- Rotary InterDistrict Teacher Exchange - Rotary InterDistrict Teacher ExchangeJACKSON COUNTY ADVOCATE September 1997 PAGE 5
Sherri Clayton, foreign language department chairman and Spanish teacher at
Grandview high school, was selected for this summer's Rotary Interdistrict
Teacher Exchange (R.I.T.E.) promoted by Kansas city Club 13, Raytown, and
Kansas City South Rotary Clubs to spend the summer teaching and learning
in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
She was one of three teachers, one from Texas and one from New Zealand, chosen for this program. Jim Jenkins, assistant superintendent of Grandview schools and a member of the Kansas City, South Rotary club, was instrumental in the recommendation for Clayton's participation.
Ms. Clayton said: "The exchange meant a greater understanding of language and culture for all of us. There is a great interest in the learning of English in Argentina and other South American countries due to ever-increasing economic ties with the United States. This experience was a highlight of my teaching career."
Her activities included guest lecturing at the Department de Idomas, University of Buenos Aires, as well as aiding in classroom curriculum development and instruction in district primary and secondary schools in Buenos Aires. She also held an instructional position for bi-weekly night classes for non-native English language teachers fulfilling partial proficiency test requirements within the Buenos Aires system.
Clayton said conditions in Argentina were surprisingly different from the U.S. June and July are winter months in South America, and there were few heated classrooms. Classroom materials were hard to get, and books for the students are not paid for by the taxpayers. She resided with a family that included her in all family activites, experienced life in the city of Buenos Aires (the fifth largest city in the world), and was involved in a day-to-day discussion of differences in culture, politics, and economic problems with the people with whom she came in contact.
Permission to reprint this article was given by Jim Turnbaugh of the Jackson County Advocate.
This article is posted to the site of William R. Eubank in order to inspire other E.S.L. and foreign language teachers to spend some time teaching outside of the United States. William has been active in the R.I.T.E. program since 1993.
WWW version added on 09-26-97
Last updated on 09-26-97
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