Education-Tourism and Teaching Abroad

I Love Teaching and I Love Travel, Can I Have Both?

For years I worked hard to separate my life as a travel blogger and my teaching career. I learned during the lockdown I could have a happy medium. Not being able to have a getaway and travel the way I wanted, I did some soul searching. How could I make the things I love and the things I’m passionate about come together? The thing is, this wasn’t something new to me. I had found the medium between the two before. This came in the form of education-tourism. My first trip to Europe was on an education tour with EF College Tours.

What is Education Tourism?

Education tourism is nothing new, it’s been a great way for academics to travel the world, studying, researching and connecting with new cultures for decades. Education tours are a great way for students and teachers to connect what they have studied in the classroom to real-world experiences and communities they don’t encounter daily. It’s also a great way to see the world. Another important piece to education tourism is the networking and connections that come from meeting teachers and peers from the other side of the world.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

There are a variety of opportunities available when it comes to education tourism. From Book Bag Tours to EF College Study Tours and Geeo there are programs to help you get started on the path to learning about education systems in other countries. The costs can vary, but what you get from these experiences is well worth it. Many tours offer flights, hotels and meals. Others might offer hotel, transportation and some meals. If you work in a school system that allows for professional development funds, you can attempt to apply these funds to your experiences abroad. The key is to start your research early. Connect with the program you’re interested in, and connect with your HR department or Union to make sure the process goes smoothly.

Bringing it All Back to the Classroom:

I can say first hand, education tours can be a great getaway from the usual day-to-day environment of the classroom. But what I find most exciting is brining everything I learned back to the classroom. From the classroom environments and structures, to the practices and principles of other teachers, there are so many benefits to connecting with teachers abroad. Whether you teach at the college level or work as an elementary public school teacher, there are professional development opportunities in education tourism that can be beneficial to your school and school system.

Don’t be Afraid to Change:

It can be overwhelming to go from teaching in your classroom, going with the motions of the school year, then turning around and revolutionizing your classroom with things you’ve learned abroad. Many teachers go abroad and return with a renewed sense of purpose and motivation for teaching. Other teachers come back with a sense of adventure, planning for their next trip abroad. If you’re thinking about teaching abroad, click here for more reasons why teaching abroad might be for you.

Are you ready?

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