Going into this trip I really am trying to not have any preset notions about what we’re going to experience. I think my focus is going to be absorbed every second but I want to learn what can while I’m there. I have no idea when or if I will ever be back to this area of the world. I know some of my travel-mates are concerned about being able to understand accents, but I have family that have super strong accents from foreign countries and I’ve talked with them since I was a baby so that’s not a huge concern for me. I am super pumped to see what’s different and similar about the elementary school in Dumfries. In my head I think that the elementary schools will be nicer than what we are used to. I’m curious about how the students will pick things up and how much detail we can go into with our lessons. I know the schools tend to focus more on growing the students as a person, not necessarily testing and academics at this age. I want to see how they implement behavior management techniques and keep the kids attention. I’m wondering if it will be hard for students to transition into our model of teaching or if it will be hard for us to adjust to what they are expecting. I’m not sure what to expect for the culture over there. I don’t know too much about Scottish culture in the first place. I know there will be some differences but I’m not sure about the specifics. Overall, I really am looking forward to being able to grow in how I teach and become a more informed global citizen.
