When some U.S. public schools faced a shortage of highly qualified math, science and special education teachers, they looked overseas, to the Philippines, for new instructors. When the new teachers arrived in the U.S., they found a very different educational and cultural environment from what they were used to back home.
One group of Filipino teachers in particular went to teach in Baltimore Public Schools. Their experiences were documented in the film 'The Learning,' which showed how hard it was for them to be away from their families while dealing with difficult student behavior in the classroom and a new set of expectations.
So far, this is my 24th year of teaching, but I guess it is...not really the horrible one, but I guess it's full of -- adjustments, full of disappointments, full of hurts, full of ill feelings," says Dorotea Godinez, one of the teachers featured in the film.
Quotes
"And it is because there is fear in myself, because I'm afraid if I will be so mean with them, they might sue me or they might charge me with something which I never do. So I might just be in jail in America, which is -- I don't ever dream of." - Dorotea Godinez
Warm Up Questions
1. Where are the Philippines?
2. Why might it be hard to find teachers to teach certain subjects or to teach in certain school districts?
3. How do you think your school is similar to/different from schools in other countries?
Discussion Questions
1. Based on what you saw in the video, how are schools in the Philippines similar to/different from schools in Baltimore? How do they compare to your school?
2. If you were in these teachers' positions, do you think you would take a job in the U.S. and live away from your family for a year? Why or why not?
3. Why do you think Ms. Godinez had such a hard time with classroom management?
Additional Resources
