I came across this article today and it really made me reflect about my experience. Being a first year teacher out of college, there are so many educational ideals floating around in my head. Ideals of how a school should run, how classes should be taught, how proper disciplinary actions should occur, and how communication among and between the various stakeholders should take place. These ideals are especially important for new teachers as we navigate our practice through the stormy waters of our first year. But as I read this I am reminded to take an international perspective. These ideals are my ideals. As Bobrosky rightly puts it, I am "a temporary guest teacher who will soon move on to another adventure." It's easy to be critical. And if I'm really honest with myself I have to believe that criticism goes both ways. I imagine my counterpart Korean teachers think it rather silly to see my posters everywhere, a rich-text environment, and a general bent towards authentic versus formal assessments. So what? So what if my boss decides that hiking up Mt. Sarak San and taking pictures to prove it is a just disciplinary action? So what if some students are disciplined by having to do the duck walk around school ten times? So what if other classrooms are bare? Different strokes for different folks. I used to really struggle with some of these foreign concepts. As foreign as some of these differences may be, that is exactly what they are: foreign. Every culture has its' own set of unique values and traditions. Who am I to make a judgement call? Who am I to criticize? Therefore, I have decided that I will try harder to be less critical the next time I observe something I don't agree with. I will attempt to see the reasons and values beneath seemingly foreign practices and not immediately make a "right or wrong" judgment on it. After all, "An international teacher is a good-will ambassador, not an educational revolutionary!"
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