Fourteen very weary travelers returned to North Carolina Monday
morning. We were tired but very excited to back in Carolina. It has
been a wonderful experience, but of course, there is no place like home.
It is hard to put in to words how much I have learned and
grown both personally and professionally since I left a month ago. We
talk about being a global school, community, state and country, but this
opportunity has put things into perspective. We are all people who want
the best for our lives, families, and communities. When we connect with
others, we expand our learning of what it means to be part of the bigger
picture. To me, it is a combination of things such as culture, history,
politics, and environment (to name a few), that shape our lives, beliefs and
make us who we are. In traveling to South Africa, I have created connections
that in turn, have given me better appreciation of the world. Before I went, I had my own preconceived
beliefs and expectations of South Africa. What I found out is that my cultural
norms are not necessary theirs. I was
constantly looking for similarities, but in order for me to learn and expand my
knowledge, I needed to appreciate the differences instead!
Besides the personal changes, this trip has given me a deeper
understanding of my role as an educator. I hope this difference in perspective
will help me have a better understanding my students and their families. It has
made me more open minded and able to appreciate the diversity in our world. I
plan on modeling this to my students in order for them to learn that
differences are to be appreciate and learned from, not judged and feared.
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