|
||
Exchange Stories written by Program Alumni and Host Schools
U.S. Teachers Abroad | International Teachers in U.S. | Taking Children on Exchange
Administrator Exchanges | Short Term Exchange Stories | Host School Experiences
Host School Experiences
Administrators who have recently hosted Fulbright Teachers in their school were asked to comment on “Why Fulbright was good for their school.” Here are some of the answers below:
Michael Murray, Principal, Traverse City Central High School (Traverse City, MI)2004-2005 hosted Fulbright Teacher from France:
This past school year, we had a Fulbright Exchange teacher from France at Traverse City Central High School. Her assignment here was a full a combination of French II and French III classes. In the American school system, high school foreign language consists largely of grammar and culture of the language studied. Fluency in actual conversation actually comes much later. By having our exchange teacher, she was able to give much more in depth understanding of culture combined with heavy doses of French converstation. The students actually began to use the language as a living tool for communication, not just an exercise in memorization. Her comparisons about the differing philosophies concerning teaching and learning benefited our staff in its discussions. At the same time, our teacher in France had the opportunity to deepen his understanding of the language and culture. It was a win-win situation.
Robin Davis, Principal, Albany Middle School (Albany, CA)
2004-2005 hosted Fulbright Teacher from Peru:
Elisa de la Vega joined our Albany Middle School staff and was welcomed with open arms. She not only enriched our lives with her wonderful teaching, but we learned so much about the culture and ways of her country. The children enjoyed having her as their teacher and many have commented that they miss her this year. The parents embraced Ms. de la Vega and frequetly asked her to tutor their children. We were lucky to have one of Ms. de la Vega’s children at our school. We saw her grow in English as well as mentor and help her peers learn Spanish. Ms. de la Vega was available to the students and her room was always open and filled with enthusiastic students. She created an atmosphere of warmth and caring, as well as holding high standards for her students. Walking into her room was like tasting a bit of Peru. It was an amazing and positive experience for all of us.
Susan Bauska, Director, Upper School, Annie Wright School (Tacoma, WA)
2004-2005 hosted Fulbright Teacher from the Slovak Republic:
Annie Wright School in Tacoma, Washington was extremely fortunate during the 2004-05 academic year to host Dr. Martin Fajkus, Fulbright International Teacher from Slovakia. Dr. Fajkus taught physics and a variety of mathematics courses. His teacher-directed style of presentation was initially difficult for our students, but within the first month of his tenure, his personality and clear love of teaching won over even the most initially skeptical of those pupils. Dr. Fajkus represented the best of what we could hope for in international exchange. We learned a great deal about life in Slovakia, including that kids there are not so different from kids here. He threw himself into school activities, winning a student-created award as the most ardent basketball fan. He created a mime routine about Annie Wright students which he presented during our annual International Talent Show, and he brought down the house when he donned fins and snorkel gear and mouthed the words to the theme from the Titanic during our Lip Synch. The School treated Dr. Fajkus as an honored guest and made possible many opportunities for him to travel and to see the Pacific Northwest. We hosted him at many dinners and let him know consistently how much we benefited from his presence. Finally, and most significantly, we remain in frequent contact with Dr. Fajkus. Our student newspaper staff wrote an article in the most recent edition about his summer travels and his return home. Martin Fajkus will always be an honorary faculty member at Annie Wright School; we miss him and look forward some day both to his return and to the possibility of some of us visiting him in his home country.
Harvey Johnson, Principal, Laporte Elementary (Laporte, MN)
2004-2005 hosted Fulbright Teacher from the United Kingdom:
I would like to pass on to you that Laporte’s experience of having a Fulbright Exchange Teacher has been nothing short of fantastic. Our guest instructor and his family were accepted by the community and his students almost from the first day they were in the community. He brought with him expertise in areas we are trying to improve such as, Differentiated Instruction, and has been more than willing to share his experiences with the members of the staff at Laporte Public School.