The UW–Madison School of Education hosted 21 secondary-level educators from abroad again this fall as part of the Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (Fulbright TEA) program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by IREX.
These teachers came to Madison from 17 different countries across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. They arrived in Madison on Sept. 13, and left town on Oct. 30 for a three-day conference in Washington, D.C., before heading home.
While spending time on campus and around the Madison area, the visiting educators took part in an academic program focused on media literacy, technology, contemporary issues in education, and language pedagogy.
The program included a field experience component at either Monona Grove High School or Verona Area High School. The group also enjoyed some fun activities, like touring the Wisconsin State Capitol and checking out the Dane County Farmers’ Market, taking in a Badgers football game, visiting Chicago, and attending the School of Education’s Homecoming Tailgate event Oct. 7 at Union South.
Before departing, several of the visiting teachers shared their thoughts with the School of Education about their time via a Q&A. Following is what Anđelka Petrović, who is from Serbia, shared about her experience:
Why did you apply for the Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program? As a teacher of Serbian language and literature, I already accomplished everything that I can in my field of work. I felt that I needed a bigger challenge. That is why I chose the Fulbright TEA program.
Overall, how would you describe your experience? If I said that my experience was great, that would be correct but not enough. I will need space and time and distance to really realize what I have learned during this program.
Is there a particular highlight that stands out to you from this program and your time in Madison? Cultural things were especially interesting for me, like football matches or pumpkin patches. We do not have that kind of thing in Serbia.
What is one thing you learned during your time in Madison that you hope to take back home and be able to implement in your classroom and country? One thing!? I have several of them and all of them will influence my teaching style.
Similarly, what do you hope those on the UW–Madison campus and in the surrounding communities have learned from you? They could learn something about Serbia, about typical Serbian characteristics, about my work with UNHCR Serbia, and my teaching style.
What did you know about Wisconsin and the United States before coming to Madison? And how, if at all, have your perceptions changed about this state or the U.S.? I travel a lot and learn a lot about different countries. However, I thought that I knew much about the USA considering the fact that I have read about the USA, watched movies, listened to music … But the cultural shock was the greatest that I have experienced so far. I will only mention the hardest part for me — it was food. Totally different from what I am eating in Serbia, Europe, or anywhere else in the world. Now I understand that line that I read somewhere — food is a political question in the USA.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about yourself or this experience? I have already shared everything on my Instagram page @just_srpski. It is a page dedicated to teaching and teachers in Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia. If you need more information, you will find them there.
Note: This story was funded in part by a grant from the United States Department of State. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.