding.

Liliana Montenegro de Bermejo (Argentina)
Fulbright was a great, very beneficial experience. I had a variety of opportunities to deepen my knowledge and to participate in cultural and educational exchange.

Lukasz Kocan (Poland)
All in all, the benefits of the exchange are obvious to me – I've grown up professionally and personally...I've realized how little developed I was as a teacher. I've learned to plan my classes with mastery objectives in mind, use snap and attention grabbing components and make my teaching more student-oriented.

Sanna Pihlamo (Finland)
I believe that after spending one school year in the United States I have gained a deeper understanding of the American culture and way of life. That is something I would like to convey to my students in Finland.

Alejandro Canton (Argentina)
I believe that this experience has been very important in my personal and professional life; for this reason, there is a "before" and an "after" of my trip. I really would like to keep in touch with Fulbright and to be able to collaborate with the program, providing my experience and humble professional knowledge. Thank you very much to all of those that carry on this project.

Sali Kasemrat (Thailand)
With so many wonderful experiences from this trip to the United States, I have received more than my dream. It's wonderful, meaningful and perfect for me. I hope I can use these experiences to develop my students to meet the global standards to be qualified citizens in the changing world and to improve the school to become the learning and training center for teachers in the near future.

Gwendolyn Bartie (South Africa)
The most important factor that made my exchange so successful was being able to have my family with me. My younger two children attended a local high school which gave us another perspective of the education system in the U.S., that of a parent and a school-going child.

Marie-Francoise Sansonnetti (France)
What struck me the most about the U.S. educational system – and I noticed that every time I went to observe classes at other schools in the area is how important it is to reward kids and help them succeed in every way we can so they can feel they are able to accomplish what is asked of them. I found out that American kids are happy in school because they are given so many opportunities to fulfill and express themselves, because they are involved at all levels of school life, whether in athletics, clubs, student councils, arts, community service and a variety of extra-curricular activities, and also because there are many events on campus in which I was always happy to be involved. I came to realize at one point that whereas in my country I would certainly have resented working overtime without getting paid, I was volunteering for all sorts of activities and events around campus and "working" almost around the clock when I was on duty in the dorm at weekends without raising an eyebrow!

Karin Boehm (Germany)
Living in a time of globalization I believe it is really important to get to know and understand different cultures and people. I hope that by my being here I contributed to a mutual understanding between different countries at least in a very small way. During this year, I certainly learned a lot which I will be able to share with my students. I will also bring back authentic material that will help improve my teaching. Having worked in a different school system has provided me with new ideas of how teaching, staff meetings and professional development can be done.

Edith Cavallo (Argentina)
I rate the program as excellent. It was my sole opportunity to be able to participate in an educational exchange, to learn about other management styles, types of teaching- apprenticeship and be able to bring all this knowledge to our schools in Argentina.

Iulian Mihail Ilie (Romania)
What is really amazing for a foreign teacher like me is the high degree of parental involvement in the school's life. Every "open house" gave me the possibility to meet a great number of parents, considering the fact that I teach five grades of thirty students each. Probably the curiosity of knowing a teacher from Romania might be an explanation for their attendance, besides the interest for the students' progress. Answering parents' frequent e-mails is of course a time-consuming activity but it is worth it when you observe that this parent-teacher relationship sometimes leads to better results for the students.

Rebecca Coleman (United Kingdom)
This has been one of the most exciting, rewarding and overwhelming experiences of my life and I would not have missed it for the world!! I have met some wonderful people and the whole experience has broadened my mind both professionally and personally. From a teaching point of view, it has given me the chance to step into someone else's shoes and look at my own way of teaching in a more critical way. I have been very lucky, as Fulbright was able to match my small city school with a similar-sized elementary school in the U.S. This experience has allowed me the opportunity to try out different learning styles, and the staff and parents have always been keen to offer their own thoughts about teaching and the educational system in the U.S.A. I have been able to increase my knowledge of center-based learning and have found new techniques which I will continue to use back in the U.K.

