Travel to Europe, with students?!

For some teachers, the last thing they'd want to do would be to travel to Europe with teenagers on their vacation. But for me, I said "challenge accepted".



I love to travel and jumped at the opportunity to spend my February break in Berlin, Prague, Krakow, and Budapest with another teacher, two parents, and eight students from my school.
I was very nervous as I had traveled with tour groups before, but never had been the "chaperone". Even though I am still sometimes baffled when someone asks if there is an adult in the room and looks to me, I felt that overall the trip was a success. The kids were able to see so many different places and for most of them, this was their very first time in Europe. It was awesome to see them in awe of the gates of Babylon in Berlin's Pergamon museum or to see a black light theatre show in Prague. Travel opens people's eyes to things they've only read about or things they've never seen or heard of before. Despite some roommate squabbles, my students were very good and almost easy to travel with because most of them were flexible and willing to try new things. I got to know that like me, my students are also people. They can have bad days and good days and they have interests and lives outside of the walls of the school building. I am incredibly grateful to have had this experience. I wouldn't change anything, even the not so great experimental jazz show in Berlin. As a language teacher, I love how language and travel can teach you about yourself and about the world. People all over the world from different backgrounds may have the same favorite food or color or song or band in common and travel can teach this. Even though the jetlag is fading and the kids aren't so enthusiastically saying hi to me in the halls, I am glad to have had this trip.