Miranda Pederson/Daily NewsSarah Baker, a Bristow Elementary School teacher, recently returned from a three-week trip to Japan through the Fulbright Memorial Teachers Fund.
Published 12:00 am Sunday, February 15, 2004
Teacher brings cultural awareness to school
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
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A little more than a week after returning to Bowling Green from a three-week trip to Japan, Sarah Baker is brimming with stories about the ways it will influence her classroom.
Baker, a kindergarten teacher at Bristow Elementary School, was one of 100 teachers nationwide one of two from Kentucky who visited schools, industrial sites, government buildings and rural areas of Japan through an annual program sponsored by the Fulbright Memorial Teachers Fund. She returned Dec. 3.
It was just the most fabulous trip Ive ever been on in my life, she said.
Baker spent a week in Tokyo, meeting government officials including the minister of education, who informed the group of Japans economic and educational systems. She traveled to other parts of the country as well, including the rural Soja City, to see automobile factories, orchards and farms.
We went to a university, a high school, a middle school and an elementary school, Baker said. That was the most eye-opening experience. They do things completely differently than we do in the United States.
Baker described Japan as having a different philosophy of education than the United States, meaning Japan teachers take a very mainstream approach to education, while teachers here use different teaching tools to meet the learning needs of each individual child.
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We got to see what they do at every level, she said. We also participated in some English classes, which they start taking in middle school, and that was so much fun.
Before leaving on Nov. 11, Baker did some research so she would be familiar with Japanese customs, such as taking off ones shoes before entering someones home, when to talk and not to talk inside a temple and how to drink tea properly.
During a night she spent with a Tokyo family, she found that they had done the same they had spent two months brushing up on their English so they could communicate with Baker.
Japanese society is very relaxed, Baker said. Its not like the hustle and bustle here they take everything in and appreciate things for what they are.
One thing that Baker found difficult to swallow was the food while it was tasty, it was hard to get used to eating fish three times a day.
Toward the end of the trip, I missed American food, she said. I couldnt wait to come home and have some good old American food.
Now that she is back, Bakers goal is to educate her school and community about Japanese life. Shes developed a unit for the primary students and soon will give three small presentations to the Bristow faculty on cultural awareness. In the spring, Bristow will have a cultural fair and Baker will organize a booth on Japanese food, music, theater and government.
Baker is also available to speak to community outreach groups about cultural awareness.
The kids are so excited, she said. The whole school is so excited to learn about Japan and its culture. My No. 1 goal was to bring cultural awareness to the school, its faculty and the community.
One Bristow teacher whos taken a special interest in following in Bakers footsteps is fourth-grade teacher Karen Preston, who plans to apply for the 2006 Fulbright trip. Preston, who has studied the educational system in Germany, said another cultural experience could help her make her students more aware of life outside the United States.
Id love to get to do that through education, Preston said. Japanese people and culture are very fascinating to me. When I get new ideas and talk to people, thats helpful to me.
Preston said many of her students dont travel much outside Warren County, so it would be especially beneficial for them to learn about places outside this region.
They dont see any other parts of Kentucky or the United States, much less another country, Preston said. Anything I can bring thats hands-on, even photos and videos, would be interesting.
Baker has already begun teaching her kindergarten class, as well as some other classes, about her experiences in Japan.
It really changed my life, she said. I had the perspective of knowing how wonderful it is to live in America, but to experience another culture and bring more awareness into this community.
For more information on the Fulbright program or to apply for the Japan program, log on to www.fulbrightmemorialfund.jp. Daily News ·813 College St. ·PO Box 90012 ·Bowling Green, KY ·42102 ·270-781-1700