May 31 From my dining room table

Yikes!  6 days to go and with that timing comes a commitment on my part to post to this blog regularly.

What I know so far.  All travel has been booked.  The highlight will likely be a 1 hour prop plane ride a local airline to go from Bangalore to Malapurram  where I will meet my host teacher Mr. Thomas P.V.   Thomas taught for 6 months at a high school near Kent, Ohio as a part of the ILEP program.  He mentioned in one of his e-mails that he wanted to go to Detroit to visit but was advised against it...uhmmmm...  Perhaps someone in the Buckeye State was showing their anti-Michigan bias?

I am excited and a little nervous to be in the school in Malapurram.  There is a packed schedule of meetings with teachers and students.  I will also be teaching the same lesson on American Culture a few times as well as a lesson on the Holocaust.  What an opportunity!  I am going to modify and use the lesson I am working on for the Museum Teacher Fellow Program at the United States Holocaust Museum.  Ha!  When I go to my follow-up meeting at the Museum in July, I am sure I am going to be the only one to say I taught our group's lesson in India!

 I think I have purchased everything I need so the packing routine is next.  Got to make that decision to go small!  May need some support!

Today's goal while I am in India is to learn and play some CRICKET!  Yeah!  I may need some lessons from the kids at school so I can dominate from the start!

Lastly, IREX sent me a beautiful small but excellent Sony camera to document my travels.  I put in the battery and plugged it in and it was dead.  I frantically e-mailed Emily who is my IREX group leader.  I need a camera!  She went out of her way to get me replacement info.  I thought, "maybe I should to to Geek Squad and see if its just a dead battery."  I went in there and I apparently had put the battery in upside down.  Sorry Emily.

I hope that is not an omen for the trip!

20 Days to Go!

Working with Jennica to learn the ins and outs of blogging on Blogger!  Posted to facebook to see who wants to receive my blogs.

It is hard to focus on so many things at the same time; the end of school and this adventure. However, shortly I won't have a choice.

On Thursday of last week, I spent an hour in the English as a Second Language classroom getting advice.  There are quite a few students from Pakistan and India and they were helpful and supportive but all wanted to know if I would be going to their town.  Of course, I replied, "I'll try!"

I like to say that my language skills don't extend much beyond the Midwestern English that I have spoken nearly my entire life.  Forays into learning Latin, French and Russian were educational but didn't take at all.  I think about my international students and their challenge in adapting to their new language and culture and wonder how I will do on my very, very limited trip.

Lot's to think about!

Malapurram, Karala, India

minus 26 days!

The countdown continues!  I am feeling very excited but very, very overwhelmed with it all.

26 days until departure to explore the world and apply my Global Education work as part of the International Field Experience.

24 days until the last day of school.  I will be completing my 31st year as a public school teacher. Somehow, despite all of my experience, the end of the year is still overwhelming for me.  Every year at this time, I look at the work I have to do to finish the year and the time I have left to do it and wonder if it is possible--but every year I get it done.

I am excited for my itinerary.  Meeting my traveling colleagues in February was a treat.  The Global Education Symposium was a unique and inspiring experience.  Increasingly, I feel less and less respect for myself and my colleagues as a teachers.  In stark and welcoming contrast, I was treated as a true professional in Washington by the IREX staff and the guest presenters; I even appreciated the treatment by the Mandarin Oriental hotel staff!  At any rate, what a great experience!

In April, I joined our IREX trip leader, Emily Lester, and my colleagues, in our pre-departure webinar.  Lots of questions answered, lots of questions still remain.  Flying to Washington to join my colleagues and then continuing on the Bangalore via Frankfurt.  Will leave home in Lansing at about 7:30 a.m. on Saturday June 8.  Will arrive in India on Monday June 10 at 1:15 a.m.  Those skies better be friendly!

Will spend June 10 to June 12 in Bangalore.  From there I will be traveling with Erik Remsen, a social studies teacher from Vermont, to our host city and school.  Our city is Malappuram in Kerala State and our school is Kendriya Vidyalaya (notice the cut and paste) and our host teacher is Thomas Varghese who teaches economics to 11th and 12th graders. Thomas is part of the IREX prograom and ILEP and taught at Roosevelt High School in Mantua, Ohio for 6 months.  

So, there is much to think about and do and write.  But I am ready!  I want to learn a few phrases in the native language which is Malayalam.  There are some logistical concerns which I need to tie up and I have to find a little more tolerance for Indian food and extreme heat!

So what am I most looking forward to?  Well, the students, of course.  I want ot see and hear them.  I want to find out about their experience as students in India and what their hopes and dreams are.  

Naturally.

26 more days!