Prompt: A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
"Alright, Class C! Time to play a game!" I yelled out in Mandarin as my fourth and fifth graders piled to the doorway, eager to step out into the warm afternoon sun. This would be my second week as an English teacher at Ruei-Gan Elementary School of Taipei County, Taiwan.
As the students lined up outside, they seemed almost ready for an adventure. They looked at me with their beaming faces, excited to be out in the fresh air of the Taiwan countryside. I explained to them their reward for having been so obedient in class was one period of outside play. I had three games planned, praying to God they would be enough to kill the hour-long period. I introduced what I thought was the least exciting game first: Rock, Paper, Scissors, Follow. The students were to partner up, play Rock, Paper, Scissors, and follow the winner of each round. From my teaching experience in America, I figured the game would last about five minutes before the children would start whining for a new activity.
I let them loose and before I knew it, the students were already laughing hysterically at one another. For some reason, the concept of playing Rock, Paper, Scissors alone was extremely amusing to them. I stood with my assistant wondering what part of Rock, Paper, Scissors was so amusing. When I thought about why exactly I found this sight so unusual, I remembered when I played this same game with my students in America. It would take them a few minutes before they would walk off to their phones and iPods. In Taiwan, things were much different.
After completing the teaching log for that day, I returned to my dorm, still pondering the drastic difference between the children in America and the children in Taiwan. Then, I came to a conclusion. Seeing the fourth and fifth-graders so easily amused in Taiwan, I realized how distinct the cultures of Taiwanese and Americans truly are. The kids in Taiwan are so independent of media and seek other forms of entertainment; whereas, in America, the kids are incredibly dependent on technology, so much so it has become their "lives."
It occurred to me that the diversity of culture has invaluable benefits. Humans often look through a culture-colored lens, and when they see something through a different lens, they realize they can have a richer life experience. I learned that seeing things from a single point of view hinders true vision of reality regarding the different kinds of people that exist in this world. Similarly, in entering a new environment, I intend to uphold my individuality while also remaining open to the traditions of others. Witnessing the difference among cultures has also sparked my interest in studying international relations, specifically involving Asia. I have experienced the blessings of diversity and with that, I hope to pursue a career dealing with the interaction of multiple cultures as I have seen what great benefit can come to all backgrounds.
Any comments/corrections are welcome! Thank you for your time!
"Alright, Class C! Time to play a game!" I yelled out in Mandarin as my fourth and fifth graders piled to the doorway, eager to step out into the warm afternoon sun. This would be my second week as an English teacher at Ruei-Gan Elementary School of Taipei County, Taiwan.
As the students lined up outside, they seemed almost ready for an adventure. They looked at me with their beaming faces, excited to be out in the fresh air of the Taiwan countryside. I explained to them their reward for having been so obedient in class was one period of outside play. I had three games planned, praying to God they would be enough to kill the hour-long period. I introduced what I thought was the least exciting game first: Rock, Paper, Scissors, Follow. The students were to partner up, play Rock, Paper, Scissors, and follow the winner of each round. From my teaching experience in America, I figured the game would last about five minutes before the children would start whining for a new activity.
I let them loose and before I knew it, the students were already laughing hysterically at one another. For some reason, the concept of playing Rock, Paper, Scissors alone was extremely amusing to them. I stood with my assistant wondering what part of Rock, Paper, Scissors was so amusing. When I thought about why exactly I found this sight so unusual, I remembered when I played this same game with my students in America. It would take them a few minutes before they would walk off to their phones and iPods. In Taiwan, things were much different.
After completing the teaching log for that day, I returned to my dorm, still pondering the drastic difference between the children in America and the children in Taiwan. Then, I came to a conclusion. Seeing the fourth and fifth-graders so easily amused in Taiwan, I realized how distinct the cultures of Taiwanese and Americans truly are. The kids in Taiwan are so independent of media and seek other forms of entertainment; whereas, in America, the kids are incredibly dependent on technology, so much so it has become their "lives."
It occurred to me that the diversity of culture has invaluable benefits. Humans often look through a culture-colored lens, and when they see something through a different lens, they realize they can have a richer life experience. I learned that seeing things from a single point of view hinders true vision of reality regarding the different kinds of people that exist in this world. Similarly, in entering a new environment, I intend to uphold my individuality while also remaining open to the traditions of others. Witnessing the difference among cultures has also sparked my interest in studying international relations, specifically involving Asia. I have experienced the blessings of diversity and with that, I hope to pursue a career dealing with the interaction of multiple cultures as I have seen what great benefit can come to all backgrounds.
Any comments/corrections are welcome! Thank you for your time!
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