Preparing for an adventure in teaching

For several decades I have been working toward attaining an overseas teaching assignment. I've been fortunate enough to have landed two back to back.

Next week I leave for three weeks of teaching English teachers in Andijan, Uzbekistan through the American Council, an NGO that has a presence in Uzbekistan and many other countries.  I'll have 15 English teachers in class, and I'm excited about working with them, teaching them English and modern teaching methods and learning from them how teaching and learning is done in another country and culture.    

I come home from this assignment, do my laundry, and leave three weeks later in mid-September as a Fulbright US Scholar in Kosovo.  I'll be teaching at the University in Pristina, 2 classes of undergrads and 2 classes of graduate students, including a practicum.  

I'll be keeping a journal to track my adventure as well as my growth as a teacher and a person.   I know that I will be facing challenges in cross-cultural communication (preparing myself for multiple faux pas) and differences in classroom culture.  This stresses me out a bit.  Okay, a lot.   But I'm preparing myself as best I can, and packing my flexibility and sense of humor in my suitcase.

Assignment 1:  Andijan, Uzbekistan

The red dot is where I will be teaching for 3 weeks in August.  Andijan is in the far eastern part of Uzbekistan, in the Fergana Valley.  The city has a long history as a major waypoint on the Silk Road. The participants in the class will be teachers of English in public schools.  In a meeting yesterday, the boots-on-the-ground guy Jesse said that some of the teachers have just recently been told by their schools that they will be teaching English this fall, even though their own English skills are at a basic/beginning level.  I'll have my work cut out for me - increase their English skills and their teaching skills in 3 weeks. 

Assignment 2:  Pristina, Kosovo

The red dot here is Pristina, the capital of Kosovo.  When I decided to apply for a Fulbright Scholar award, I wanted to stay in the Balkans, and I wanted my Fulbright to mean something not just for me but for the people I would be working with.  Kosovo jumped out at me as a country that wanted me to come there and teach.  They declared their independence from Serbia in 2008; their border with Serbia continue to be a dotted line, and half of the other countries on the planet do not recognize them as their own country.  I have a soft spot for the underdogs, and Kosovo is clearly an underdog.  But at the same time, the people I have already started working and planning with are strong and proud and have a lot of kick-ass grit.  They have a lot to teach the world, and I am thrilled to support these teachers and bring their stories back to Boulder with me.