After an amazing night's sleep, I woke up to an unbelievable buffet breakfast in the hotel we were staying at (Le Meridien, Jakarta). I know, it's a lot of food. Cut me some slack. I slept through three of the meals on the planes...granola bars only go so far. I will not be able to say enough about the food on this trip. It was out of this world--especially the fruit! After eating, we kicked back and rested until 3:30 (most of us went back to sleep after breakfast). At 3:30, we boarded a bus that took us to see Indonesia's national monument. What an impressive sight! Once out in the open, we were almost immediately asked to take many group pictures. It was fun to be treated like a celebrity! I am convinced there are no nicer people than Indonesians. Everyone greeted us with warm smiles and handshakes. National Monument in the center of Merdeka Square, Jakarta. This monument symbolizes Indonesian's fight for Indonesia. We ended the evening of our first day with a fantastic meal at Tjikinii Lima.
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From Dulles National Airport, I flew to Houston's George Bush Airport. The three hour flight wasn't bad at all! I was feeling pretty good. At Houston, I met up with most of the other fellows. After a two hour layover in Houston, we then boarded the plane that would take us on the next leg of the journey...Tokyo, Japan! That 13 hour and 25 minute flight was a little tougher. : ) Yellow Stone National Park The amazing Japanese food at the end of the flight made it worth it though! Mmmm...massaman curry. While in Tokyo's Airport, I had the opportunity to create this traditional ink painting. The layers of color are added one at at time (five different colors). It was awesome to learn the process! We all got a kick out the bidet signs! Music anyone? From Japan, we then flew to Jakarta, Indonesia. That 7.5 hour flight seemed a breeze in comparison! I was beginning to understand all the fuss about compression socks though. ha ha By midnight on Friday, July 14th, Indonesia was quite a welcomed sight! We all crashed hard that night. Such a welcomed sight!!!!
After completing the online course and attending the symposium in Washington, D.C. with my principal, Donna Abernathy, it was time to prepare for my trip. I spent a lot of time putting together baggies for my children (Tori and Kaylie) to open each evening. I wasn't sure how reliable the Internet connection would be, so I wanted them to have something to open each night for the three weeks I would be away. It helped us both with separation anxiety! Fortunately, the connection was great, and we were able to talk at least once a day. It was nice to learn a new app, WhatsApp. It is a great way to communicate overseas! Early on the morning of July 13th, I took to the air.
The Teachers for Global Classrooms program is a year-long professional development opportunity funded by the U.S. State Department. The purpose of the program is to turn teachers across the United States into leaders in global education.
There are four parts to this program:
IREX is a program I partner with through JMU to bring international teachers to my rural school in Broadway, Virginia. Several years ago, Mr. Housine visited for five months and my students learned about Moroccan culture. Three years ago, Rita, a teacher from Brazil visited and my students were once again immersed in learning about another culture. I take advantage of this program anytime it is offered! To learn more about IREX, click on the following link: https://www.irex.org/
At the end of Rita's visit, the IREX coordinators working with us told me about an opportunity through TGC (Teachers for Global Classrooms) that would enable me to be a part of a teacher exchange program. I excitedly applied! Several months later, I received a phone call and an email informing me I had been accepted into the program! My journey began... |
Author*Jen Knick* I am currently a 10th and 12th grade English teacher at Broadway High School. I love my job and the kids I work with even more! I am excited to share my new global perspectives with my students. Go Gobblers! ArchivesCategories |