International educator

Coral Wilson

Just outside the hotel window was a serene and peaceful view. It was

a gray day, but the trees and hills were richly green. Temples,

shrines and cherry blossom treasures were nearby but out of sight.

Marina High School English teacher Carol Law was a long way from

home.

Law was one of 50 American teachers sent to Japan, selected to

take part in the Toyota International Teacher Program. The two-week,

expense-paid educational study focuses on themes important to both

the United States and Japan -- history, education, environment and

technology.

Unlike some other professions, teachers aren’t used to getting the

royal treatment, Law said from Japan. But the group had stayed in the

best hotels and eaten delicious food, “just like kings and queens.”

Between Tokyo, Hiroshima, Toyota City and Kyoto, Law visited

schools, factories, shrines, conservation sites, a Japanese home and

a fish market. She networked with authors, educators, business

leaders and other teachers.

All along the way, she was impressed with the Japanese people

“They are so nice, so nice here, consistently going beyond

courtesy and kindness to help us out,” she said.

Chinese by blood, born in Vietnam and dating a Japanese man, Law

wanted to enrich her understanding of the thread of Asian influence

in her life. But after immersing herself in a culture so different,

Law said her lasting impression was of the similarities and common

humanity she had experienced.

“They are just as human as we are,” she said. “They have had just

as many struggles and successes.”

In it’s fifth year, the program is funded by an annual $600,000

grant from Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. As teachers become

ambassadors between the two countries, most return with a wealth of

knowledge to share, said Rhonda Glassock, corporate contributing

manager of Toyota sales and marketing.

“Teachers reach the most students,” she said. “In this way, we

provide support to educators who day in and out work with students

who grow to be leaders.”

Japan and the United States deal with a lot of the same issues,

from environmental, education and advanced technology concerns,

Glassock said. To be considered for the program, teachers must submit

an application and impact plan for their classrooms.

Glassock described the program as “come, see, do, think,

experience and challenge yourself.”

Before her trip, Law said she knew only the superficial aspects of

Japanese culture such as sushi and Pokemon. On Friday morning, her

last day in Japan, Law said she had developed a much deeper

understanding.

She would be packing her bags with wall hangings, dolls, origami

paper and fabrics. But Law said she would also return with memories,

friendships made with her Japanese host family and fellow teachers

and new lesson plans for her classroom.

Her students would be writing haiku poems, reading more Japanese

literature and folding origami cranes. Law said her goal was to have

each class fold 1,000 cranes to send to Hiroshima.

And after visiting a paper factory, witnessing the country’s

dedication to recycling and inspired by the cleanliness of Japanese

cities, Law said she would renew her efforts to start a recycling

program at Marina High School.

“It’s been wonderful,” Law said. “We all keep saying when we get

home we won’t believe it actually happened.”