Fulbright Essays

When I was applying to Taiwan's ETA Program, my advisor was very helpful in providing sample statements for me to look at. If you have an education background, you may find this helpful. Good luck! 

statement of grant purpose 

As someone who lived in government subsidized housing for 16 years and used food stamps throughout my early schooling career, I have always felt drawn to underprivileged and low SES children. We tend to be mistaken for being dimmer or ill-intentioned compared to our middle or high SES counterparts, but this is far from true. I think what teachers see in school is just a tiny snapshot of a child’s life, and it is necessary to pay attention to one’s background knowledge and acknowledge the things that are being done well. Becoming an ETA in Taiwan will give me the opportunity to work with these children and allow me to use my past experiences to benefit others who are in a similar situation.

Coming from a Chinese and Taiwanese background, I have also experienced firsthand the stress and competition our education-obsessed culture has imposed on us. In countries such as China and Taiwan, school quality and test performance can determine your entire future, so children whose parents have little time at home to foster a positive disposition towards learning are at a clear disadvantage. ETAs have the opportunity to help level the playing field. My knowledge of Taiwanese and Mandarin will help me gain more insight into the approximations that children make while communicating in English and allow me to come up with fun pneumonic devices for remembering vocabulary and grammar structures. Having been immersed in environments that value multiple languages, I also take special care to let students know that English is not a superior communication tool, and that their native language, which is part of their identity, is just as useful and valid.

 My training as an inclusive early childhood educator will also serve me well as I learn to appreciate and incorporate direct instruction with more “western” pedagogy, such as immersion, arts integration, and discovery learning. Throughout the past few years, I have had the chance to teach many different populations. I try to be student-centered and keep in mind that teaching is not about the newest shiny method or my favorite style, but about whatever the student needs to succeed and cooperating with my lead teachers. For the elderly Chinese, it was direct instruction of phrases they could use at home with their children and discussions about Sino-American cultural differences. For Jin, a 3^rd grader from Japan, it was writing about Minecraft so that even time used for computer games could be used to build literacy. The 5 year olds loved Playdoh, so letter-forming contests were created to help them use their grapheme knowledge and practice their fine motor skills. The gifted children in Hong Kong built their own Rube Goldberg machines, used their creative juices to come up with their own inventions, and honed their oral skills through presentations.

In Taiwan, I hope to gain more training and teaching experience by working with my classroom teacher. Outside of school, I want to learn traditional Chinese and learn more about Taiwan’s history. I also hope to work with special needs children, whose needs are commonly unmet in rural areas. These experiences will be beneficial to me as I strive to become the best teacher and assistant I can be, both as an ETA and upon return to the United States.