While several people in my family have had successful careers in education, prior to this study away I had no interest whatsoever in teaching, especially kids. Now, I know what you are thinking. Why would I go on a trip to Scotland if the whole purpose was to teach their students agricultural education? Do not worry; I even asked myself this plenty of times leading up to the trip, however, I could not be more grateful that I decided to go outside of my comfort zone and choose this program. I learned so much about education outside of the United States and how different it truly is in other countries. We were able to teach a variety of topics including buildings and structures, habitats, and forensics in three different schools over the course of four days. We taught in both primary and secondary schools, so we had the opportunity to interact with students of all ages. Since having this opportunity and being inside of their schools, my perspective has been broadened, and I have a deeper appreciation for educational experiences beyond the United States. Even though things might be done differently than we know, it does not mean they are wrong, it is just what works for them. The students in Scotland were such a joy to be around, had so much energy, and they were extremely respectful compared to the students we typically see in the United States. They place such an emphasis on teaching respect and creating a better member of society over their academics, and I think this is something that we could benefit from in the United States. Not only would this create better students overall, but it would take so much stress away from students since we are so academically and grade driven. Overall, there was such a huge difference in the way their education system worked, and you could tell from the students’ attitudes and behavior. While my passions definitely still do not lie in education or teaching, engaging with the students was absolutely my favorite part of this trip over everything else we got to experience in these two weeks, and I came back with much more respect for every single educator and aspiring educator on Earth!
