In a recent interview with Emily Willis, Director of People and Culture at Academy of Math and Science, Tucson, Arizona, we learned about the many powerful benefits of hosting two international teachers at her school. Two Greenheart Teach USA teachers from the Philippines and Sri Lanka currently teach at the Academy of Math and Science.
Let’s find out what she shared!
Tell us what roles exchange Teachers fill at your school and how this helps your school, students, community?
Many of our exchange teachers are very highly qualified, and they are in informal leadership roles as lead teachers or mentors. They are instructional experts and very qualified to lead. They have brought so much just through their knowledge and expertise.
How has the program impacted your school and the local community?
One thing we are always trying to teach our kids is acceptance, inclusion, diversity, all those values, so it’s really nice to have a diverse workforce. Our students get to experience a different culture, that they might not have ever had the opportunity to know about before. It also shows our [American] teachers who get to have that peer-to-peer interaction with them that everyone brings something new and different to the table, and they can learn from each other.
What is the best part of having international exchange teachers here in your school?
I personally feel it’s the joy they bring. The teachers have a contagious joy about them – they want to get to know the kids, help at every event, and be a part of the community around them. Their excitement is contagious – let’s face it, teaching is hard! When our [American] teachers see someone who is excited about the work we do, it reminds them what we’re all really here for. That’s been one of the best impacts – they’ve brought excitement and enthusiasm for what it means to be there for the kids. When someone brings that kind of joy, it just really lifts everyone up.
Give us some examples of how they share their culture and how your school shares the U.S. culture with them.
They’ve done different cultural events and activities on their campuses, but what I’ve seen too are those little day-to-day interactions with the kids, where teachers get to share their experience of what life is like in other places – they are always relating their experiences back to what it’s like in their home country. It really helps with those misperceptions we can sometimes have.
You’ve had such a successful program; what do you do to prepare your new BridgeUSA teachers when they come on board?
We run three and a half weeks of onboarding programming when they arrive – continuous classes at the campus level, at the network level, including classroom management, what to expect — all of it. It’s so important, so we have a really strict deadline for hiring. We’ve found that exchange teachers that arrive after that onboarding period struggle a bit. So, we actively recruit really early to make sure they can arrive on time and start learning and building those relationships with colleagues from the start. Also, all our new teachers have a mentor or lead teacher who takes them under their wing.
What feedback do you have for Greenheart? What can we do to better support you?
Honestly, nothing! You are incredibly responsive when we reach out, and your requirements and forms are simple and easy to work with, and you’re always transparent and supportive. When we have an issue, you always approach it from a perspective of support, of what you can do to support us and support our teachers to find a solution. We really appreciate that! Greenheart is one of only two sponsors we work with.
Is your school ready to host highly qualified international educators to contribute to the learning experience of your students and communities? Visit HostGreenheartTeachers.org to apply to host today.
Did you know? If your school participates in one or more of Greenheart’s cultural exchange programs, your school will be eligible for up to $4,000 in grants as a Greenheart School. Details at GreenheartSchools.org.