The journey of a teacher using Asian arts and literature with students in primary and middle school years

Professional development can have a strong impact on a reflective teacher’s personal growth and the learning experiences in the classroom. This paper describes and analyses the journey of a teacher whose experience was significantly enhanced by a Teaching Studies of Asia course combined with travel to a Linking Latitudes Conference in Shanghai, organised by Access Asia. Understanding another culture requires more than knowledge alone. It is important that a teacher share her positive attitude towards that culture with students. In this study, the use of the teacher’s own experience in the classroom helped her students understand on multiple levels: making sense of and appreciating aspects of Chinese culture; and learning from their teacher’s response to that culture in modern and ancient modes. Working in Primary and Middle Years (Years 5-8), this teacher transformed the experience of Asian arts and literature for the students in her classrooms. The evidence of her impact on student learning lies in the way her students understand the world and appreciate its global connections. Such a study has become increasingly important as the demand for internationalisation and transnational knowledge workers continues to grow in Australian education.