TAB in Spain: Q&A with Hannah Li

What do you hope to gain personally and professionally from this experience?

Traveling to Spain for two and half months is exciting and I have great expectations for myself. On a personal level, I hope to participate and emerge myself in Spain’s culture. Having some Spanish language and culture background, I am extremely curious to many culture practices and values that Spaniards hold. Additionally, I also hope to travel and explore more to other countries in Europe during my free time. Having experience both Chinese education system from K to Grade 7 and the Canadian education system from Grade 8 to University, I have a critical and open mind when it comes to different issues and methods in teaching and learning. Professionally, I see this opportunity a valuable addition to my knowledge as a future education. I hope to reflect on my learning during this TAB program and plan to integrate this knowledge into my teaching in the future.

What do you hope others will gain in the host destination from your involvement in TAB?

Through my involvement in the TAB program, I hope to be a channel to Canada for the partner school in Spain. I hope it will be an opportunity for others who I interact with in Spain to learn more about the language, culture and education system in Canada. I plan to make myself very flexible and accommodating in meeting the host school’s needs with my involvement. I can be as involved as teaching lessons and sharing our Canadian cultures or assisting teachers in their little classroom tasks. Overall, I see it a great opportunity for both my host school and myself to explore and challenge our existing viewpoints about values and educational systems.

What are you doing/have you done to prepare either personally or professionally for this experience?

Through my undergraduate studies in Life Science and Math, I have developed proficient knowledge in science (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) and math. I am confident in teaching science and math subject areas as needed. I have also taken 3 years of Spanish in High school, 2 Spanish courses in University and watched some Spanish TV shows occasionally. In general, I am very organized with my time and responsibilities. My highly adaptive and curious mind will quickly allow myself to be immersed in the Spanish culture. My leadership abilities will also allow me to take initiatives and follow through with various tasks. Personally, I am an outgoing, curious, and social individual. This will allow me to quickly make new friends and take up any opportunities or challenges that the TAB program will offer.

Why did you choose the country you will be travelling to?

The Spanish courses that I took in high school and university initially sparked my interest in this country. Spain’s rich history of art and culture has produced some of the world’s most amazing festivals and architecture, which I am very excited to explore. I will be conveniently residing within walking distance of one of Barcelona’s most defining monuments. I have read about and studied Spain’s unique culture, and am thrilled for the opportunity to explore everything from their delicious tapas to siestas to the local festivals. I also hope to use this opportunity to explore other parts of Europe to experience life in several other cultures. Professionally I am interested to learn about a different education system and witness firsthand what students and teachers experience on a daily basis. I see this experience as an opportunity for me to grow as an individual by improving my awareness and appreciation for people who have backgrounds and educational values much different than my own.