Pitt County teachers take trip of a lifetime

For four weeks this summer, 12 Pitt County schoolteachers were given the opportunity of a lifetime.

Dr. John Tucker, a professor of history at ECU was granted the U.S. Department of Education Fulbright-Hays' Group Projects Abroad Short Term Seminar, a national competition with the task of taking public school teachers outside of the country. The overall purpose for traveling to Kyoto, Japan was to infuse Japanese language and culture into the Pitt County school system.

Kyoto is located in the central area of the island of Honshu, Japan. With a population of 1.5 million, Kyoto used to serve as the capital of the entire country. Participants in the program stayed in the city approximately four weeks.

Between June 10 and July 8, Pitt County teachers within the K-12 range visited various schools and universities, including Kyoto Education University, Momoyama Junior High School, Kyoto University, Osaka Education University and Hiroshima University. A few of the schools visited are affiliated with ECU, and teachers visited the main campus to discuss matters of education with faculty and staff.

Participants were given opportunities to immerse themselves into the ancient culture of Japan, which included over two dozen Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and samurai castles. Teachers even participated in plenty of tea ceremonies, while dressed in traditional kimono outfits.

Teachers sampled local cuisine and were either challenged by or enjoyed the overall diet of the Japanese. All believe they were fortunate with the absence of accidents or illnesses, along with zero luggage or transportation problems during their stay. This was also true with safety concerns, in which all agreed that they believed they could trust the Japanese in regards to safety, hospitality and cleanliness.

Their luck even spread to the weather conditions in Japan.

"Throughout the four week trip, Japan was actually going through the 'tsuyu,' which is their rainy season," said Tucker. "During this time, there were four days of rain, but nothing that kept us back from exploring."

Tucker added that the overall temperature was unseasonably cool, keeping weather conditions pleasant with little to no humidity.

The entire group did a considerable amount of walking during the trip--up to 200 miles. However, all of the walking paid off during the group's rigorous hike up Mount Fuji, in which they crossed over the 10,000-foot barrier, allowing them to observe volcanic rock and ice above the tree line.

Still, the trip to Japan was not solely for leisure.

"This wasn't just a vacation," Tucker said. "All of the teachers thought about how meaningful their experiences would pertain to education and lesson planning."

The overall expectation from the teachers who traveled on the trip was to take what they learned from their experiences and teach it to their own students. All participants were required to keep journals and devise a week's worth of lesson plans into their own classroom, integrating Japanese history, culture and language and personal understanding of what they were a part of.

"For many, this trip added another layer of understanding in the world, opening up a new dimension of life experience and expanding their own knowledge," Tucker said.

Along with the personal experience, participants found the interactions between the Japanese and themselves to be rewarding, a characteristic they believe is hard to find nowadays in the U.S. Even children were intrigued by their presence in Kyoto, with numerous youth always eager to walk up and practice the English language. Swarms of kids would intermingle with the teachers, spending hours learning more about one another's culture and personality.

"I learned more about myself…Before the trip, I saw myself as the stereotypical guy," said Scott McLaurin, a teacher at Ayden-Grifton High School. "There is an element of serenity there and experiences that went beyond the norm of what I expected. I enjoyed the entire experience of peace and rest and I strive to integrate [that] using the individual greater good, as well as trying to integrate with my school lessons with my students."

McLaurin wasn't the only participant who endured this type of change.

Many gained a respect for nature and the environment, especially after witnessing gardens of serenity, which were specifically designed for peace, around the hustle and bustle of the city.

"It was meaningful to visit sites and drink tea, but the personal experience of meeting the Japanese and embracing their personal interaction was well worth everything," said Elmhurt Elementary teacher Wanda Williams.

Even religious aspects were present during everyday life. Although surrounded by numerous Buddhist temples around the city, group members believed that the secular and spiritual were given a more common ground to share, with a connection to something larger than going to church only once or twice a week.

"What I saw was such a point of cultural diversity," said Janis Crane, a teacher at Ayden Middle School. "I felt that my individuality was accepted and that the Japanese wanted to hear about us, not try to change us."

This writer can be contacted at features@theeeastcarolinian.com.