Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Time to Check out The Czech Republic Again

Tuesday December 6, 2011

Gifts from St. Mikulas last year
Today is St. Mikulas Day in the Czech Republic.  This time last year, I was in Vienna with Iva, her sister and their friends.  St. Mikulas found us there and we woke up to candy and treats left by St. Mikulas the night before while we were sleeping.  This year, I am packing and getting ready to head back to the Czech Republic.

Katerina Kubesova and I have remained very close since our Fulbright exchange has ended.  It may have ended officially but it definitely hasn't ended emotionally or educationally for either of us.  In September I applied for the Fulbright Alumni Grant and was accepted.  I was able to fund a trip back to the Czech Republic for 11 days.

Ms. Kubesova and me
Katerina and I have both strongly believe in the bigger picture of the Fulbright organization.  We have continued to foster and create international relationships as well as continue to educationally collaborate.  We have continued educating our students about life/culture/education in other countries.  To help connect our students and incorporate my students, I have shared some Czech Christmas traditions and have had them write a letter to a Czech student.  I will be able to hand deliver those letters when I arrive in the Czech Republic on Friday.  As well as that, both my students and Ms. Kubesova's students have read the short story, The Landlady, by Roald Dahl.  The students from both countries have written and responded to higher level thinking via blogs and Ms. Kubesova's students are going to perform a skit of the Landlady which I will film and bring back to show my students.

While I am there in the Czech Republic, I will be able to reconnect with students I had the previous year as well as talk with students that I have not met yet about life in the United States.  I am excited to take as many pictures as possible so I can bring those back and share with my current students.  My ultimate goal is for my students to realize even though it is a big world, we are really not that different.

Keep following for future posts where I will be sharing my experiences while I am there the next couple weeks!


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