The past two weeks have focused on the end of the school year and cleaning out my classroom. An abundance of snow days this winter extended our school year to June 15. Once we said our farewells to this year’s students, it was on to Project Move-Out. After twelve years in Room 203, I will be relocating next school year.

Down to just a few essentials

Room 203, all cleared out

Although I will stay at the same school, I will now teach just one class and will spend the rest of my day coordinating our school’s Middle Years Programme (MYP). My new role offers many exciting opportunities to integrate the knowledge and skills I’ve gained over the last year through the Teachers for Global Classrooms Program. I depart for the Philippines in just three days! I will spend three weeks visiting cultural sites and schools in the country, both in Manila and Iloilo City on the island of Panay.

My students in the United States had many questions about life in the Philippines. I invited my students to write down questions and a little bit of information about themselves to share with students in the Philippines.

We were fortunate to have five experts among us – students who had lived and attended school in the Philippines and were willing to tell us about their experiences and teach us a little Tagalog. We look forward to learning even more about daily life, school, similarities, and differences.