Aissatou Ndiaye (Senegal)
We international teachers need to talk and share our wonderful experience and be part of the great members of this brilliant cooperation between our two countries. This kind of exchange only occurs once in a lifetime and has brought me a tremendous experience and opportunity (any English teacher in my country dreams of teaching in the U.S.). These are unique and great moments that will forever be in my mind and will give the rare and wonderful thought that my humble person will leave a print in one U.S. school and will remember me as part of its staff for this year.

Students were so amazed to hear about different countries and had a great opportunity to compare and contrast with their own ways of life. This did enlarge their horizons and taught them how similar people in the world are when it comes to social values and ways of life, as they are completely unaware of what is going on in the African continent. I was delighted to bring new enlightenment to their growing minds and curiosity on life.

Sanae Diani (Morocco)
I felt proud as an ambassador when so many people told me they really wanted to visit my country. This proves that the most important objective behind this program which is strengthening the tie between Moroccan and American citizens is met.

Catherine Roger (France)
I taught English writing skills and American literature at Florida A & M University. Even if I didn't teach French, I have no doubt I changed my students' outlook on the world, just as they changed mine. Teaching in an HCBU—a historically black university—was totally unexpected and totally rewarding. I bonded with my students in a way I would never have thought possible, and I miss them already.

Paola Alarcón Rojas (Chile)
I realized teaching my American students was not only about giving knowledge of a different language, but also creating a nice relationship with students and taking the chance to share a little bit of my culture. During our time together, students were able to experience new ways of learning and to do more listening activities, songs, oral presentations, field trips, etc.

I have new ideas and a different perspective about what it really means to teach another language to share with my home country community and family. In the future, my exchange partner and I will start working on a new project. It will be a student exchange for six months and the main objective is for the students to have the opportunity to live, study and be immersed in a foreign country and to feel a part of it.

I would like to thank Fulbright for the great opportunity they gave me. It was a very positive and enriching experience. As an English teacher it is invaluable to have the opportunity to live abroad and have a real and different perception about what it means to live in a country where you have to interact everyday with people who mostly speak English. I have enjoyed being immersed in the American society and having the chance to improve my second language through daily communication, television, radio, reading, etc. To the future Fulbrighters I just want to say "To live this experience and enjoy deeply because it is something you won't forget in your entire life."

Jessica Rowe (United Kingdom)
Highlights of the exchange experience were professional and personal published articles, exhibitions, etc. I have been privileged to be on exchange at Creekside Elementary School, Boulder, Colorado, which is a complete contrast to my home school. It is very diverse with more than twenty different nationalities represented. This in itself has been a highlight, as one of my reasons for going on exchange was to experience a completely different style of school and intake than I was used to.

Birame Faye (Senegal)
My U.S. students have learned the basics of a foreign language, French, and a few African cultural values from me. Some students who were not even in my classes now greet me in the school hallways and in the streets in recognition; and I sometimes hear them singing parts of the ritual songs I shared with them. I sense their interest in and appreciation of those things. I hope I have touched their lives in a meaningful way. On the other hand, the professional development sessions that were held at my host school and my reading of pedagogical material have, to a certain degree, added valuable perspectives to my teaching experience. I believe I have learned something more, about teaching and interacting with students and colleagues. On a more personal side, this exchange has also been tremendously fulfilling. I've met wonderful people, some of whom have truly made my stay in this country an enjoyable, enriching, and unforgettable experience.

Ruth Capper (United Kingdom)
My professional highlights of the exchange included: Getting to know how a completely different system operated and being able to manage it by the end of the year! It was interesting to be able to compare the grading system, the behavioral system, the pastoral system and the way the school day was organized. I enjoyed the increased amount of parent contact this year. On the whole, parents seem to be more involved with their children's academic careers in the United States. That certainly made my job a lot easier. I am only three years into my teaching career, and I definitely feel that I have grown as a teacher during this year. I had to overcome a lot in order to be successful with my U.S. students, and I really feel that I have increased my skill set immensely. As a Geography teacher I knew that there would be so much I could gain from a teaching experience abroad and I certainly haven't been disappointed.

