Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Where am I going?
A lot of people have asked where I am travelling to in India. As a very large country I feel luck to be able to visit three different regions/cities: Bangalore in the South, Rajkot almost on the west coast and Delhi toward the north of the country. I feel these three cities, while not representative of all of India, should give me good insight into this country and its people.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Schools Out! Stress sets in!
So today is the official first day of summer. Now that school is done and I don't have to worry any more about grades, work etc... all day long I have been thinking about everything I need to do to get ready for my trip.
I got two of my immunizations today, something I probably should have done a while ago but oh well. Now I am thinking about suitcases, gifts, clothes to wear (need some school appropriate but comfortable clothes) and much more.
I am also worrying about how things are going to be when I am gone. I have never been gone for more than a night before with the kids and now I am leaving for three weeks. It is enough for me to second guess my decision to apply for this program. Sometimes I think people don't "get" why I am doing this and at times of high stress like this I wonder myself.
After spending my younger years travelling a lot I have found myself settled in Bethlehem, PA, for the last 15+ years. While I enjoy living here, minus the cold winters, and life has been anything but stressfree and easy with 3 children, (an 8 year old and 4 year old twins) and full time jobs, I found myself somewhat stagnant with the routine at home and also professionally. I love my job and the school I work for, I also love teaching World Studies, but found that I wasn't challenging myself as much anymore. I was being "safe" and I needed to do something to get out of my comfort zone professionally and personally. Teachers for a Global Classroom certainly qualifies. I could never imagine a year ago I would be gravelling to India, a life long dream. I feel revitalized in my classroom and looking forward to my trip. I hope my children will learn that life is about risks. You need to get out of your comfort zone every now and then and take challenges otherwise how will you grow as an individual?
I got two of my immunizations today, something I probably should have done a while ago but oh well. Now I am thinking about suitcases, gifts, clothes to wear (need some school appropriate but comfortable clothes) and much more.
I am also worrying about how things are going to be when I am gone. I have never been gone for more than a night before with the kids and now I am leaving for three weeks. It is enough for me to second guess my decision to apply for this program. Sometimes I think people don't "get" why I am doing this and at times of high stress like this I wonder myself.
After spending my younger years travelling a lot I have found myself settled in Bethlehem, PA, for the last 15+ years. While I enjoy living here, minus the cold winters, and life has been anything but stressfree and easy with 3 children, (an 8 year old and 4 year old twins) and full time jobs, I found myself somewhat stagnant with the routine at home and also professionally. I love my job and the school I work for, I also love teaching World Studies, but found that I wasn't challenging myself as much anymore. I was being "safe" and I needed to do something to get out of my comfort zone professionally and personally. Teachers for a Global Classroom certainly qualifies. I could never imagine a year ago I would be gravelling to India, a life long dream. I feel revitalized in my classroom and looking forward to my trip. I hope my children will learn that life is about risks. You need to get out of your comfort zone every now and then and take challenges otherwise how will you grow as an individual?
Monday, June 10, 2013
About this Blog.....
Finally!!! This blog has been a work in progress since February and I am so glad it is up and running,
After an extensive application process I was accepted as a Fellow in the Teachers for a Global Classroom program last Spring. This has been an amazing experience. I have learned so much about global competencies, how to adjust my teaching to better prepare my students and I have been more reflective about myself and my teaching through the extensive online course. After the course ended we (all 80+ Fellows from around the U.S.) met in DC in Feb. for an intensive weekend of workshops, discussions, meetings and much more.
Now I am embarking on the last leg of this journey, my international field experience. I was selected to travel with a small group to India in July. The 80+ of us were split into 7 different field experiences; Morocco, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. My group is the last to travel and as the school year winds down my excitement and apprehension builds up.
After an extensive application process I was accepted as a Fellow in the Teachers for a Global Classroom program last Spring. This has been an amazing experience. I have learned so much about global competencies, how to adjust my teaching to better prepare my students and I have been more reflective about myself and my teaching through the extensive online course. After the course ended we (all 80+ Fellows from around the U.S.) met in DC in Feb. for an intensive weekend of workshops, discussions, meetings and much more.
Now I am embarking on the last leg of this journey, my international field experience. I was selected to travel with a small group to India in July. The 80+ of us were split into 7 different field experiences; Morocco, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. My group is the last to travel and as the school year winds down my excitement and apprehension builds up.
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