About Me
Joe’s Background
In Global Gateway as an undergraduate, working with international students made me be more thoughtful about parts of teaching that I never had to be in the US with students I share a cultural background with. It was a valuable experience and made me want to do it again through the OPET program. It was also a great opportunity to visit my host country again!
The Placement
I was co-teaching five sections of different levels of English to university students in Fukuyama, Japan. The professor I taught with did a great job of truly co-teaching, getting me involved in conversation and asking me to take the lead more and more after each class. The level of English-speaking varied across classes which was a great opportunity to practice differentiating instruction, planning for different levels of learners, and adapting for students within each section.
A Typical Day
I taught 2-3 classes over the course of each day. Between each class, my cooperating professor and I would break down how class went, plan future lessons, and share feedback. Working with the students was my favorite part of the experience. Many of them were beginners, but our conversations gave them a chance to use their and English and I got to learn about them and what it’s like growing up in Japan.