Lighthouse Career Encourage USA

Volunteer Experience at Local Elementary School

Participant InformationName: Nozomi NakamuraSchool: Kanda University of International Studies

Grade: 3rd-year student (at the time)

Program: AT (Los Angeles Educational Volunteer Program)

Program: Assistant Teacher Program Experience (Elementary School)

| Reasons why I decided to participate in this program

I decided to participate in this program because I wanted to use the knowledge I have gained at university by teaching classes in an American elementary school and directly receiving students’ reactions. I was also interested in learning how children in the U.S. learn English and how teachers design their lessons. By seeing this in practice, I believed I could gain insights that would help me provide more effective English instruction to students in Japan. In addition, the opportunity to experience a homestay was very appealing, as it would allow me to test and further improve my English skills.

| My expectation before coming

What I was looking forward to 

Although I had practiced teaching English in English to elementary school students through demo lessons at university, I had never actually taught in an actual classroom before. Therefore, I was very excited to see how students would respond during my lessons. I also looked forward to interacting with children outside of class to make the experience more meaningful and enriching.

What I was worried about

 Although I am still a student, students see us both the homeroom teacher and the assistant teacher as “teachers”. I was a bit worried about whether I could build good relationships with the students and other people in the local community, and whether my English would be sufficient to communicate with second-grade students. However, I was more motivated to do my best with confidence, making use of the knowledge and experience I had gained at university.

| Daily routine

I was assigned to be in second-grade class at Hickory Elementary School. I used worksheets prepared by the teacher each morning to support students read, and I was also in charge of reading picture books to the students every day. In addition, I assisted students who were struggling with their learning and supported those who were more advanced and ready to do different tasks during class.Overall, it was a very fulfilling experience.

【Daily Schedule】

• 8:30 AM Arrival at school

• 9:00 – 9:30AM Morning meeting

• 9:30 – 10:30AM Reading & Writing

• 10:30 – 10:50AM Recess

• 10:50 – 12:00PM Reading & Writing

• 12:00 – 12:50PM Lunch

• 12:50 – 13:10PM Read-aloud time

• 13:10 – 14:00PM Math

• 14:00 – 14:20PM Recess

• 14:20 – 15:00PM P.E.

• 15:00   Dismissal

Although the daily schedule was set, unlike in Japanese elementary schools, there was no specific timetable. The homeroom teacher adjusted the lesson content and timing flexibly based on the students’ condition and progress.During recess, with the teacher’s permission, I spent time with children eating snacks together and playing outside, which helped me build closer relationships with them. I also made an effort to spend time with students outside of class and communicate with them as much as possible.

Lunch time – I was able to observe differences from school lunches in Japan.

| Memorable experience

Students from various national backgrounds were learning together in the same classroom, and their English skills were also different. However, I did not observe situations where the teacher provided one-on-one instruction to individual students. Instead, the students learned from each other and worked hard during lessons. I was impressed by it. I learned a great deal from these kind and hardworking children. As a future teacher, I strongly hope to create a warm and supportive classroom environment like this.

| Challenging experiences

One of the biggest challenges was to find an effective way to support students with higher English ability. During reading lessons, students were divided into groups, but some advanced students finished their tasks very quickly before the group reading began. Therefore, it was difficult to keep all students engaged at the same time.It was easy to focus more on students who read slower or struggled with the tasks. But advanced students also needed attention and guidance otherwise they would lose their focus too. Throughout the program, I constantly thought about how to support both groups effectively and tried to find my own ways to create a balanced and engaging learning environment.

Students working in groups during a reading activity

| What I worked the most at

I always tried to think about what could be the best for children and take action proactively. When I read picture books, I checked my pronunciation and practiced reading them every night. I also tried to help children connect the story to their own experiences and share their ideas.

At the end of each day, I was very tired and almost fell asleep on the bus. However, when I thought about those children listening carefully and raising their hands to speak, I felt that all my preparation was worth it.

As I mentioned before, I supported children in different ways depending on their English level. For students with higher ability, I asked more difficult questions to help them think more deeply. For students who needed help, I gave many hints so they could find answers by themselves. I also watched children carefully and talked with the teacher about what I had noticed. The teacher used my ideas in our next lesson, so I felt like we were making lessons for the class together. I am very thankful to the teacher because this was a very meaningful experience for me.

| Homestay

The sunset when I went hiking with my host family!

I stayed with a Chinese American host family, and my homestay life was very fulfilling. We went sightseeing in downtown Los Angeles and watched movies together.During my stay, I got sick for a few days and felt very sorry for making them worry. However, I recovered quickly thanks to the soup my host mother had made for me. My host father told me, “Let’s exercise to boost your immune system!” and I ended up going hiking for the first time in my life, even though I had just recovered. At first, I was a little worried, but looking back, it was a fun and unforgettable memory.

What I tried to get along with my host family 

I tried to adjust to my host family’s lifestyle. They were careful about saving water, so I limited my shower time to about 10 minutes. I also wanted to value my relationship with them, so I tried to make time to talk every night during dinner. I shared what I did on that day and answered questions from my host father, who was interested in Japan.He even said, “Why don’t you study at an university in the U.S.? You could become an elementary school teacher here!” I was very happy to hear that. I still keep in touch with my host family. Even though Japan and the U.S. are far apart, I hope we can stay close like my second family for a long time.

| Reflections on the program

What I learned and how I will use them in the future

First, teamwork among teachers.When problems occurred among children, the teachers quickly shared information and worked together to solve them. Sometimes teachers had different opinions, but I could see their strong sense of responsibility and passion as educators.

Second, communication between teachers and parents.The homeroom teacher and parents could communicate by email, and parents could ask for a meeting anytime if they had concerns. I felt there was a good system to support children’s growth together with parents.

Third, teaching skills.The teacher used great storytelling skills to bring out ideas from children and help them observe the story from various points of view. I was very impressed to see how just one picture book and the teacher’s voice could attract children so much. The children clearly remembered the teacher’s questions and words, which showed how important the influence from the teacher was.

From this experience, I learned that I want to work with others well, respect different opinions, and share my own ideas with passion. I also want to work closely with parents to support children’s growth. In addition, I believe that each word I say is an important teaching tool, so I will continue to improve my communication skill as well as teaching skill.

| Would you recommend this program to your friends?

Yes! I highly recommend this program not only for people who like children or want to work in the education field, but also for anyone who is curious about this program.

By seeing and experiencing education in an elementary school in America with your own eyes, you can learn a lot and gain new ideas for teaching. You can also learn a lot from the way teachers and host families value their own family time after finishing work every day.

It may be difficult to bring everything you experienced in the U.S. back to Japan and use them in the same way. However, I believe it is such a valuable experience to learn how you could do your best even in a limited time frame while you take care of your health and personal time instead of only focusing on accomplishments.

If you are interested, I encourage you to take the challenge and give it a try!