Julia Jin, International Programs,

Master of Education Teaching English as a Foreign/Second Language

Julia Jin is in the second year of the Master of Education Teaching English as a Foreign/Second Language program she is taking through International Programs in the Faculty of Education. Originally from China, in this authored article Julia shares her insights, her experience, her personal and professional growth, as well as, what inspires her to initiate change back home.

My name is Julia Jin and I am currently a student in the Master of Education Teaching English as a Foreign/Second Language through International Programs in the Faculty of Education at SFU. This is my story.

Having gone through schooling in a highly centralized and teacher-centred educational system in China and hearing a lot about the student-centred system in the West, in the summer of 2005 I decided to fly across the Pacific to come to Canada hoping to experience the differences for myself. Looking back, I think the risk I took was well worth it. I personally have been enjoying this international MEd program. More importantly, it is an excellent opportunity for me to witness and reflect on the insights and excesses of both systems. My philosophy of teaching has been strongly influenced by my experience as a graduate student here.

When I first started the program, I just hoped to learn some useful teaching techniques and strategies that I could use in my future teaching career. But after reading works of educators like Parker Palmer and working with the teachers in my faculty and my fieldwork, I am realizing more and more that at every level of education, techniques are not by themselves sufficient and knowing myself as a person is crucial to good teaching. This realization makes me see the importance of gaining self-knowledge as a teacher, of reflecting on my backgrounds and experiences that have made me who I am today and influenced my philosophy of teaching.

I used to always complain that the educational system in China is too centralized and that as teachers we could hardly make any difference no matter how good our intentions or ideas are. My learning experience and fieldwork in Canada has made me realize that as teachers, we indeed can make a difference in students’ lives and instead of dwelling on the problems that I have seen and feeling overwhelmed, maybe I should try to be the one to start the change that I want to see in education in China. I agree with one of my instructors that I am actually already beginning to start that change through developing my philosophy of teaching.

This is just one example of how my experience in this international program has enhanced my personal and professional growth, as well as, made an impact on my understanding of education. I’ve gained more than just “big ideas” from this experience, I now think more critically about different strategies, models, and educational systems, and had the chance to witness the art of teaching demonstrated by many devoted and experienced teachers. I believe my experience in this program will help me become a better teacher in the future.