Dr. Charles Hutchinson, assistant professor of middle and secondary K-12 education, University of North Carolina, has published a guidebook for international teachers working in the United States.Teaching in
America: A cross-cultural guide for international teachers and their employers is a guide to help international teachers navigate U.S. schools. A Ghana native with educational experiences in Africa, Europe and the U.S., Charles also has produced this topic as a conventional textbook, as it discusses theoretical issues related to the subject. He argues that any difficulty international teachers may have in U.S. schools will depend largely on the degree to which they are familiar with U.S. culture and the level of specialized support provided for them. Charles maintains that one of the main problems international teachers are likely to encounter in U.S. schools is managing students in the classroom.The nature of American students differs from that of students in many other countries, which presents particular challenges for international teachers, especially those from hierarchical and less democratic societies. Charles emphasizes that international teachers' employers should be prepared to learn the issues faced by this new body of teaching staff and help them to optimize their teaching effectiveness. "Unless the U.S. finds innovative means to lure more candidates into her colleges of education and compensates them more competitively, this new international teacher phenomenon will persist, and may foreseeably become a part of the U.S. educational landscape." Dr. Hutchinson holds degrees in Zoology and Botany, and a diploma in Education from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. He also studied immuno-genetics at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Charles holds an M.A. in Theology from Oklahoma's Christian University and his Ph.D. in Science Education from Georgia State University. He has taught middle- and high school-level sciences to students in Ghana and the U.S. In 1990, he was awarded the honorary Key to the City of Boston and a Certificate of Recognition from the Mayor of Boston.