To walk a mile in their shoes

To be the stranger...the foreigner...the different one

To struggle to communicate...

To be surrounded by the unfamiliar...

Is to feel what many of your students feel.

Today, the nation's elementary, junior high and high school students are a pretty international bunch: Asian, Hispanic, Bosnian, Indian, Haitian. Many just got here. Some don't speak English very well or at all. Many feel lost. And you're their teacher! Where do you start?

Providing student teachers the option of training in a different environment helps them identify better with the students they'll be nurturing, according to Dr. Roger Kueter, head of the UNI Department of Teaching. "One of the greatest benefits a university student gains from out-of-state or international exposure is the experience of acceptance," says Kueter.

The primary focus of the UNI Out-of-State and International Student Teaching program is to provide a diversity of opportunities for UNI student teachers, according to Dr. Janey Montgomery, program coordinator. She says, "We think it's important to develop global concepts and awareness for curriculum areas K-12. Students develop teaching and learning potential through personal and professional growth during this time. They are better able to reflect on the American system of education through exposure and experience with another system of education."

But, taking advantage of this opportunity is strictly up to each student. "UNI doesn't assign any student teachers out of state," Kueter emphasizes. "They need to request such placements."

UNI regularly places more than 350 student teachers each semester, and a small percentage are making the request for out-of-state placement (see charts).

Selecting a training environment

Student teachers choose an out-of-state placement for a number of reasons, according to Kueter. Some are looking for cross-cultural and diversity experience. Others have family members in other states. Some have spouses relocating out of Iowa. Finally, some wish to become familiar with a specific content area about which they'll be teaching. For example, all elementary schools teach units on Asia, Africa and Australia.

However, being accepted for an out-of-state placement requires an extensive approval procedure. "We want our students going for the right reasons," Kueter explains. "They need to understand the host culture and be willing to accept it. They need to be able to deal with uncertainty and be flexible in unstructured situations. Out-of-state student teaching is not an escape."

Wherever they are located, all student teachers are closely monitored and their learning experience follows state and national accreditation guidelines. "We keep in close touch with our out-of-state student teachers," Kueter says. "Their assessment and evaluation includes e-mail contact, journaling and other reporting."

Changing views, changing lives

"Our students come back different people," says Judith McConnaha, of the International Field Experience Office. "They are more mature-better listeners and problem solvers."

If students can be successful in a culture different from their own, where all the social cues are altered, they become better people, better teachers and better citizens, according to McConnaha. "We are preparing the best teachers for Iowa," she says.

"A culture as unlike my own as possible"

Andrew Sitzmann devised a way to teach Kenyan elementary students the definitions of "quite," "very," "so" and "too" without using words:

"I came into the classroom when everyone was quiet. I walked to a knapsack full of books and picked it up. 'Quite heavy,' I said. Then, I picked up the corner of a desk: 'Very heavy.' Next, I struggled with a big log: 'So-o-o heavy.' Finally, I went to the doorframe and tried to lift the building off its foundation, only to stagger back defeated. By now all the students were laughing and clearly understood when I said, 'Too heavy!'"

Sitzmann's creativity was well tested during his student teaching experience at a local primary school in Riondonga, a town in rural western Kenya. Sitzmann had wanted an opportunity to study abroad - in the most unusual spot he could find. "My siblings all had a chance for study outside the country," he explains. "I also wanted the experience of immersing myself in a culture as unlike my own as possible."

However, teaching methods in Kenya's public schools are based on the British system and very structured and demanding. "Eighth grade students must take a very comprehensive examination to get into secondary school, including algebra and geometry problems more difficult than those on our college entrance exams," Sitzmann says. "I learned to set high expectations and use a variety of teaching strategies. I also have a new appreciation for simplicity in lesson design."

Today, Marshalltown first graders reap the benefits of his Kenyan experience. In a special district-wide program to reduce the size of reading classes, Sitzmann rotates among elementary schools, working with small groups of students to increase their skills. "It is a fabulous start in my career, a perfect background for working with elementary students of all ages," he says. "I work a lot with decoding strategies. It's challenging to bring life to reading skills, but the other teachers tell me the kids enjoy coming to my class."

Sitzmann's experience has affected other aspects of his life back in Iowa. "What a difference in the pace of life in Kenya," Sitzmann recalls. "It's slower, comfortable and relaxed.

"I learned to take relationships more seriously from my experience in Kenya," he adds. "I met people I really admired. They would do anything to help you. It seems our 'self-oriented' culture doesn't allow us to take the time to appreciate people as we should. In fact, as soon as I got back, the very next weekend, I went to visit my grandparents. I hadn't seen them in five years."