Arpad Papp (Hungary)
As I have been living my life totally submerged in American culture, I have gained a better understanding of it and I will try to do my utmost to pass on such understanding to my students. I actually hope to start up a lecture series....aimed at acquainting my hometown with what I would consider the defining moments of my stay here in the U.S.

Sylvester Osei Owusu (Ghana)
Through the exchange I have been built professionally. During most of our faculty meetings we were taught about certain topics like classroom management and handling kids with special needs. Times were set aside also to give us training in the use of modern technology. I can now apply technology to my teaching.

Amy Parker (United Kingdom)
Once I return home, I look forward to being able to use my experiences from Dry Creek in my everyday teaching. I have evaluated my teaching methods and styles of learning while in the U.S. I will be able to use what I have learnt as good practice to enhance children's learning experiences. In the same way that I have been able to influence the children in the U.S. and teach them about a different culture, I hope to do the same thing in reverse when I return to the U.K. I am planning to continue the Barnaby Bear link between the two schools. I also hope that these continued links between the schools will lead to my U.K. school applying for the International School Award, given by the British Council. This will involve maintaining and building on professional relationships also. My experiences here have widened my horizons considerably to see what is achievable in a system different to ours. It has been a great boost to morale, and I have many fresh ideas to incorporate. I feel there are long term benefits from knowing that my teaching skills are transferable and hope to be able use these as I progress in my career.

Arif Hifzioglu (Turkey)
Working in Averill Park High School has provided me with the opportunity to observe and to some extent acquire different professional approaches. "Giving Positive Feedback," quite unlike my own inclination, was the first diversity I encountered in the Intermediate and Advanced Theatre classes that I observed on a scheduled basis, in my U.S. mentor's class. I was surprised to see not only the teacher, but also the students, had the habit of highlighting the positive side of comments, while still recognizing some flaws, as well. It didn't take long for me to discover the same general attitude from other teachers to their students and from the principals to the teachers, especially to me. This is perhaps the most precious souvenir I will be carrying to my country in my suitcase.

Vesselina Ivanova (Bulgaria)
On my exchange to the U.S., I had to forget about fifteen years of teaching experience and change my whole teaching approach. It was teaching websites with puzzles, crosswords, word finds and graphic organizers that I used to consolidate the key vocabulary and to make students' learning fun. I had to learn that unless the teachers presented new vocabulary in at least seven different ways, they were not to test the students on it. This was totally different from the way language is taught in Bulgarian high schools, where the textbooks and workbooks provide exercises and consolidation, and especially with high school students, the approach is more academic, rather than fun.

My ESOL students came from different countries, with different educational and family background and could not be taught in the way I was used to. In addition, I had to be flexible to adjust not only to the students' needs and diversity, but also to the expectations that a teacher had to give up his/her authority and then regain it, establishing a good relationship with the students, rather than take his /her authority and students' motivation for granted. Having the heart of a mother and that of a teacher helped me to find the right way into the hearts of my students and to succeed in preparing them for the reading and writing tests, on which they showed remarkable improvement to move to the upper level of ESOL.

Marina Cronje (South Africa)
I have grown professionally and have learned new grading systems, student attitudes, subject content and much more. It was like a new world unfolding. "The bucket filled drop by drop..."

Pauline Fox (United Kingdom)
Professionally, I have found this year interesting. It has been relatively easy teaching twenty-three First Graders the same material as I have been trying to teach thirty pupils a year younger in Norwich... As a music specialist, I have found it difficult not being responsible for the children's musical education, but feel they have benefited from the extra music within the classroom as a teaching medium for other subjects... Personally I have gained more in this year than in the whole of my life, I think. As a person who didn't like new places or meeting new people, it has been quite an ordeal from time to time. But the advice I was given by a previous exchange teacher was to never say "no" to anything, and this has proved to be invaluable advice. I have had experiences I would never have dreamed possible, some of which have terrified the life out of me (such as skiing) others have really helped me grow in my own field of expertise (such as the concert band). It has been wonderful to really "live" in America, to really find out what "makes people tick" and be totally absorbed into another society. What I have discovered has been a delight. A people who respect and value each other, who are always willing to put themselves out for you and welcome strangers...

