Mike Martucci, English Language Fellow
Teacher Perspectives
English Language Fellow Mike Martucci, an experienced English teacher, program administrator, and sports coach from California, organized an America Days program in his host city Donetsk, Ukraine at Donetsk University, with the hope of giving students a taste of American culture.
“The opportunity for the university community and the community at large to interact with me, and me with them, is so valuable and important as a two way street of cooperation and understanding in our increasingly global environment,” says Mike.
Using the American movie Akeelah and the Bee as inspiration, 39 participants from 13 schools from throughout Donetsk hosted and participated in the spelling bee competition. The program included speakers from the U.S. Embassy, a traditional dance performance by the kindergarten class, and supervision by university students who had just completed a month-long student teaching experience.
“After discussing the concept and deciding on the plan for the day's activities, seeing the wonderful interaction by everyone - the school administration, teachers and staff, the judge/referee, the university students and the young spellers - was really impressive,” says Mike. “It caused me to focus on the fact that it's not only about the classroom. Expanding the scope of the educational experience outside of the classroom with activities that are special, challenging and fun engenders a zest for learning that can really motivate those involved.”