Moving into my teaching experience in Northern Ireland, I began with

an open mind and excitement to learn about a different culture. I had

planned on doing part of my student teaching experience abroad since I
began my freshman year at Drake University. In the past three years, I was
met with many obstacles that could have stopped me from pursuing this
journey. I took extra credit hours and rearranged courses in order to have this
experience in Northern Ireland, which I hoped would be worth the education I
would receive in a different country. I have learned a lot, whether it is about
teaching or living life abroad both from my tutors, pupils, and friends here in
Belfast. It has not been the easiest of placements and there were times when
I regretted putting in all of the work, but Northern Ireland opened my eyes to
aspects of teaching that I may not have seen in my placement in the United
States.

In writing that I had moments of regret, I mean that I had times where I
questioned whether all of my hard work and stress were worth it. Before
arriving in Belfast, I was told that my original mentor teacher had been
promoted, so my placement was changed and I was going to be spread
throughout the Mathematics department. This situation did not seem ideal,
but I was still excited to experience the new culture. Once I had arrived in
Belfast, I learned that I would be at Breda Academy with multiple teachers.
Unfortunately, when I began my time at Breda, no one knew that I was
supposed to be there. I was met with confusion and uncertainty of what my

role was going to be and I thought to myself, Why did I not stay in the
United States? I wanted to give up at this moment, thinking if I am in
Northern Ireland, how much influence can this placement have on my
teaching in the states?

Following a moment of stress and panic, I took a deep breath and

thought about why I am teaching what really motivated me to come abroad.
I realized that in regretting coming here and being bogged down by a lack of
organization, I was being selfish and taking away from the learning of
students. In the weeks that I spent at Breda Academy, there was a constant
motivator that I found each day: the pupils I taught. Northern Ireland has
shown me the importance of classroom management and good rapport with
students. A class that played a significant role in this learning was my level
10s. Level 10 is the equivalent to 8th grade in the United States. These pupils
were very intelligent and challenged me in providing lessons that would
stimulate their learning. They seemed apprehensive at first, but as I began
working with them one-on-one and showing that I cared for their learning,
they seemed to care more too. The students in this class showed a craving
for knowledge. One boy in particular told me, Miss, I know Im not that
bright, but I really will try. This student showed me the importance of
respecting each learning process because each child wants to learn. I
showed this pupil that I believed in his abilities by not getting frustrated

when he had 10 questions related to the same problem and telling him to be
confident in what he knew.
Another group of pupils that showed me the importance of classroom
management was my year 8 group, the equivalent of 6th grade in the United
States. This class was the biggest I taught and had the most students
needing individual instruction. When teaching this class, I tried to implement
a variety of teaching strategies, which they all welcomed with excitement.
Based on observations of the class, I noticed that the students did not use
manipulatives or discussion for learning. When I introduced these styles of
teaching and learning, the students engaged more than I had seen, showing
me the importance of acknowledging different learning styles. In relation to
classroom management, I realized that you must know how your students
learn in order to properly stimulate their learning. I also learned the
importance of rapport with students in this class. I noticed that many of
these students became anxious when I asked them questions while working
with them individually. Once I realized this behavior, I began getting to eye
level with pupils and talking to them more casually. The students seemed to
be more comfortable and willing to answer questions when I behaved this
way. I also allowed for the students to answer a variety of questions during
whole class instruction, something I did not see other teachers do. In letting
them play a bigger role in the classroom, I noticed that they were more
excited to ask and answer questions. As I taught more lessons, more hands
went up when I asked questions. These students really showed me how

influential my behavior and mannerisms are to the classroom environment.

The pupils at Breda Academy have shown me that no matter where a
student comes from or the form of teaching they are accustomed to, the
most important aspect of teaching is classroom management and having the
respect of your students.

Another important aspect of teaching that I learned from Breda

Academy was flexibility. I was met with challenges from day one at Breda
Academy. Not only was I in a different country, but I was at a school that did
not seemed prepared to have me. I was forced to be flexible and make the
most of a situation. As time went on I became more comfortable in taking
initiative at the school and asking teachers for help or if I could sit in their
classroom for a period, since I had no where else to go. I realized what I
wanted to get out of my time at placement; observing the similarities and
differences between Northern Irish and American classrooms. I wanted to
absorb as much of their teaching practices as possible to apply to my
teaching in the United States. At Breda, I became flexible in what my
placement would look like in order to make the most of my experience.
Additionally, I had to be flexible in my planning. There is no proper schedule
to the class periods, so the instruction time varies. I had days where I had to
rearrange my lesson in the middle of class or because I did not have access
to print the right worksheets. I learned that thinking on your feet is not

unique to America. I was constantly challenged to meet the situation I was

given with an open and ready mindset, and it has made me a better teacher.

An aspect of teaching that I experienced in Northern Ireland that I had

not in the States was the politics that can be within a school. My placement
school in Belfast was created by the amalgamation of two high schools. The
teachers and students joined together at the beginning of last school year,
so my time with them was still within their transition period. In the staff
workroom it was very evident what teachers were from what school based on
where they sat. There were two vice principals, one from each school, so
depending on which school a teacher was from, that was the vice principal
they tended to choose to work with. I spent a lot of time observing the
behaviors of the teachers in relation to the amalgamation. Whether this
behavior was due to the amalgamation of the school or Northern Ireland
culture, I am not sure. I was placed to work with a range of teachers from
both schools. I picked up that the discipline and teaching styles of the two
schools were very different. The teachers from one of the schools seemed
more relaxed with their students and the other school seemed to teach in a
way that adhered to different learning needs. Neither set of teachers was
better than the other, but it was interesting to compare the two. Through my
experience I learned how to work in situations where differing opinions were
evident. In teaching, whether two schools have joined or not, there will
always be groups of teachers that hold different viewpoints. I learned that it

is important to be respectful and open to all of these, while also being

confident in my own opinions. While I did not experience such a situation in
the states, I am sure I will be faced with one in my teaching career.

Overall, my experience in Northern Ireland has taught me to never give

up on a situation that seems challenging. Leading up to this trip, I often
questioned whether I should have taken the easier route and stayed in Iowa.
Even at the beginning of my time in Belfast, I questioned whether the stress
was going to be worth it. In teaching, there will be countless times where I
am challenged and wonder whether I made the right choices. My time in
Northern Ireland has shown me that each challenging situation, especially in
teaching, is met with a rewarding moment where a student shows that they
hope to learn or a lesson simply goes smoothly even if it starts out
unpredictably. When looking at my time abroad, I would not have learned
from, experienced, or enjoyed as much of time if I had not chosen to pursue
each challenging situation with a confident, forward attitude that I hope to
transfer to my teaching practice.