Korean teachers from Chonnam National University in South Korea recently visited Sacred Hearts Academy. They were greeted by the Academy’s National Honor Society (NHS) members and introduced at the morning assembly in the courtyard. As ambassadors to the school, NHS members also gave them a tour of campus before the visitors observed teachers instructing in their classes.
“NHS members are our go-to ambassadors when people from abroad or elsewhere visit the Academy. NHS students speak and represent the Academy well,” said Interim Upper School Principal Cleo Eubanks, who reached out to NHS for volunteers. “They know the school well and have a lot to share about courses and campus life.”
NHS member and junior Elizabeth Murakami saw the volunteer opportunity as a chance to learn more about schools and culture in Korea.
“I thought it would be a fun exchange of cultures,” Murakami said. “Last year, the same program introduced us to two Korean teachers, who shared a lot about Korean culture, but we never had much time to ask questions. I saw this opportunity to ask more about Korean schools and the differences they saw between North American and East Asian cultures.”
Murakami was also interested in how teaching styles compared in both Korean and American schools.
“In Korea, and other East Asian schools, academics are treated more competitively with the top students given first choice to their top career colleges,” she said. “Ms. Jay, one of the teachers Rochelle and I were paired with, talked a lot about the stress students undergo preparing for the Korean placement exam.”
The Korean teachers’ visits were part of the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Hawai’i English Language Program (HELP), an intensive English language program that focuses on academic English preparation. Teachers take what they learn and apply it to their classrooms in Asia, where they teach the English language.
The Korean teachers visited both advisories and period 1 classes. In the advisories, they observed students participating in the Character Strong program, a curriculum that helps develop students’ success in multiple areas. This includes improved behavior, increased safety and supported mental health.
“Social emotional learning is a crucial part of the Academy experience,” Eubanks said. “Our faculty are teaching their courses with the girl-learner in mind and students are permitted to express themselves in the classroom or have a good rapport with their teachers.”
“This experience was very insightful, understanding other cultures and realizing how similar people across the world can be to us is comforting in a way,” Murakami said. “Being able to relate to the struggles of testing and that being something people across the world deal with, too, makes me feel connected to other students everywhere; it’s a unique empathy everyone can feel.”
Before beginning the tour, the teachers and the students posed at the entrance to campus to celebrate the occasion. Some teachers also took pictures with their student guides before leaving for the day. Additionally, the teachers have visited other campuses in Hawaii during their time on the island, such as University Laboratory School (ULS). Eubanks plans to continue this event in future school years. When asked about the possibility of Academy students and teachers visiting a Korean teacher’s classroom in the future, Eubanks seemed interested in the idea.
“The Academy will continue to host foreign teachers and students who may want to visit and experience a few hours at Sacred Hearts Academy,” she said. “(It) would be so great to have our students and teachers visit Korean schools. Our China Scholars program already does what you asked…(and the) experience is enriching.”
Through the China Scholars program, the Academy sends a group of students to Hwa Nan Women’s College in Fuzhou, China. They also visit local schools and cultural sites.
When asked about possibly volunteering for similar events as this one, Murakami affirmed that she would continue to sign up for opportunities like these.
“Meeting with the Korean teachers was very fun, and I hope such a positive event encourages the school to invite teachers from other countries again,” she said.
