January: Warsaw, Poland
January was a hard month. Coming back from sunny, blue-sky Colorado to drizzly, grey Düsseldorf really hit me hard this year. I think if I look back at every January's blog entry (FOUR NOW...OMG) since I moved here, I have the same complaints every year. I don't know how to get over it...but one thing helps...the ELMLE Conference. ELMLE is the European League for Middle Level Educators and it is an organization for middle school teachers.
The annual conference is in January, and though it is cold, the conference is so much fun and the people there are so great, that I am pulled out of my January funk. There is just something unique about middle school teachers (we are demented...??) that makes it so extra fun when there are hundreds of us all together. I also say that my job is like being a professional camp counselor and it is so much fun to meet so many others who share my passion. We had such a great weekend of learning and laughing. I even met a guy who was my brother's camp counselor in the mid-1990's at YMCA Camp Tockwogh in Maryland! Y-Camp and international school world is small so when you combine them---really small!
The annual conference is in January, and though it is cold, the conference is so much fun and the people there are so great, that I am pulled out of my January funk. There is just something unique about middle school teachers (we are demented...??) that makes it so extra fun when there are hundreds of us all together. I also say that my job is like being a professional camp counselor and it is so much fun to meet so many others who share my passion. We had such a great weekend of learning and laughing. I even met a guy who was my brother's camp counselor in the mid-1990's at YMCA Camp Tockwogh in Maryland! Y-Camp and international school world is small so when you combine them---really small!
Patti and I presented as did our friend and colleague Melissa. We met middle school teachers from all over Europe and some from the Middle East. I always give a thanks/shout out to my former principal, Diane Lauer, who encouraged us to present at the Colorado version of ELMLE (called CAMLE) and pushed us to be risk-takers. Even though my first presentation, with my friend Natalie, went so badly that we spent the rest of the weekend in our room feeling like losers (except for the conference social where we always had so much fun...we weren't THAT bad), I am so glad that I was encouraged to have those experiences as they were foundational to my current educational journey. Teachers who are IN the classroom really should feel brave to share what they are doing. We know that teaching something to others makes you really KNOW it, so the same holds true for teaching others about your own practices. Be brave. Work hard. Have fun. That's my motto.
February: Brussels, Belgium &
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
In February I had a week off school and spent part of the week leading a workshop in Brussels, Belgium and six days in the deserts of Dubai and Abu Dhabi visiting my old friend Joy, accompanied by my new friend, Carly.
Joy is also an educator and so I jumped at the chance to get to the sunshine-y desert and visit her! Carly and I flew the oh-so-delightful Air Emirates from Düsseldorf where they get a cocktail in your hand within minutes of sitting down...IN COACH! We spent a few days at the beach. And by beach, I mean a beach WITH A WAITER. Not too shabby. We paid to go the beach club at the Sheraton so that there would be chairs, etc. and learned that there were two happy hours per day at that beach. Carly was so much fun to travel with and we laughed so hard!
On the days that Joy didn't have to work, she drove us all over the place to see the sights. Well, sort of. I should say "SEE" the sights because there was a major sandstorm while we were there. That was an interesting weather phenomenon that I had yet to experience. It was like a blizzard, but made your eyes and ears itch, where the roads weren't slippery.
Joy is also an educator and so I jumped at the chance to get to the sunshine-y desert and visit her! Carly and I flew the oh-so-delightful Air Emirates from Düsseldorf where they get a cocktail in your hand within minutes of sitting down...IN COACH! We spent a few days at the beach. And by beach, I mean a beach WITH A WAITER. Not too shabby. We paid to go the beach club at the Sheraton so that there would be chairs, etc. and learned that there were two happy hours per day at that beach. Carly was so much fun to travel with and we laughed so hard!
On the days that Joy didn't have to work, she drove us all over the place to see the sights. Well, sort of. I should say "SEE" the sights because there was a major sandstorm while we were there. That was an interesting weather phenomenon that I had yet to experience. It was like a blizzard, but made your eyes and ears itch, where the roads weren't slippery.
