To+Go+or+Not+to+Go,+That+is+the+Question!

//How does one determine whether or not to accept an invitation to take students abroad with another teacher?//

I would want to consider questions such as:


 * How well do I know the teacher who invited me?


 * What kind of a reputation does this teacher have with administrators, colleagues, parents, students?


 * Why is this teacher taking students abroad? (Some teachers have the mistaken notion that traveling abroad with students is an easy way to get a free trip to another country. If you travel with students, plan to be working 24/7--literally.)


 * What are the purposes of the trip and are the decisions that have been made about the trip (in terms of travel arrangements, itinerary, experiences, and pre-trip preparations) likely to accomplish those purposes?


 * How well do I know the students who will be going?


 * What would my responsibilities be while on the trip? If something were to happen to the lead teacher, or if a student became ill/got into legal trouble/got hurt, etc., would I feel comfortable suddenly being in charge of the whole rest of the group (or of that particular student)? [It isn't a question of if it happens, it is a question of WHEN it happens.]


 * Should something go wrong, what protections are in place for me personally (through the travel company, the school, my personal insurance, and my arrangements with this teacher)?


 * Will there be other adults on the trip? Will some of those adults be parents or other colleagues? What are their expectations re: the trip? (Adults who think they are getting a free sight-seeing trip can be more trouble than the kids.) How will responsibility for students be divided among the adults during the trip?


 * Why do I want to go on the trip?


 * What are the school and district policies on travel abroad? (In my district, you did it at your own risk, it could not be school-sponsored, etc.)


 * What provisions are in place to prepare students (and parents) for the trip? (Even language students have serious culture shock, homesickness, etc.--especially for a trip of that length. This can be even more difficult for non-language students. We met with students at least once (and sometimes twice) per week after school every week for about 6 months in order to prepare them for the trip.)


 * How will students pay for the trip? Will there be fundraising activities sponsored by the school? If so, what will your responsibilities be re: those? (Fundraisers are a HUGE amount of work and responsibility for the teacher and the students and you'll likely be involved with that while trying to lead teach.)


 * Do students speak the language? If not, what arrangements are in place to help prepare them to communicate basic needs? Will there be a homestay component to the trip?


 * Am I in adequate physical health to manage the trip (i.e., most trips require a lot of walking every day--often in the heat of the summer, the places you stay may not have air conditioning that works, etc.)?


 * Given the demands of my student teaching (plus my university courses, family needs, and extracurricular activities and involvements) can I manage the extra demands that organizing the trip, planning the itinerary, fundraising, and preparing students for the trip will place on my time, energy, and emotional health?


 * Have I ever taken students on a field trip? After managing that kind of activity, do I think I could manage a 20-day field trip?


 * There are loads of other questions to consider too, but that should get you started. It is important to remember that as a language teacher, travel opportunities come up much more often than for other teachers, so if you say no to this one, it isn't likely to be your only opportunity.


 * Having said all of that, some of the things I cherish most about my time in the classroom revolve around taking students abroad. It isn't that I don't recommend it, but rather, that it is important to consider carefully and thoughtfully when, where, how, with whom, and under what circumstances you decide to take such a trip.

See also: Exchanges, Field Trips, [|Fundraising], Language Clubs, Service Learning, Staying in the Target Language, Study Abroad, Summer Immersion Camp, Teaching Culture

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