1. What it is TO BE AN ETA
Elisabeth Bloxam Commission for Educational Exchange Between the U.S., Belgium and Luxembourg

2. introduction Why (and how) does someone become an ETA?
What does an ETA do on a daily basis?
How does an ETA add value to the classroom?
Good evening! My name is Elisabeth Bloxam and I am the Fulbright Program Manager for Students at the Commission for Educational Exchange between the U.S., Belgium and Luxembourg. However, I’m here this evening to talk to you about my own experiences as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant last year in Luxembourg.
In the next 15 minutes, I hope to answer the following questions: Why (and how) does someone become an ETA? What does an ETA do on a daily basis? How does an ETA add value to the classroom?

3. Commission for educational exchange between the u. s
Commission for educational exchange between the u.s., Belgium and Luxembourg
Currently…
3 ETAs at university in Belgium
1 ETA at secondary school in Belgium
2 ETAs at secondary school in Luxembourg
2 ETAs in secondary school + university in Luxembourg
ETA program is among the most competitive…
acceptance rates ranging from 6% to 20% over the past three years
have been able to increase number of ETAs because institutions are willing to pay to support the program
In Belgium and Luxembourg, we have a total of eight ETAs, five of whom are in some way involved at the secondary school level. The ETA program is among the most competitive, with acceptance rates ranging from 6% to 20% over the past three years.

4. Commission for educational exchange between the u. s
Commission for educational exchange between the u.s., Belgium and Luxembourg

5. Why become an eta … and how?
Fall 2014
Submitted online ETA application at beginning of senior year
Winter 2015
Interviewed with staff at Fulbright Commission in January 2015
Spring 2015
Notified of acceptance to Fulbright ETA Program in March 2015
Fall 2015
Moved to Luxembourg to begin teaching English in September 2015
Studying French & Francophone Studies and Global Studies at the College of William and Mary
Thinking about post-university plans…
Would I be happy as a secondary school French teacher?
Do I want to get my PhD and work in academia?
Could I live in a different country?
Becoming a Fulbright ETA was the perfect way to answer these questions!
The average ETA is young, perhaps right out of college, and most likely does not have extensive classroom experience. So why apply to teach English in another part of the world?
In my case, I was a senior in college debating what to do with a degree in Global Studies and in French & Francophone Studies. Did I want to go into teaching, perhaps as a foreign language teacher in a secondary school? Did I want to commit to getting my PhD and entering the world of academia? And of course, could I see myself living abroad? For me, becoming a Fulbright ETA was the perfect way to answer those questions. I chose to apply to Luxembourg because I was interested in the country’s linguistic diversity.
I applied in the fall of my senior year, participated in a Skype interview with Fulbright staff that winter, and ultimately wound up being selected in March of 2015.

6. What does an eta do on a daily basis?
7:30
Proofread lesson plans over breakfast
8:55
Lesson: History of Westward Expansion (4e)
9:50
Lesson: Foreshadowing in Roald Dahl’s “The Landlady” (3e)
11:00
Grade student response papers
12:30
Working lunch with other Fulbright ETA
14:00
Lesson: Identifying and Citing Academic Sources (Uni Lu)
16:45
Office hours with university students
18:30
Film screening for Film and Popular Culture course
21:00
Review tomorrow’s lesson plans
ETAs work part-time in the classroom…
Leading class discussion
Preparing series of lesson plans on a specific topic
Offering small-group tutoring
Grading response papers
… but 12 hours of teaching does NOT mean 12 hours of work!

7. On a not so daily basis
In additional to normal responsibilities, ETAs might also…
Coordinate or assist with extracurricular activities (e.g., school drama club)
Organize school events
Get involved in the community through volunteer outreach projects
I worked with the U.S. Embassy to put on an afternoon seminar for high school students about Martin Luther King, Jr. in honor of Black History Month

8. How does an eta add value?
nationality (“REAL, LIVE AMERICAN”)
age (OFTEN YOUNGER THAN SUPERVISING TEACHER)
areas of expertise (DIFFERENT FOR EACH ETA)
I believe that as an ETA, you have three basic qualities that allow you to add value to a classroom in different ways.
1) Nationality … In what ways can an ETA leverage his or her nationality (i.e., being a native English speaker + “a real live American”) to add value in the classroom? What are the potential downsides to this attribute? Are there any negatives of being “the token American” in the room?
2) Age … In what ways can an ETA leverage his or her age (i.e., being younger than the supervising teacher + maybe younger than some of the students!) to add value in the classroom? What additional challenges does age present in the classroom? Do you anticipate your age being a good thing or a bad thing?
3) Areas of expertise … Every ETA comes from a different academic and professional background and has varying areas of expertise. Did you study history? Linguistics? Philosophy? Do you play an instrument or a sport? Are there certain topics that you are interested in or know a lot about? Use these to your advantage!

9. Memorable moments In the classroom
In this semester- long series of lessons, we studied American history and learned about contemporary U.S. society through the country’s foundational texts!

10. Memorable moments In the classroom
The normally quiet students in my all- girl class came to life when reading excerpts from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, written by a young escaped female slave in the 1860s.

11. Memorable moments In the classroom
The normally quiet students in my all- girl class came to life when reading excerpts from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, written by a young escaped female slave in the 1860s.

12. Memorable moments In the classroom
I challenged my youngest students to match the names, recipes, and descriptions of traditional American foods … and then served apple pie to celebrate!

13. In Conclusion
The ETA Program was an opportunity for me to share “the real America” (or at least my version of it) with students and teachers … but it also gave me the opportunity to learn a lot, both about my host country and about myself!
Any questions?