On December 16th, after completing the intensive 8 week teachers for Global Classrooms online course, I received an email informing me that i would be travelling to the Philippines for three weeks in June. After jumping for joy, I set to thinking about ways I could involve my school in this exciting adventure.
in April, I obtained my principal's enthusiastic support to invite our students, during our 20 minute weekly advisory class, to write letters to Filipino students, telling them about life in America, and inviting them to write back.
Happily, my idea met with great support! I am armed with over 200 letters from teachers and students which talk about our school, our community, friends, hobbies, and American families. For weeks, students, and teachers whom I had never spoken to before, came up to me in the halls, and asked me about my trip with questions such as: When will I get a letter back? When exactly are you going? What language do they speak? How will you talk to them? Will you come back?
It is a challenge to me to make good use of the letters, and to use them to make some lasting cross-cultural connections.
in April, I obtained my principal's enthusiastic support to invite our students, during our 20 minute weekly advisory class, to write letters to Filipino students, telling them about life in America, and inviting them to write back.
Happily, my idea met with great support! I am armed with over 200 letters from teachers and students which talk about our school, our community, friends, hobbies, and American families. For weeks, students, and teachers whom I had never spoken to before, came up to me in the halls, and asked me about my trip with questions such as: When will I get a letter back? When exactly are you going? What language do they speak? How will you talk to them? Will you come back?
It is a challenge to me to make good use of the letters, and to use them to make some lasting cross-cultural connections.