My Multicultural Classroom

One of my goals in life was to travel and see the world, though I really had European destinations in mind.

Thanks to the musical South Pacific - which was popular when I was in high school - and Elvis Presley’s Hawaiian movies - as well as the adventure book, Kon Tiki, which we studied in grade 8 - I was also intrigued by Hawaii and the Polynesian Islands.

Eventually I did visit a few places in Europe. I also travelled to Israel to study - and ended up teaching at an international school there. And after retiring from teaching, I did get to Hawaii.

But my biggest international adventure came during my 40-year teaching career, as I taught students from all over the world. Living in Montreal, I taught English to French-speaking soldiers… In Ottawa I first taught English to international college and university students - then to immigrants from all over the world. 

Here are a few. This group comes from Somalia, Iran, Korea, Sudan, Rwanda and Afghanistan.

The students in the top photo (on a university field trip) are mostly South American.

All shared their personalities - and their stories. All taught me so much!

Like the student who told me that, in her country of birth, because of her religion, she is considered a “non-person”: Do you know what that means?! she asked. It means that in my country, anyone can kill me and not be punished… because I’m not a person!

Another woman was thrilled at the opportunity to go to school. In her country, women were not allowed to be educated…

I learned so much!

What I’m trying to say is: I may not have travelled all over the world, but people from all over the world travelled to my classroom - and they all taught me so much!