Explore the World with Huan
FIUTS volunteer, Huan Lu, shares her experience in a local classroom: painting masks with the children, tasting dim sum, and, ultimately, what shocked her and what she would remember the most!
Each week, as a part of our Explore the World Program, FIUTS volunteers deliver a lesson about their home culture in local elementary schools! Check out Huan's experience in the classroom: painting masks with the children, tasting dim sum, and, ultimately, what shocked her and what she would remember the most!
Name: Huan Lu
Country: China
Major: Curriculum and Instruction
Class: 2015 Master
Presented On: Introduction of two cities (Beijing & Shenzhen). Hello and Thanks in Mandarin and Cantonese. Color words. Painting Beijing Opera Masks. Tasting Chinese foods.
Brief Introduction
I am a first-year Master student enrolled in the Curriculum and Instruction Program of the College of Education. Before coming to the UW, I pursued a bachelor degree in English Language and Literatures in Beijing Foreign Studies University. Originally I am from Shenzhen, a coastal city sharing its Cantonese cultures with Hong Kong.
Why did you sign up for Explore the World?
As an international student studying education in the U.S., I have been wishing to enter an American classroom and to teach a lesson. So naturally, I didn’t hesitate to sign up when I learned that there is a chance to give a presentation on Chinese cultures.
What did you do with the students during your session?
I co-taught a lesson about two Chinese cities, Beijing and Shenzhen with another Chinese student. We introduced the history, geography, cultures and languages of the two cities. We also held several activities: painting the Beijing Opera facial masks, fighting for the colored pencils, answering quizzes for awards and tasting Chinese dim sum.
FIUTS students, including Huan, talks to Seattle students about China as a part of FIUTS's Explore the World Program.
What was one thing you really wanted the elementary students to learn about your region/country?
The thing that I wanted the children to learn about the most is that China is a huge country with diverse cultures. Different places have very distinct cultures, history and languages, and we should learn to be curious and respectful. It is my hope that the one class could plant a seed in the heart of those children, inspiring them to take a multicultural perspective when viewing the world.
What was your favorite part of, or memory from, your time in the classroom?
My favorite part was the facial mask painting section. I first taught the kids of how different colors represented different human characters in Being Opera, and then asked them to color a blank facial mask using the colors of representation. They were given the chance to imagine and envision the characters they wished to become. I was very much impressed by how creative and pure those kids were.
Would you recommend other international students to do join Explore the World program? Why?
I definitely recommend international students to join the program, especially for students from the College of Education. The program provides a great chance for us to take a glimpse of what real American classrooms is like, offering a unique perspective of the American cultures. For me, the biggest gain from this participation was that I got to learn the reality of education through my own eyes. Before, I could only learn through books, but now, with what I saw and noticed, some of the themes in the books became even more obvious and compelling.
Also, this is a wonderful platform for us, the international students, to present our countries/regions according to our own understandings. This is the charm of being the presenter, the teacher: we get to impart our knowledge, share our understandings and make our own voice heard.
Interested or want to find out more? Check out our classroom visits & programs HERE or contact kailyn@fiuts.org.