One hundred American high school teachers from across the country are internationalizing their fall lesson plans after returning from global professional development visits worldwide.
In the spring and summer of 2011, American high school teachers from more than 30 states visited secondary schools in 25 countries around the world. They experienced the first day of school in Indonesia [64], led professional development workshops in Poland [65], and created partner classrooms in Colombia [66]. “This experience helped me professionally by giving me the motivation and understanding to continue working to broaden the scope of my mission as an educator within a global context,” one teacher said.
“Specifically, I want to continue to reiterate and reinforce how important it is for educators to realize that we are part of a global community in the profession, and that students are at the heart of our efforts.”
As part of the US Teacher Exchange, American teachers visited international teacher alumni of the TEA [67] or ILEP [68] programs, where they delivered a professional development workshop, experienced civic and cultural sites, and gained a deeper understanding of their host country’s culture.
Teachers gathered in Washington, D.C., at the program’s close in August to share their experiences and collaborate on ideas for incorporating global education into their classrooms. They gave feedback on lesson plan development, with a specific eye to incorporating international perspective; discussed overcoming resistance in their schools to global education; and created solutions for integrating global competencies into existing educational standards.
As these teachers prepare for another school year here in the US, they bring their insights, enthusiasm, and international experiences to their schools, classrooms, and colleagues.
The US Teacher exchange project is a component of the Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) and International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP) funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and implemented by IREX.
For more information about professional development opportunities for US educators, please visit Teachers for Global Classrooms. [69]