Teacher learns from peers in New Zealand

Have a cavity? New Zealand has the answer.

Instead of having to go to the dentist office, children can get their teeth worked on at some schools. This is just one of the many interesting things Marla Kozlak has learned during her six-week Fulbright-Hays Scholarship program.

"There have been many studies in education linking poor dental health and low achievement at school," stated the Bel Air Elementary English as Second Language teacher in an e-mail sent this weekend.

Kozlak has spent just over a week in Kiwi country and has fully immersed herself in the culture. That includes everything from school visitations to feeding a lamb to walking on the rim of a volcano.

The goal of the Fulbright program is to expose teachers of various grade levels to different cultures and educational systems. When she returns from New Zealand and Mongolia -- her next stop -- Kozlak will implement some of what she learns into her 2009-10 syllabus.

Much of her time in New Zealand so far has dealt with the Maori culture. The Maori are indigenous to New Zealand and there has been a movement in recent years to revive the language.

Approximately four percent of the country's population can speak Maori on a conversational level while English is the primary language.

On Monday, she visited a school where English is being taught as a second language.

Kozlak said the fact that the Maori people are so into their genealogy dovetails nicely with the types of students she teaches at Bel Air in Dale City. Many of her students are Latino and are speaking English for the first time.

"I think that is an important issue for many of the students I work with," Kozlak stated. "Leaving a home country behind can sometimes feel like leaving their sense of self behind."

Unlike many places in the United States, New Zealand's sense of community seems very strong, said Kozlak. Her bus driver George seemed to know everyone everywhere they went and hospitality is the norm -- usually in the form of morning or afternoon tea.

However, like many countries, the Kiwis are into U.S. politics and have strong opinions.

"From taxi drivers to coffee house workers, everyone seems to be politically minded," Kozlak stated. "Most are huge Obama fans."

This week, Kozlak will be, among other things, visiting a winery and a university and taking a whale watching expedition. After a brief stay over in Beijing on Sunday, she heads to Mongolia, where she will stay until Aug. 20.

For those who want to follow Kozlak on her journey, check out her blog at http://mkozlak.blogspot.com.

Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-878-8062.