For three years I worked on the second floor at Mastery Charter School, teaching Kindergarten and First grade. In my fourth year, I moved to the third floor and chose to take over a fifth grade class, who’s teacher quit after only two months. It wasn’t until then that I realized that I had been teaching in a bubble for the last three years. Once I stepped out of that bubble, I started seeing what really went on, and decided to leave that school. I often wondered was it better being blind living in the bubble, or was it better to see.
Now that I have moved out of the United States of America, my eyes have been opened to so many things, specifically social issues around the world. It’s amazing how much more you learn from being around people with so many experiences that are different than your own. The things portrayed in the media are so much different than the way things actually are. While living in the U.S., I knew about things that were happening there, and little about the rest of the world.
I am not big on talking politics but when the people around me are crying because of things that are happening in the country that I was born in and they were not, it makes me question things. And when people are passionate about unrest and you are so oblivious to what’s going on, it makes you question yourself. One of my co-workers is from Lebanon. She told me stories of how she used to have to sit in the hallways of her house for hours when she was young because she could hear the gun battles of war nearby. I couldn’t even imagine. She watched the news about Aleppo every day and told me all about it. I was embarrassed by my ignorance. When Donald Trump won the primary, students were crying because they were afraid that he would kill all Muslims. They talk about America all the time but they were so fearful. Teachers were crying. And I felt disgusted.
Now the United States of America has a new President, Donald Trump and I don’t even know what to say.
Teaching Abroad- American Teacher Overseas 