Pre-Symposium & Classes
Pre-Symposium & Classes
Feb 10, 2025
Before doing any traveling, Fulbright puts together extensive training for the teachers involved. There was a very intense 10-week educational course that guided me through the concepts of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and what makes a globally competent student. There are so many materials, and really great things, that I brought into my classroom, making teaching a little more exciting and relevant for both me and my students. For example, it was through this 10-week intensive course that I really gained my footing and started working on inter-classroom collaborative activities with my students, not just in the United States, such as working with students in Hawaii and Florida, but also with other countries like Ghana and France. This is when I developed my Global Self-Awareness Journaling Unit Plan (and website)!
The 10-week course was some of the best professional development I have ever taken, and I feel that, while the experience was intense, it was 100% worth it!
Beyond the 10-week course, there was also a symposium held in February to help us go through some common questions, meet the other travelers going to the same places as us, and hear from alumni. This amazing symposium was held in Washington, D.C., and I think the biggest thing I got from attending was building my network of teachers. I could reach out to them if I ever needed ideas and support in trying to implement more SDG or globally competent-style lessons. It was also a lot of fun to meet the people I would be traveling with. There was plenty of time to get to know the other teachers and to get a feel for what we were all very passionate about, which, hands down, involved working with students and trying to find ways to give more experience to the students we work with.