September 18, 2014

I love sitting around in airports – and not just for the opportunity to catch up on Netflix (check out “Dr. Who” if you get the chance!).  I love airports for the feeling they evoke in me: that sense of excitement over new experiences to come and new things to learn.  As an English language teacher, I have taught in multiple countries – Senegal, Nepal, Cambodia, and Peru – and the experiences I had in each of these countries always lived up to that sense of excitement I felt while sitting around in the airport.

As I write this, I am sitting in the Abu Dhabi airport awaiting my connecting flight to Kathmandu, Nepal.  And this time, that feeling of excitement isn’t just for myself.  This time, it is also for the teachers throughout the U.S. who will be joining me next summer in Nepal for an exciting experience of their own.

I am on my way to Nepal to do groundwork for an intercultural teacher exchange program that I aim to launch next summer called TIEs with Teachers (Two-way Intercultural Exchanges).  I have grown so much as a teacher from my own personal experiences abroad.   I’ve developed a passion for the cultural diversity in my classrooms and an eagerness to understand the link between culture and learning.  Through TIEs with Teachers, I aim for other American teachers to have similar experiences – experiences that will better prepare them to meet the needs of our increasingly diverse U.S. classrooms.

Follow the TIEs with Teachers blog to hear more about this project as it takes off!  You can expect to see posts from me, Tim Kobus, as well as other members of the project team.  Our posts will include project updates, general info about Nepal’s beautiful culture and land, and posts about the connection between culture and learning.  Our photo gallery is filled with images of the awesome cultural heritage sites we visit as well as the schools and colleagues we are working with. We look forward to sharing our excitement with all of you!