My name is Sara Majid. I am an elementary teacher in Lincoln, Nebraska. My time in South Korea has been phenomenal and remarkable; an experience I will never forget. I have come to learn many things that have enabled me to see past myself. As a bilingual refugee sitting in the classroom learning the Korean language reminded me of the time when I first learned to read and write English as a second language. Now that I know how to read and write another language I had slightly forgotten the struggles and challenges I went through to have learned what I know now.
As the teacher was teaching us the Korean alphabet, I sat at my seat struggling learning to pronounce the letters and connecting letters to form words. I had forgotten what it was like to struggle as a learner when learning a new language. This new perspective has changed my point of view and when it comes to my own students in the classroom. Knowing that when a student doesn’t understand something doesn’t mean that they’re not capable of understanding but rather they need more practice or for most it might be their first experience. This experience has granted me an opportunity to reflect upon myself as an educator as I continue to work with a diverse population of students. I am grateful to Fulbright and all who took part for this rich and wonderful educational experience.
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