travelteachlove

New Year, New Adventures

January 8, 2017 1 Comment

Where did 2016 go? I know I am a bit late to the party, and we’ve already had more than a full week of 2017, but better late than never. Before we get too far into 2017 I thought it would be good to take a moment to stop and take a look back at all that 2016 had to offer. It was certainly a whirlwind year of travel, new friends, and new adventures. Here are some of my favorite highlights from the past year: 1. I started blogging about teaching and traveling. Blogging has given me a great outlet […]

Classroom Connection, Social Studies, Travel

Holidays Around The World

December 15, 2016 2 Comments

Starting next week my students will begin a big journey traveling around the world. And while we will be doing this trip virtually, since a teacher salary is not quite enough to buy a class set of multi country plane tickets, I know students will love it. At each country we stop at along the way we will take a close look at how people from that country celebrate the holidays. These are some of my favorite lessons to do with studnets and this year it will be even better. This year in addition to readings, videos, doing a few […]

Social Studies, Travel

Family Holiday Traditions

December 7, 2016 No Comments

With the month of December comes lots of excitement and traditions that students are eager to share. At morning meeting on Monday I kicked off talking about holiday traditions by sharing one from my family in Finland. Last week our family received a package from our family for Christmas. It was filled with a few little goodies from some of our favorite Finnish shops and an advent calendar for both my sister and I. Right away I knew it would be perfect to share with my students at school to kick off our study of holiday traditions around the world. […]

Travel

Summer in South Africa

November 29, 2016 2 Comments

Well I finally did it, I booked my flight to South Africa for two weeks this July! This will mark continent number six for me and be fulfilling a long time dream to travel to Africa. When my friend Christine asked me last spring if I was interested in traveling with her to South Africa this summer, I didn’t hesitate in telling her of course I would go! We talked about going and what we would do for months. And now talk has turned into action. It was time to make traveling there a reality. We finally sat down and […]

Travel

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

November 17, 2016 No Comments

There is one thing that always marvels me whenever I travel abroad, and that is the efficient public transportation systems of other countries. Bus, trains, trams, boats, it doesn’t matter how you need to get around, I find that countries around the world have lots of public options for people. When I think about how the public transportation stacks up to that in the US, all I can think is how we pale in comparison. Back to even my earliest travel days when I use to just travel with my family, we always used public transportation. In general, my experience […]

Social Studies, Travel

What’s In A Map?

November 8, 2016 1 Comment

One of the social studies topics we cover in second grade are types of maps and how we use them. Obviously this is a perfect opportunity to share with students maps I have picked up over the years during my travels. I have to admit that everywhere I have been I have collected maps, brochures and other literature just waiting for the right opportunity to use them one day. That day has finally arrived! By using real maps of places around the world, it will be an authentic way of showing students different styles of maps to students. I […]

Classroom Connection, Food

Ugly Vegetables and Fruits

November 1, 2016 No Comments

Our story for the week is called The Ugly Vegetable by Grace Lin. It focuses on a family that grows Chinese vegetables in their garden rather than flowers like the rest of their neighbors. The little girl in the story wonders why her families garden is so different from everyone else’s and calls the vegetables they grow ugly. This story prompted great discussion on diversity and how just because something is looks different doesn’t make it ugly or bad. There was a great lesson at the end when all the neighbors come to the house where the vegetables are cooked into […]

Classroom Connection, Science, Social Studies, Travel

States of Matter Around the World

October 25, 2016 No Comments

Science is universal. Take the states of matter for example. No matter where you go in the world matter will still be matter. We are currently studying states of matter and of course I have been thinking, “How can I take this study international?” Well I think I have found a way. Students are gearing up to start a big science project that integrates science and technology. Using information they have learned so far about the three states of matter we focus on, solid, liquid and gas; students will go on a scavenger hunt outside around the school to take pictures […]

Science, STEAM, Travel

Engineering Smarts Amsterdam Style

October 18, 2016 No Comments

A shift when teaching science this year is to incorporate more engineering based lesson. As part of the new science standards, engineering plays a larger role in the way science is taught in the classroom. With each topic in science, there is an engineering component that accompanies it. One thing that I love about incorporating engineering is how it goes hand in hand with inquiry based learning. Inquiry based learning puts students in the drivers seat. Students use information taught in lessons to create solutions to a problem posed to them. Travel has been a huge inspiration as I plan […]

Travel

Market Squares

October 15, 2016 1 Comment

One of the things I loved most about my time in Europe this past summer was spending time in markets. Abuzz with activity, sounds and smells, open market squares were the perfect place to soak up culture and do a little shopping at the same time. When I returned home to the states all I could think was how much I missed the open markets I had visited. Why can’t we make a go of permanent open air markets here? I mean if Helsinki, Finland can have one year round then towns in New England certainly could make it […]