Lessons from Teaching Abroad
1/25/2020
Over the month of January, I’ve had the opportunity to teach python, relativity, waves, and optics to high schoolers and students in préparatoire (post-secondary but pre-university) around Grenoble, France.
This experience has given me a newfound respect for teachers and their role in society – a huge amount of time and effort goes into planning and presenting a good lesson. By teaching in France, my eyes have also been opened to the differences in the educational systems between countries. France itself has a very different curriculum than the states, generally much more rigid. This, among other factors, has sadly resulted in a lack of representation for French international students among American undergrad institutions (there are only 2 French internationals at MIT).
By teaching here, talking to the kids about life in America, my educational background, and college admissions, I hope that I have inspired at least a few of my students to go outside their comfort zone and consider studying abroad one day.
So thankful for MIT global teaching labs and the opportunity they provided me. Greetings from Grenoble!
