This post is a continuation of my last post on 4 March 2025:
Hive post: Korean Language and Korean alphabeth
As I have mentioned before, here I continue the idea to post fragments of my essay about my experience teaching overseas (till 2008).
Note that the essay was prepared to participate in an international conference in 2009. Due to reasons of unemployment, i was not able to attend.
And here the continuation of my essay, this fragment is about:
The American student (United States), from my humble experience
In contrast to my experience in Asia, the Fulbright Teacher Exchange experience allowed me to live the difficulties of facing a high school group in the United States and its implications. The Fulbright motto of mutual respect between nations gave me encouragement and confidence to get through the exchange.
Fortunately, the Fulbright Foundation through COMEXUS in Mexico warned us and informed us about situations of discipline, institutional functioning, and cultural differences. But the respect that is felt with the Eastern student cannot be compared to the atmosphere of an American school; at least that is the experience I had while living in Plattsburgh, in the northern part of New York State. Most of the exchange teachers agreed that discipline with students was one of the most challenging aspects to manage. Fortunately, not all the kids show this attitude. Some are so angelic that they even apologize for their behavior in class.
The American student is privileged by the educational system, as it is the essential component of the school and is protected from any abuse. And this extends to home. In the country of democracy par excellence, the laws protect the child in many aspects. This may occasionally lead to a lack of respect for the teacher. Or perhaps it is a combination of factors; for example, it is almost normal for a student to mention that they will not be in town over the weekend because they are going to visit their father. Divorce or separated parents may be another factor contributing to indiscipline and lack of respect.
Arriving at school in the morning with incredible timing, in my view, is one explanation for the importance that time holds in the daily life of an American. The school prepares future citizens to be synchronized in their daily lives.
#FulbrightExchange #AmericanEducation #CulturalDifferences #HighSchoolExperience #TeacherExchange #DisciplineInSchools #RespectInEducation #StudentBehavior #EducationalSystem