Joy took us to Abu Dhabi and while were there, we went to a place to get our eyebrows threaded. While in the salon, we struck up a conversation with a group of Emirati women who were getting treatments as well. Well, turned out, one of them was getting married the next day and they invited us to the wedding! We jumped at the chance to experience an Emirati wedding! However, that meant shopping for a dress and shoes- but if you have to shop for a new dress and shoes, Dubai is the place to do it! Dubai has all of the stores from the USA and from the UK that I love. It is seriously the easiest place to shop I've ever been and even grumpy-about-shopping-old-me found a fancy dress and heels in no time!
The wedding celebrations are gender-separated. So, obviously, we were invited to the women's side of the party. The actual ceremony took place before the party and then we were at the women's reception. By having only women, the guests can all be uncovered instead of wearing abayas. The Emirati women had the most amazing, elaborate, over the top, glittery dresses that I've ever seen in real life. To be honest, they kind of reminded me of Quinciñera dresses as they were all ballgowns with a lot of sequins. The bride's dress probably weighed 100 pounds as the train was like 10 feet long and it was covered in jewels. I would bet that the bride was wearing over a million dollars in jewelry. I can't put pictures of the dresses on this blog out of respect for the fact that these women don't show themselves uncovered to any men outside of their own families. At the party, the groom and the bride's brothers all came in eventually and everyone except us covered up. The men did some tradition dances, the bride and groom had their first dance, and they cut the huge, multi-tiered cake. Not too different from many weddings I have been to actually...except the lack of alcohol and men.
March/April: Italian Road Trip & Heathrow Airport
For Spring Break this year, I met Joy, Julie, and Julia in Venice for the start of our Italian Road Trip Extravaganza! Julie and I have also known each other since we were 8 and have taken other trips before. (You can read about our other adventures here.) Julia and Julie have been friends for years and so we decided to embark on this adventure.
We were very lucky with weather in Venice as it was cool and sunny for our gondola ride, piazza coffee drinking, and mosquito bite scratching. I was shocked but already in March, the mosquitoes were quite bad. I, of course, as usual, got the most bites. I cannot even imagine how it would be there in the summer.
Getting to the island part of Venice from the airport is done in a swanky, wooden boat that seriously made me feel like a Kennedy. Of course, we could have taken the boat-bus but that takes like almost two hours We did, however, take the boat bus all up and down the canals. It is seriously just like a regular bus with stops along the sides of the canal...except it is a boat. It was very fun for a few days but I don't think I could deal with that on a long-term basis. Also, there is no green space and hardly any plant life because there is just no space. That honestly felt a bit weird after a few days. I was like I NEED A PARK!
Fortunately our next stop had plenty of green space. I had to lead a workshop at the International School of Modena for a few days in the middle of our trip so we headed to Modena which where balsamic vinegar is made. Any bottle of balsamic you see will say "Modena" on it. The school was outside of the city by about 20 minutes so we got to have some real Italian countryside. This was definitely the flat, agricultural area of Italy and it is also known for Parma ham, Parmesan cheese, and other Italian deliciousness. While I was in the workshop (earning the money to actually be on the trip!), the other girls toured the Ferrari factory, ate yummy gelato, and saw the sites.
We were very lucky with weather in Venice as it was cool and sunny for our gondola ride, piazza coffee drinking, and mosquito bite scratching. I was shocked but already in March, the mosquitoes were quite bad. I, of course, as usual, got the most bites. I cannot even imagine how it would be there in the summer.
Getting to the island part of Venice from the airport is done in a swanky, wooden boat that seriously made me feel like a Kennedy. Of course, we could have taken the boat-bus but that takes like almost two hours We did, however, take the boat bus all up and down the canals. It is seriously just like a regular bus with stops along the sides of the canal...except it is a boat. It was very fun for a few days but I don't think I could deal with that on a long-term basis. Also, there is no green space and hardly any plant life because there is just no space. That honestly felt a bit weird after a few days. I was like I NEED A PARK!
