Education minor spends two years teaching English in Japan
Erin McCracken graduated in 2005 with a B.A. in psychology and minors in elementary education and studio art. She spent two years in Japan teaching English through the JET program.
So what exactly is JET and how did you hear about it?
JET stands for Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme. It is an international teaching and cultural exchange program between Japan and 44 countries around the world. I heard about it from a friend when I was teaching in Ecuador the summer before my senior year. I applied for the position through the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C.
What led you to decide on teaching abroad?
Well, I never thought I would end up in Japan. During the summer of 2004, I volunteered with the organization WorldTeach and taught English, art, math and swimming at an elementary school in Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador. I was very interested in the cultural differences between the school systems in the U.S. and Ecuador, and the effects that had on learning and motivation.
After having such a great experience teaching abroad, I decided to apply for a Fulbright Scholarship to teach English and help train teachers in Malaysia, as well as apply for the JET Programme. All along, I planned on accepting the Fulbright. However, a last minute decision led me to decline the Fulbright Scholarship and accept a position in Japan.
Tell me about your experience over there.
I lived in Karatsu City, a small town in Northwest Kyushu. I taught English in 8 different elementary and junior high schools a week. In the junior high schools, I co-taught with Japanese English teachers. I was the only English teacher in the elementary schools.
What I loved about my experience is that I was able to get really involved in the community. I led an adult conversation class, coached the Fukuoka synchronized swim team, studied Japanese, joined a karate dojo, learned Japanese calligraphy, participated in triathlons and was able to travel all over Japan and the world.
It’s hard to sum up my experience over there. Everyday was a learning experience. I guess the best way to think about it was to never expect anything and be willing to adjust at any time. When you are in a new culture, it takes time to learn the ways of the place.
What was the hardest part?
The hardest part at first was the language barrier. When I first arrived, I had never studied Japanese so I was illiterate and could not communicate. There was almost no English spoken in the area where I lived. It was very frustrating at times, because I could not communicate with my coworkers or students. With a lot of studying, patience and listening, I was slowly able to pick up the language. With time, the language barrier wasn't as much of a problem. In the end, the hardest part was definitely getting on the plane last August. Saying goodbye to that lifestyle and the people that had become my family for two years wasn't easy.
What was the best part?
Really, the whole adventure was amazing. While there were ups and downs, every day was a learning experience. There was always so much going on.
My favorite part about my job was seeing the excitement in my elementary school students. My main goal of teaching elementary school was to make them excited about English so that they wouldn’t be afraid to use it. When I first arrived, the kids were all scared to even say hello. Through activities, games and pictures, I was able to use only English in the classrooms, get all of the kids engaged and break many of them of their fear of English. Culture was a big focus of my elementary lessons. Some of my favorite lessons were coloring Easter eggs, making pizzas, making graduation caps and being taught how to make mochi, Japanese rice cakes.
Working with the synchronized swimming team made my experience so much more amazing. I was a member of the synchronized swimming team at Richmond. When I found out there was a team nearby, I wanted to get involved. The language barrier was a big challenge, but I was able to learn so much about the culture, language and sport through coaching the team. Two of my swimmers recently won the Japan championship, which was a great honor.
I was also able to do a lot of traveling. Last April, 12 of us went to Mongolia to build for Habitat for Humanity Global Village. In two weeks, we were able to complete two houses, from start to finish. That was a huge accomplishment for us and that experience really impacted my life.
How do you feel your time in Japan has impacted you now that you're back?
It is hard to explain the impact that all of this has had on my life. I definitely have a different perspective on things and an appreciation for other cultures. I am definitely more patient and open-minded than I was before. A day doesn't go by where I don't think about my experiences there. I am still in close contact with my friends and plan on visiting this summer. The break from academics was just what I needed to get me ready for my next challenge, graduate school.
So where are you in graduate school? What are your plans for after you graduate?
I just started my Ph.D. at the University of Virginia. I am in the Risk and Prevention of Education Sciences Program, focusing on interventions in mathematics education, motivation and achievement in the elementary school and cognition. I will graduate in 2011, and I’m not sure exactly what I will do. As of right now, I plan on becoming a university professor, but who knows? If you had asked me four years ago what I would be doing today, I did not see Japan and UVA on my horizon.