In America, there are approximately 3.2 million teachers. These teachers are responsible for educating kids, the future of America, everything they have to offer. One of these teacher, Chemistry teacher Subin Chun, has a unique perspective on different teaching styles. He has attended school in South Korea and the United Kingdom.  We interviewed him to see how the education systems and teachers in America differ from educators in other countries.

Who or what influenced you to become a teacher?

Probably mostly my father because he is a professor at a university.

Do you think he impacted your life?

Definitely!

Did you think you were going to become a teacher when you were younger?

No, I originally first went to college to become a pharmacist, and then switched twice, eventually becoming towards a chemistry teacher.

Why did you choose Chemistry as the subject to teach?

I knew I liked chemistry, and chemistry came easier to me. Mostly I liked science but when it came to teaching, chemistry was the easiest for me to explain to others on how things worked. And it was something that I was good at and that I could explain very well.

How do you think teaching in America is different than teaching in other countries?

It’s definitely different. I’ve only taught in the U.S., but I went to school in Korea for the education system, and the education system in Korea is definitely very different because in Korea the education is more of… teachers have the power. Like here, students talk and be on their cell phones, that would never happen, there a lot more respect from students to teachers.

So would you say that schools in Korea are a lot more strict and less lenient?

Strict and intense, and definitely less lenient.

Do you think study habits of students here are different than study habits of students in other countries such as Korea?

Yes,  but I don’t know if those are considered the best study habits, everybody has their own studying style, its just the matter of if that student can find that studying style as soon as they can, cause if your in a Korean education system and study style is literally what the teacher tells them to do, which is study, study, study. Compared to here, where it more of trying to find your own style and go at your own pace, and find out how you learn better, which is more useful I think because at the point after where you are out of the reach of the teacher then you just know the way they taught you whereas if you learn your own way of studying you can go further on and keep doing what you do, and it come to you and you’ll absorb more knowledge.

Do you think the curriculum here is different from what it is in Korea?

Yes, Korea is a lot more intense… for example in math, around 7th or 8th grade they are at the point where they can finish college algebra.

Do you think your teachings are swayed by previous teachers you had in Korea?

Definitely, not exactly Korean but from England, and Korea, and the U.S. I like to pull parts that I liked about each education system, and I kinda implement each one of those.

How do you think teachers in America could benefit from teachers in other countries such as Korea and vice versa?

I think everything is about knowledge, everything is about experience. The more method you are exposed to instead of using the same thing you are always around, I think it broadens your view on how to teach.

As stated by Mr. Chun, although the education in some countries are more intense, the ability to learn by ourselves is more important because we can absorb the information we learn.