For the third year in a row, Harley had the honor of hosting visiting teachers from around the world through the University of Rochester’s Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers. We first learned about this opportunity from former Harley Lower School parent, Dr. Hairong Shang-Butler, director of the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at the University, who works directly with the Fulbright scholars. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Government, bringing exceptional primary and secondary educators to the United States for a semester-long program, partnering them with local schools. This program is very selective, often only picking one or two teachers per country from a large pool of applicants. This year, U of R’s Warner School, as a host institution, had 23 Fulbright teachers representing 15 countries.
Two Days of Global Learning
Michelle Heckman P ’39, ’40, (Middle School Student Support Program teacher, 2025-present), a current Ph.D. student at Warner and a former colleague of Dr. Shang-Butler, helped to coordinate the visits this year. She shared that the Fulbright teachers come from many teaching contexts with variable class sizes, access to technology, and resources. She says their time in Rochester helps them observe different teaching styles, share their expertise, and bring new ideas back home.
Harley hosted the Fulbright teachers on two days. For the first, the Fulbright Teachers spent their visit touring campus and getting a sense of the school’s culture. The second visit, a couple of weeks later, is a “cultural share” where each teacher hosted a table display in the Wilson Gallery featuring elements of their home country—images, stories, clothing, food, and aspects of daily life—to students across all grade levels.
During the sharing, Michelle shared that a visiting English teacher from Israel captivated students with drone footage showcasing the landscape of her home country, followed by a video of her students performing in concert. An excited Harley student said, “Students must love you as a teacher!”
In Jonathan Ntheketha’s (Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, 2021-present) Identity and Society class, he gave the students an interactive scavenger hunt, encouraging students to stop at all of the Fulbright tables to search for clues.
Lower School faculty shared similarly enthusiastic feedback. Terry Fonda Smith P ’19, ’21, (Music 1994-2007, Head of Lower School, 2007-present), said her teachers appreciate seeing new perspectives and finding universal threads running through education worldwide. During the cultural share, sensory-rich displays—vibrant colors, traditional dress, foods, and interactive elements—delighted younger students and created an immersive learning experience.
