For some reason, as a teenager, I dreamt of Prague. I’d heard tell of it in movies and books, and I really wanted to go. Maybe it was all those fairytales from my childhood that made me want to visit, or perhaps it was the history of my roots I knew attached; either way, I was intrigued. That’s the type of interest teachers wish for their students. Some have that innate desire to stand in the places of history or check out the culinary wonders of a new world.
Get ready! Go Overseas and International TEFL Academy have teamed up to launch their first annual teach abroad contest. Applicants will teach us a word or phrase in another language for a chance to win one of several prizes.
The grand prize winner will receive a free on-site TEFL course through International TEFL Academy in their choice of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, San Diego, or Chicago, along with roundtrip airfare and housing for the duration of the course. One runner up will receive an online course, and an honorable mention will receive a Camelbak backpack.
After Norway and Iceland, Finland is the third most sparsely populated country in Europe. For years, it hung uncomfortably close to the Soviet Union; in fact, a former foreign minister listed Finland’s three top foreign threats as “Russia, Russia, and Russia.”
Sandra Kennedy has traveled extensively in China, Tibet, Europe, Ecuador, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Morocco, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, United States, Tahiti, and the Cook Islands. She taught eight years for American Internationals Schools in Paris, Lima, and Lisbon.
Standing on the banks of the Sucasari River as dusk began to settle around me, I strained to hear the sound of approaching boats over the cacophony of rainforest insects and frogs.
What do one tropical canopy researcher, a Minnesota teacher, and a bunch of teenagers have in common? On the surface, not much. But dig a bit deeper, or rather, climb a bit higher, and you will find a shared passion for exploring and understanding the intricacies of the Amazon rainforest canopy!
As a traveler, I look for the beauty in the everyday. The colourful sunsets, the peace hidden in the whitecap of a wave, and the freedom exuded by children flying high on the swings are all joys of an adventure.
Bags are packed, equipment checked, guidebooks read and re-read. We are ready! We already know more than the average Joe about the Amazon. If we were preparing for a test, we’d expect an A+.
What do you do if you are a 3rd grader who desperately wants to visit a rainforest?
As students return to their classrooms following Spring break, many will share their stories of beaches with friends and family. But for thirteen students from the Derryfield School in New Hampshire, the conversation will be very different:
“So what did you do on Spring Break?”