Vaidehi Madhavan (India)
At the outset of this exchange program which involved a considerable change of environment and system of work, I realized that as a professional, I needed to be flexible, patient and tolerant. As a person, I needed to be friendly and keep an open mind to accept and make myself acceptable. I came prepared for differences in living conditions, accent, teaching methods, student discipline and cultural shocks...Soon I was happy to know that the students enjoyed my teaching and even expressed their desire to have me continue to teach them next semester. Such positive comments have made me happy.

Julide Atay (Turkey)
Another personal highlight was the moment I met my exchange partner personally after having written each other back and forth. The idea of exchanging, schools, students, friends, homes, neighbors and sharing our life stories was "just like the TV show", as my students say. The highlight for my students was the "webcam" conference we made with my students in Istanbul, while projecting on big screen. My exchange partner was doing the same in Istanbul on big screen, so the kids could see each other and could have this conversation asking and answering the questions they had prepared, taking turns on each side of the Atlantic. As I learned, from a Global Language teacher some time later, this was the "coolest" experience ever for most of the students, who had a chance to learn about schools, favorite food, favorite sports and the families of the students in Istanbul. When I and my exchange partner decided to build more on this, most of our students became pen pals and friends ever after, writing each other, exchanging cultural issues.

Jan Bukovsky (Czech Repubilc)
The key word for answering this question is the workload. In comparison with the one I have in Prague (and I would probably have in most of Europe), I stay in the school and work on grading, lesson planning after it, there is much more time I spent in the school in the United States doing all my work and preparing for it. So being under time pressure helped me to organize myself and my work more efficiently. Also working with slightly different age group of students helped me to improve my teaching style...I think and really can feel, but hardly explain, that as a teacher I can provide better work, being exposed to so colorful a student and teacher set-up. It created my ability to react faster, more properly.

Franz Castro (Colombia)
I have had a beautiful experience in the U.S.A., although I have not written any article about it, which now it's one of my objectives. I can say that living and teaching in the States, has helped me grow professionally and personally. The teaching itself has provided a lot of opportunities for learning new techniques and really creative ways of mentoring in a classroom. We don't have all these wonderful resources that are available in the States, but there are a lot of hints I can use back in Colombia.

Sona Oravcova (Slovakia)
The exchange teacher program is a wonderful program that enriched me professionally as well as personally. It was one of the most intense years in my life. Although I am a teacher with fifteen years of teaching experience, the exchange puts a different perspective on teaching, learning, and in particular, communication...

Liliana Rojas (Peru)
I consider my experience challenging, enriching and rewarding in different ways. I have grown professionally and personally during the exchange time. Adjusting to a new country and its culture takes time, and when you feel comfortable, and when you overcome all the obstacles and living becomes easier, it is time to return home. I feel very proud to be a Peruvian and appreciate the opportunity to meet people interested in learning about my country, my city, my customs and my culture. It was very rewarding to share information about the rich background of my country.

Inder Preet Sahney (India)
Being in the U.S., made me realize that there are just so many ways of doing the same thing -- teaching that is -- and that one can never know enough.

Jacqueline Ojeda Jopuy (Peru)
Now, after nearly nine months of instruction, I'm very happy to see my students using the language. Even those who struggled with it at the beginning of the school year are using useful phrases and asking questions in my language. The culture of my country was featured in a presentation at my school's annual International Night. A group of my students danced an Afro-Latino dance. We took months preparing that dance, and my students felt very proud of performing on the stage and transmitting a little bit of Peruvian culture. Other groups of students from my classes participated in the event by presenting games and explaining about Peru at our booth. They showed brochures featuring Peru's geographic and cultural highlights, which they had prepared in class based on research done by computers. Guests at the evening event also enjoyed a little taste of one of Peru's typical dishes "Papa a la Huancaina" (boiled potatoes with sour cream), which another group of students made.

