I did not necessarily want to just study and complete course work abroad, but I wanted to teach abroad. I was able to find a program that allows students in Education majors to complete their first 10 weeks of student teaching in their hometown and the last 8 weeks wherever they wanted. I was ecstatic about this program and I quickly signed up! I knew I would be able to learn about culture, diversity, and various teaching philosophies, and I plan to eventually implement those into my future classroom! I chose to complete this program in New Zealand because of the gorgeous views and scenes they have. I was also interested in learning more about the Maori culture of New Zealand where they are known for dancing, music, friendly folks, and various kinds of art.
While in New Zealand, I have been student teaching middle school students in Home Economics. New Zealand is one of the few countries that still refers to Family and Consumer Sciences as Home Economics. Whenever the New Zealand consultant was trying to place me at a school, he accidentally placed me in a Science classroom because he did not understand the terminology we have in the US! Thankfully, it was an early placement, so he still had time to switch my placement over to a Home Economics or FCS classroom! The subject I will be teaching is called Food Technology, which I am actually not familiar with much at all, but I am excited to learn more about what it is and hopefully teach students what I know on it. Though my mission is mainly to teach middle school students, I also have a variety of other tasks I need to complete while I am here. The program that I get to travel abroad with is called Global Gateways for Teachers through Indiana University.
