Although many people encouraged me to study abroad, I did not truly understand its significance until I actually experienced being surrounded by a new culture. Spending two weeks studying urban education and living in London significantly impacted me as a person and as a future educator. Beyond its developmental and academic benefits- it was a blast! I chose the King’s College urban education program because I wanted to participate in a study abroad experience without being away from ISU for an entire semester.
While in London, a small group of students from ISU visited urban schools, attended classes and seminars at King's College, and visited cultural festivals in the busy European city. We learned about diversity issues, discussed serious topics such as race and poverty, and learned by interacting with each other. I also discovered how beneficial it was to spend time with students from other specialties. My major is school health education, and I learned a great deal by hearing about issues from the perspectives of the elementary education and special education majors who went on the trip with me.
My experiences in London also allowed me to become aware of my own cultural biases and assumptions. The realizations I encountered through classes, school visits, and being abroad will make me a better teacher by helping me to understand the needs of all students and better preparing me to assist immigrant families adjusting to life in the United States. I cannot think of a more fun way I could have chosen to enhance my teacher preparation program!
I kept a journal while in London, and here is the entry from my last day:
“I am not ready to go home yet! Today we visited a Buddhist Temple, which I was so excited about! We learned about the four noble truths, the origin of Buddhism, and some other basic principles. I find it really interesting that Buddhism has no God; it is more a way of life, and they are accepting of all but do not necessarily recruit like some religions do.
There is so much I have left to learn about English culture and life in general. After the Buddhist temple, we went out to eat, and I had green vegetable soup. It was delicious, and we debriefed (with tea and biscuits of course!) after that. We discussed the experiences that we had, and it was interesting to hear other people’s perspectives on things that we did together. My favorite experiences were listening to the seminar on school reform, listening to Marina Castelli’s research presentation, and visiting the three urban schools and the Buddhist Temple. Tollgate Primary School was especially fun; the atmosphere was exciting with students and teachers who seemed to love learning.
We also put together some tips for the students next year. Some of them will be really helpful, and some were funny. We told them to stand on the right side of the tube and not to tip as well as we do in America. I am not ready to leave tomorrow, but I am so glad I have had this experience!”
The program really was a great experience. By studying education in another country, I came up with some great ideas about how to improve myself as a teacher. I also made friends with a squirrel, toured the Tour of London, met some British students, had dinner overlooking the Thames River, and made great connections at ISU. After adjusting to a new culture, I was able to look more critically at my own cultural views and assumptions and better understand how I can help all types of students succeed as a future educator.