Mariana Gerova (Bulgaria)
Vanguard High School is the right place to learn even for a person with thirty-three years of teaching experience. Every Wednesday, the teaching team has professional development workshops mostly with external evaluators and lectures. This added a lot to my professional growth. At the moment my teaching expertise is a blend of the traditional European style of teaching and the flexibility and openness that the American educational system allows. I think this is a good combination that would benefit my students no matter where I teach.

Rodrigo Mauricio Villablanca Jara (Chile)
All in all, kids seem to be the same all over the world so the message we can pass on to them to help them make this world a better place can easily trespass the barriers imposed by linguistic and cultural differences, since it is universal. Teaching Spanish helped me establish a more tangible connection between these two languages, which consequently has led to a better understanding and appreciation of both languages by my students. The cultural differences have also played a role. By interacting with them daily I am much more aware of the U.S.A.'s traditions and lifestyle than I used to be, and so are my students regarding important aspects of Latin American culture and traditions, especially Chile. We enjoy looking at our differences, but we definitely cherish our similarities. As to the personal growth I would definitely say it has been my best gain. I've learned to appreciate differences, to be more tolerant, more open-minded. I not only had the chance to know, but also appreciate cultures other than my own. From now on I will not teach just from books, but from first-hand experience.

Miriam Brunovska (Slovakia)
I haven grown professionally and personally during the exchange time. I am much stronger, flexible and much more open to discovering new things. After I return home I would like to use more technology, Internet, web sites during lessons. I will use more activities and show students how math can be fun. We would like to start an exchange program for students between my home and host schools. I would like to invite U.S. students to come to Slovakia next year and the year after Slovak students will go to my U.S. host school.

Alicia Susana Garcia (Argentina)
I am truly thankful for the opportunity that the Fulbright Program has given to me. All the organizational and communicational aspects were of high standards. I felt emotionally content and most importantly, I felt that people trusted me as an "ambassador" of Argentina at the U.S.'s schools. The bond established with my counterpart was excellent, and I got in touch with other teachers of the school as well. My experience is unforgettable. I will be forever grateful.

Madlaina Bezzola (Switzerland)
My experience while on the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program has broadened my understanding of different educational styles and settings. The expectations of students, parents, the school administration and myself have challenged me to meet the needs of many different types of learners.

Eva Szekacsne Laszlo (Hungary)
The Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program is a very good opportunity for us to teach not only our subject, but also our life experience to our students.

Nora Blanca Ortiz (Argentina)
This experience is a turning point in my personal and professional life. The bonds created with people of other nationalities are extremely valuable for my professional development. Currently, our exchange allows me to have a different view of my educative system, and we began to be bonded by friendship, also. I would like to comment about the excellent organization of this grant, before, during and after the trip. I felt warmness in every contact always. I would like to mention also the importance of meeting other grantees; they are a wonderful group of professionals.

Najat Kaliani (Morocco)
As far as my professional and teacher career are concerned, my experience with Fulbright has without denial been tremendously enriching and valuable.

Irena Likopa (Latvia)
Being a teacher of ESL, here I was teaching English to native speakers. This was a real challenge! Although in Latvia I feel confident and qualified to deal with most assignments, here I spent long evenings and weekends, carefully and thoroughly preparing for every single class. This was very difficult, yet a fruitful time for me and my professional development. I have learned to teach a number of new books, films and new methods, which I will be able to use in my school in Riga.

This dynamic year has been full of challenges and smaller and greater victories and defeats, experiments and daring, discoveries and also bitter pills to swallow. Yet the outcome is positive and that is what really matters! I would like to conclude my narrative by quoting the final note from the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Handbook," The purpose of the Fulbright Program is to promote mutual understanding between people of the United States and the people of other countries". As a Fulbright teacher I was on the cutting edge of this process during my stay here in the U.S., as well as upon my return to my home classroom. Thank you for this great opportunity!