Ramay Teachers abroad
The Ramay Junior High faculty brings a wealth of global experience to their classrooms. Below, several Ramay teachers briefly share reflections of their international teaching experiences.
Debon Stotts, Physical Education
I taught 1 year at Bin Jang Elementary School, in Taiwan. It was my first time abroad, and I enjoyed every moment of it. Every day was a learning experience. Teaching abroad taught me how to have even more patience than I already had. It taught me how to incorporate different teaching strategies to meet the needs of all students in class, and it taught me to welcome all kinds of differences that can easily be included into the lesson.
Steve Schaefer, Science
I taught in Kuwait and Dubai for the 5 years immediately after the Persian Gulf War. It was an awesome experience both places. Teaching abroad was an education for me, and it afforded me the opportunity to travel places I probably otherwise couldn’t have.
Catie Paul, French
I took 9 hours of graduate courses this summer through Southern Oregon University’s Masters in French Language Teaching program. The program was in Angers, France and lasted 3 weeks. It was a great experience; I loved my host family and it was such a great opportunity to learn and collaborate with other French teachers from all across the US.
Michelle Gayon, Spanish
Living in Mexico for six years was truly a life-changing experience. I was able to travel to many regions of the country and interact with people at all levels of society. It opened my eyes to the fact that we here in the U.S. lead lives of extreme privilege and should open ourselves to other cultures. We have a moral obligation to give our time, energy, and wealth to help those who do not have our standard of living and our opportunities.
Every summer, I work with groups of teachers from Mexico, Central America, and South America. They are teachers of English in their own countries and come to Spring International to learn about teaching methods and to improve their English skills. They always broaden my perspective of the Spanish speaking world and give me insights into the history and culture of their countries.
Living in Mexico and working with these teachers each summer has made me a better teacher and a better person - a citizen of the world.
Every summer, I work with groups of teachers from Mexico, Central America, and South America. They are teachers of English in their own countries and come to Spring International to learn about teaching methods and to improve their English skills. They always broaden my perspective of the Spanish speaking world and give me insights into the history and culture of their countries.
Living in Mexico and working with these teachers each summer has made me a better teacher and a better person - a citizen of the world.
Ann Sorenson, Library Media Specialist and Mike Sorenson, Paraprofessional
Ann and Mike Sorenson have just begun their first year living and teaching in Ruweis, United Arab Emirates. Ann is serving as an elementary Librarian and Mike is teaching music at the Glenelg School of Abu Dhabi (Ruweis Campus). Ann served as the Library Media Specialist at Ramay for the past seven years and Mike served as a paraprofessional at Ramay for one year.
Heather Bottoms, English Language Arts
I taught English as a second language in Droveta Turnu-Severin, Romania for the Peace Corps. The town is nestled next to the Danube overlooking Serbia. This experience is where I gained my passion for teaching.
Nathan Strayhorn, English Language Arts
When I was living and teaching abroad in El Salvador, I learned a lot about the culture, the history, and the geography of that small country and surrounding Central America. Something I didn’t expect was how much I learned about myself, and what it means to be a responsible citizen of the world.
Janice Givens, Library Media Specialist
As a Teachers for Global Classrooms fellow, I had the life changing privilege to travel throughout Ukraine and work directly with teachers and students in Starokostiantyniv, Ukraine. It was the most exciting and challenging experience of my career. This experience gave me a deeper understanding of life in the former Soviet republic by allowing me to see, first hand, the implications of independence in a very young country.
*This website is not an official U.S. Department of State website. The views and information presented are the grantee's own and do not represent the Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, IREX, or the U.S. Department of State.