Fortunately our next stop had plenty of green space. I had to lead a workshop at the International School of Modena for a few days in the middle of our trip so we headed to Modena which where balsamic vinegar is made. Any bottle of balsamic you see will say "Modena" on it. The school was outside of the city by about 20 minutes so we got to have some real Italian countryside. This was definitely the flat, agricultural area of Italy and it is also known for Parma ham, Parmesan cheese, and other Italian deliciousness. While I was in the workshop (earning the money to actually be on the trip!), the other girls toured the Ferrari factory, ate yummy gelato, and saw the sites.
After leaving Modena, we headed to Tuscany for a week. I had found a farmhouse on Airbnb in the countryside- which as it turns out, was actually mountainous. Tuscany had many more mountains than I was expecting. I was looking forward to relaxing after a stressful workshop and the farmhouse was perfect for it. It was quiet. Everything we cooked there, ESPECIALLY OUR COFFEE, tasted better and we had a lot of lazy mornings. To me, it doesn't feel like vacation unless you can sit around without having to get up, get ready, and get out the door.
We drove to small towns and had some long lunches full of delicious food. We spent one day in Florence, a few hours in Pisa (that's all you need) and many hours just driving around seeing cute towns like Arezzo & Panzano. I think it would be nice to go back when it is warmer as most of the places to stay have a pool. It was still quite cold for most of the days that we were there- late March. I would go back in the summer, for sure.
We drove to small towns and had some long lunches full of delicious food. We spent one day in Florence, a few hours in Pisa (that's all you need) and many hours just driving around seeing cute towns like Arezzo & Panzano. I think it would be nice to go back when it is warmer as most of the places to stay have a pool. It was still quite cold for most of the days that we were there- late March. I would go back in the summer, for sure.
Admittedly, I travel a lot now that I live abroad. I was also fortunate enough to travel a fair amount before I lived abroad, as well. Therefore, I am just not into museums and such anymore. I like food and drink when on trips. I like to walk around a look at things, sit in squares and have a drink. But, for one day, we did a city tour and did a guided tour of TWO museums. It was totally worth it to have a tour to see the David. It is just so remarkable a piece of art. It is truly breathtaking and incredibly detailed. I visited it back in 1998 while I was studying abroad and remember being just as blown away then. If you make it to Florence, it is definitely worth a stop there.
But all of the religious art at the Uffizi Gallery is a bit much for me. I did, however, enjoy the Medusa you see in the photo. That's a religious figure I can get behind (but not in front of, because I'd be turned to stone!)! I'm hilarious.
This spring has been a hard-working one. I have had 8 total days of workshops on top of my normal job. I don't have any more for the year and am glad about that because I am leading a few days worth of them in my own school. Plus, I'll be starting graduate school again in June to start working on my principal's license and so I think I will need to devote the majority of my work-related headspace to that!
But all of the religious art at the Uffizi Gallery is a bit much for me. I did, however, enjoy the Medusa you see in the photo. That's a religious figure I can get behind (but not in front of, because I'd be turned to stone!)! I'm hilarious.
This spring has been a hard-working one. I have had 8 total days of workshops on top of my normal job. I don't have any more for the year and am glad about that because I am leading a few days worth of them in my own school. Plus, I'll be starting graduate school again in June to start working on my principal's license and so I think I will need to devote the majority of my work-related headspace to that!
Learning to facilitate adult learning in the last few years has been a new challenge and adventure. I work to model as many solid classroom practices as I can fit in so that people will always have something to 1. Steal 2. Think about 3. Use on Monday when they leave my workshops. I have definitely had some good models of adult learning facilitation in my career in my work with PEBC (Public Education & Business Coalition) in Denver and all of the workshops I have attended over the years. Getting to interact with other workshop leaders who are as "into the MYP" as me is also really fun. It feels like being with "my people" and though I work long hours, on weekends, in order to do these workshops, I really enjoy them. It is fun to share my passion for teaching and learning, and the International Baccalaureate with other educators. Plus, it doesn't hurt that in the last three years since I started doing this, I have gotten to go to Lisbon, Brussels (3X), Dubai, the South Coast of the UK, Italy (Rome & Modena), Madrid, and "London." I say "London" because really we were at the airport. Next year I've got Prague and Brussels again but won't be doing too many as I'll be in graduate school and doing an internship.