Coming soon... The Adventures of the Elf...

Have you ever heard of the American tradition of the 'Elf on the Shelf'? I fell in love with this my first year in the South!

So basically there is this elf sent by Santa to help him keep an eye on children leading up to Christmas, when he is at his busiest! They report back to Santa nightly on whether you have been naughty or nice.  They have been instructed by Santa not to be seen to move and they lose their magic if they are touched. But this is a new elf, and he is still learning himself, so he gets up to mischief too.

I'm ready to fun some fun with my class! Check out all the fun ideas on Pinterest (I'm totally addicted!)

Check out the elf here:
http://www.elfontheshelf.com/content/about-us

Why be a Global Educator?

'Be the change you want to see in this world' -Ghandi

This quote has spoken to me more than any other over the years, and was part of the motivation to choosing a career in Education. I cannot explain why I feel drawn to travel and explore, but I can explain why I wanted to be a teacher... I wanted to make a difference in the lives of children. 

That is the single motivating factor that gets me through endless paperwork, politics and the growing demands on my pay check. It was also a driving force to teaching overseas.

'O the world is far, 

And the world is wide,

But there are many ways

To see the other side.'

-Ella Jenkins

Being a Global Educator is about teaching different points of view, and opening up new worlds to children. As a Global Educator, I can pass on not only what I know about different parts of the world, but also how it feels to take yourself out of the nest and into the Great-wide-world.

I asked my students this week why they loved global learning. The least likely student gave me the best answer, they said 'I love being a global learner because you bring the whole world into our classroom'.

Why be a global educator? It's simple, most of you, like myself, became an educator to make a difference. Thinking Globally opens doors to the world, not just to tolerance and understanding, but to the ever changing world. The world is big, agreed, but it is also very small (and technology is making it smaller:) The business world is International. The Internet is EVERYWHERE. The accessibility to travel is increasing, and it is getting, faster, cheaper, and a part of everyday life. 

I am a Global Educator because I want to make a difference in the world ahead, a world I can't yet imagine, and I want to prepare our children to succeed in it.

So I leave you with one final quote...

'I may only be one person, but I can be one person that makes a difference' - Anon