About

An educator, a learner,
and a guest abroad.

I'm a K-12 teacher and a 2026 Fulbright scholar.
This site is where my work lives.

Johna Meldau, K-12 educator and 2026 Fulbright scholar

An educator focused on language, equity, and global learning.

I teach multilingual students at the only all-girl refugee school in the country. My work is focused on developing academic English skills in a trauma-informed classroom. Restorative practices, honoring students' first language and home cultures, and strengths-based instruction are the building blocks of my teaching style.

This year I received the Fulbright scholarship and will embark on my field study to the Philippines. I will observe how community and educational values support multilingual learners and investigate what the United States can learn from a country recognized as a global leader in English-language learning as we reflect on our nation's history while shaping its future.

The work, up close.

I approach the work with curiosity and persistent reflection. School is academic, but it is also social. The classrooms students return to are the ones where they feel they belong.

"I am very lucky to be doing work that is an expression of my soul."Dr. Nadine Burke Harris

This site documents the project as it unfolds.

Background & experience.

  • 2026
    Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Host country: The Philippines · Focus: multilingual learners and restorative practice
  • 2018
    Classroom Teacher K-12 educator working with multilingual learners across literacy, language, and content areas
  • 2017
    M.Ed. Master's in Education · Focus on language acquisition and culturally responsive teaching
  • 2015
    B.A. Bachelor's degree · Linguistics and Education
  • —
    Certifications & Specializations ESOL endorsement · Structured Literacy training · Restorative practice training

With thanks.

To the people who made the field work possible.

This project belonged to a lot of people before it belonged to me. These are the institutions and educators who made it possible.

  • Talongonan Elementary School The host school, whose teachers and staff opened their classrooms to me and talked openly about their practice.
  • Reymund Lara Host teacher, who shared his classroom and his craft, and gave this project its substance.
  • Department of Education, Passi City The division whose leaders and staff made the school visits possible.
  • Philippine-American Educational Foundation (PAEF) The binational Fulbright commission in the Philippines, which supported the in-country field experience.
  • International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) For logistics and day-to-day support throughout the program.
  • Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State Overall sponsor and funder of the Fulbright Program.
  • Kimberly Broman and Kajal Kalyan Fellow Fulbrighters and co-teachers during the field experience.
  • The students Whose curiosity and patience shaped everything on this site.

This website is not an official U.S. Department of State website. The views and information presented are the participant's own and do not represent the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, the U.S. Department of State, or IREX.