Kimberly Johnson
Kimberly's Experience in Czech Republic:
Award recipient in Summer 2019
For six weeks during the months of May and June, I studied abroad in Prague, Czech Republic. Throughout those weeks, I learned a lot not only about myself but also Czech culture and the world in general. I learned how language can serve as a barrier, how different is not always a bad thing, and how sometimes things not going as planned is not always a bad thing. This knowledge I know will be beneficial not only as a future educator but also as a future counselor.
Something as simple as language can easily set kids back grade levels in the classroom. I know so many kids are ESL or English as Second Language students and are behind in things like reading and math compared to their peers. This is not because they are not as smart but rather because they do not fully understand the language the information is being taught in as well as their classmates. Going abroad really allowed me to step into my future students’ shoes. It was hard stepping into a store or restaurant not being able to read a menu or know what I was buying because everything was in Czech, a language I could not understand. Some things I could figure out by recognition but others I could not, and I cannot tell you how many times I stood in an aisle at the grocery store trying to Google Translate. It took me longer and was so much harder to do things than in America where everything is in a language I can understand. A student in the classroom who does not speak English very well has to work twice as hard and takes twice as long as most other students to accomplish the same task. I understand that now more than I ever understood it before going abroad and believe I can be more empathetic and patient because of it.
As kids we are always taught to fit in to avoid ridicule from our peers, but differences can be beautiful too. Before going abroad, I had never tried Czech food and did not know anything about Czech culture. Throughout my six weeks there, though, I learned to love Czech food and Czech people in general. It is so refreshing to see people walk with such purpose and who are passionate about the country they live in today. The Czech Republic was not too long ago a Communist country so the people there have such pride in who they are today, something America can learn from. Our differences in America are what makes us so special and instead of trying to hide them, we should value them and show them off. I loved learning about a culture different from my own, and I want to encourage my future kids to be open about their families and backgrounds. I believe we can learn so much from others who are not exactly like us, and I want my class to feel like they have a safe space to do that.
One of the most important lessons I believe I learned from studying abroad, though, is that it is okay for things not to go as planned. I came to Prague not knowing anyone and was left on my own to figure some things out. I am a perfectionist which may serve me well in some situations but is also my greatest weakness. I work hard to make sure everything is perfect and that nothing has a chance to go wrong. But when you are in an unknown place with unknown people you learn you cannot control everything. Not always being in control is okay, though, and everything always worked out in the end. This is a lesson that I know will serve me well in my future classroom. I will be in a room with twenty some kids, and I will not always have control. I will have to work through that, though, and believe everything will work out in the end. I will have to be okay with failure when my lesson plan does not work out or I do not know how to help a student and need to recruit help. Studying abroad in its own way has prepared me for this. I am so thankful I was able to go abroad to Prague and all that I learned while there.