I can't really say how it went, the interview I mean.
Lots of research done by yours truly on the educational system in all four UK countries, went over again my essay as to why I wanted to be a Fulbright exchange teacher and they asked about... discipline. Yep. Kept throwing possible situations at me, such as "well, you could end up in the inner city, how would you handle a violent student?" and "What if you have students who are taught by their parents to be militant?"
Weird questions, but I did my best. What I was really thinking was, "huh. Would I really be matched with someone teaching in a school so radically different from mine?"
Then I was asked about my finances; if I had savings and if I realized that the UK was twice as expensive as the USA. Geez. I happen to live in a VERY expensive part of California, which happens to be an expensive state anyway. Were they saying that if a bag of rice cost two dollars here, it would cost four dollars there?
And then, they asked me what I would do in a school situation where there were no books and no technology available. Again I thought, "Huh?" I know schools like this exist, both here and there, but wow... do the teachers that apply to the Fulbright program teach in schools like that?
Perhaps I was naive, but I don't think that's it. The panel interview is run by former Fulbright teachers; at times it seems as if they were talking more about themselves, rather than interested in my answers to their questions.
I did my best, and although I'm sure I'll mull over this for a while, there's nothing I can do now except wait.
February feels a long way off right now.
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3 comments:
you are right, there's nothing you can do about it now. You made it through the interview and now it's in their hands. I'm sure you did fine, but I'll keep my fingers crossed! If I wasn't married with children, I would seriously consider doing this. It sounds like such a great experience.
I have a friend who went to India last year on a Fulbright and had an awesome year. She took her two children and they loved it.
Good luck to you.
Kudos to you for pursuing this! I just finished a semester of exchange as a student in a college through the University of London, and it was such an incredible and enlightening experience. (And the exchange rate is right about 2-to-1 at the moment; every GBP you spend will take $2 out of your bank account.)
The exchange was such a one-of-a-kind experience; the British schooling system is quite different from ours, and I learned a lot about the strengths and weaknesses of our system.
Think of what an incredible opportunity you have in front of you - to learn the culture of another country firsthand. In truth, you'll likely learn much about the States, as well. I learned a good deal firsthand about how our country is viewed, especially politically. I also found out that most of the Brits I befriended could only describe the relative location of Florida and New York. I'm sure the students you teach will also provide you with a unique insight into the British culture.
Best of luck to you as you finish the application process, and I'm sure your interview went very well!! :o)
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