November 11, 2024 – Following her six months in Harpswell’s leadership centers in early 2023, American Leadership Resident Kathryn Putz began her journey as a Fulbright English Teaching Fellow in Taiwan. This past year she worked at a local elementary school in eastern Taiwan, and recently began her second year in southern Taiwan at a local university. Looking back on her time as a teacher and mentor at Harpswell, Kathryn reflected on what influenced her approach to teaching in Taiwan:

Beyond the Classroom

My time as a Harpswell Leadership Resident reinforced the value of framing classroom learning within a broader social and cultural context. While facilitating Harpswell’s Civic Engagement class, where the students kick-start a social justice project of their own, I led students in reflecting on their own challenges growing up and in high school. Through this personal lens, students identified key areas to focus on for their projects.

Similarly, during weekly Critical Thinking classes, or CDD classes as they are known in the dorms, I led cultural outings to observe the topics we studied. One CDD discussion focused on how holding the Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh was impacting Cambodia’s economy. Since it was happening live in our city, we ventured out to observe and cheer on Cambodia’s soccer team against Indonesia!

I also saw how collaboration and warmth between girls in the dorm made them stronger learners. I organized social events to foster this supportive network: we watched horror movies and ate junk food; and did yoga and face masks to practice self-care. I felt closest to the girls, and best able to be a strong mentor and teacher, in these small moments outside of class. I cherish the bonds I formed with the Harpswell students as we devoured plates of stir-fried noodles, lort cha, or sampled coconut ice cream at the traditional market. And though I’m now far from Cambodia, the girls are often on my mind. 

Taiwanese Connections

I brought my lessons from Harpswell to Hualien, Taiwan last year through a Fulbright award as an English Teaching Assistant. Teaching at an elementary school with many underprivileged and indigenous students had unique challenges–often lacking family or extracurricular support, students were unmotivated to study English. My efforts centered, not unlike they did in Cambodia, around building a community infused with cultural learning, joy and camaraderie. In an after-school English club, I merged task-based learning with emotional and cultural development. Naturally, our activities centered around food. Students introduced me to their favorite desserts like grass jelly shaved ice while complaining about their school lunches. In return, we made banana splits and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches together; I assured them that US school lunch is even more terrible.

Now, through a second-year Fulbright grant as an English Teaching Fellow at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, I do my best to connect with college students on a deeper level. While I am not sharing their living space as I was at Harpswell, I still try to spend time getting to know them personally, asking about their dream careers or favorite Taiwanese bands. I am sensitive to students’ individual needs, too, migrating to students who are falling behind during academic workshops, and following up after an important job interview or English exam. Teaching has given me confidence in my skills as an introvert: as a listener, a mediator, a friend.

In the future, I want to work on education policy in the Asia-Pacific region, ensuring that vulnerable youth and young people can learn in safe and equitable environments. I see the same drive and ambition in my Taiwanese college students as I did in the students at Harpswell: the same desire to contribute meaningfully and uplift their communities. From Cambodia to Taiwan, my students’ grit has humbled, challenged and inspired me.