Jaime Atencio Named Australian Teaching Fellow

06/04/2009 

When Jaime Atencio traveled to Australia for a 13-and-a-half-week student teaching abroad program at the University of the Sunshine Coast in June 2008, he fell in love with the people, schools and the continent situated between the Indian and Pacific oceans.

On June 7, Atencio, a 2009 SUNY Cortland graduate, who majored in physical education, will board a plane headed for Mountain Creek State Primary School in Queensland, Australia. He will spend the next 18 months in a fellowship program teaching physical education to kindergarten through seventh grade at the same school where he student taught last year.

"I always knew I wanted to go back for a longer period of time," said Atencio of Woodside, N.Y. "On a personal level, I really liked the people and became attached to the culture, the place and the water sports that I can participate in year round."

Atencio will pursue the full-time, paid fellowship at Mountain Creek State Primary School, the largest primary school in the State of Queensland with 1,134 students, from July through December 2010. His schedule follows the 215-day Australian school calendar, which is 35 days longer than the school year in New York state.

Atencio is SUNY Cortland's third Australian Teaching Fellow, the result of a collaborative effort among the College, Education Queensland and the University of the Sunshine Coast. The fellowship has been offered to SUNY Cortland alumni who have a provisional or initial teaching certification in New York state.

"We find that this type of experience makes educators more marketable," explains Marley S. Barduhn, associate dean of the College's School of Education. "The teachers become more global and confident in their outlook. This area of Queensland is also known for its educational technology and state-of the-art academic innovation."

"The Australia fellowship is a wonderful résumé feature," said Atencio. "It shows diverse experience and demonstrates that you're open to different approaches to work and to life, which makes you valuable."

Australia was selected for the fellowship program because it is a popular destination for SUNY Cortland students. The College's ties with the University of the Sunshine Coast's student teaching program go back to 2003.

Teachers in Australia only want to work with students from SUNY Cortland, even though there are three or four universities in the surrounding areas, said Colin Balfour, the joint-founder of the Australian Student Teaching Program and the lead consultant for the program through the University of the Sunshine Coast.

"The student teachers from Cortland come prepared because of the standards and expectations of the faculty at SUNY Cortland," said Atencio. "We show up ready to work and plan on day one."

The fellowship program also has placed Australian teachers in Cortland-area school districts. The reciprocal exchange began in 2008 with the Cortland City School District.

"The teachers are able to relate to people in a different country, compare the educational systems and gain a global experience," said Balfour. "It's the development of multi-dimensional relationships."

Atencio said that while he was student teaching he felt as if he had been a member of the staff for years.

"It was a pretty easy decision to return," Atencio said. "Everyone in the school is very supportive of my move. This position opens doors for me to stay longer and possibly go to graduate school in Australia. It is an opportunity that couldn't be passed up both professionally and personally."

Atencio also student taught at the High School for Environmental Studies in Manhattan for seven weeks in 2008. He learned a lot about the differences between schools in the U.S. compared to those in Australia.

"One of the major differences is the way the schools are set up," Atencio explained. "There are many different buildings in the U.S. with more than one level, but in Australia everything is one story and each grade has their own space in the school. You go outside a lot to get to things. There isn't a physical gym, it's held outdoors. The cafeteria is also outside, and to get to the computer labs you have to walk outside."

He has noted that students in America and Australia differ in their physical energy expenditures.

"Australia is a beach community," observed Atencio. "It's a very environmentally conscious outdoor culture, where students are rarely bused to school, but ride bikes and walk instead. The kids are more active and they take advantage of their environment."

As an 11-year-old who moved to the U.S. from Mexico and didn't speak English, Atencio credits his parents' support with giving him the motivation to teach.

"My parents really drive me," Atencio said. "My parents both overcame poor conditions and a lot academically. My father is an anthropologist and professor and my mother is a speech pathologist. Their philosophy is, 'You have to seek the opportunity for the opportunity to happen.'"

Atencio would like to finish his master's degree eventually and pursue a doctorate so that one day he can teach at the college level.

"There is a high need for physical education teachers at the college level," Atencio explained.