International Student Teachers Gain and Share New Perspectives

Mark Smith (MA ’01) remembers 15-minute tea breaks each morning, asking his students to “queue” up for uniform checks, and the students all calling him “sir” when he served as a student teacher at the Beechen Cliff School, an all-boys secondary school, in Bath, England.
      “I wanted to teach abroad because I believed it would make me a better teacher,” he said.
      Smith used ideas he picked up in England, especially the concept of teaching history focused on major events and ideas rather than a chronological model typical in American classrooms, in his future posts in Cedar Rapids and Plano, Texas. Smith is now pursuing a Ph.D. in education at Stanford University.

Langguth (L) reviews lesson plans with Alex.

Nancy Langguth (PhD ’96), associate coordinator for the College’s student field experiences, believes international student teaching experiences are life-changing opportunities.
     “The students return different people than we sent—they mature in such wonderful ways,” she said.
      The College first sent a student teacher abroad in 1977. Since 1997, when the College started keeping a database, 193 students have taught in 19 countries. The most popular countries so far have been Australia, Ireland, England, and New Zealand.

Stacey Alex (BA ’07) taught in a private school in Costa Rica in 2007. She’s now a Spanish teacher at West Liberty High School.

“I brought back two suitcases full of physical things that I can use, as well as a toolbox full of strategies and cultural perspectives that can impact my students,” she said.

Huffman plays a game with her Costa Rican students

Ashley Huffman (BA ’07) also taught in Costa Rica. She said that the experience left her better prepared to tackle the challenges in her future classrooms.

“This experience has made me more confident in my teaching abilities and made me believe I will be successful by combining the best of both worlds into my classroom,” she said.

English Education major Ashley Oehlerking (BA ’08) went above and beyond requirements for her major to participate in an international teaching experience. While most students can choose to student teach eight weeks in the United States and eight weeks abroad, The English Education program requires 16 weeks of student teaching in the United States. But Oehlerking felt so strongly that she wanted the international experience, she spent 16 weeks student teaching here and an additional eight weeks in England.

“My passion is in the classroom,” she said. “I thought I might as well go to a different country and experience a different educational system because I think you can better reflect on your own teaching style and educational system if you see a completely different one.”

Oehlerking, (center) expanded her skills in England.

Oehlerking, who is now teaching in the Chicago area, said she was most surprised by the way her British colleagues planned lessons. The department head made all of the lesson plans and each one corresponded to a specific skill on which the students would later be tested.

“We have a lot more freedom here for planning,” she said.

Kevil Muchow (BA ’07) taught the equivalent of fifth grade in Australia and said she enjoyed learning about diverse views of education and teaching.

“The school allowed me to observe other teachers and classes, as well as go on many field trips,” she said. “I am now aware of more teaching styles. I’m also able to recognize and relate better to others who have varied outlooks and opinions on teaching.”

Langguth said the student teachers’ international experiences have long-term, positive ramifications in their lives and the lives of their future students. 

“International experiences are wonderful in conjunction with all professions, but I can’t think of a group of people for whom such experiences have greater impact than for teachers, because upon their return, teachers have the opportunity to share their experiences and new perspectives with their students for years to come, “ she said.