4 Ways to Incorporate Your Travels Into The Classroom

By Diana Eastman

One of the benefits of being a teacher is getting a few months off during the summer to rest and recharge. Teachers use this (unpaid) time to work part-time jobs, focus on hobbies, rest, and travel. Teachers have a hard time switching off their “teacher brains” even over the summer, which means as they explore new places they still have their future students in mind. Even on trips made for rest, a little part of their brain is always jotting down notes and trying to figure out how they can incorporate their travels into the classroom.

The next time you plan a trip, keep these four strategies in mind to bring back to your classroom. Your travel experience can prove invaluable to young, eager minds. Your adventures can foster a love for culture and travel in your students, and open up windows for engaging class discussions and learning opportunities.

Food For Thought
It’s safe to say that one of the best parts about traveling is trying the local cuisine. From famous cheesesteaks in Philly to Margherita pizza in Italy, indulging in foods from different places will not only satisfy your appetite but can serve as a learning tool in the classroom. Trying new foods and discovering new recipes is a great way to expose your students to new cultures, and a little in class taste-testing is a great way to keep students engaged when learning about new places.

A Picture Is Worth 1000 Words
If you travel to a place that you plan on studying during the school year, take pictures of you in front of famous landmarks to show your class. They can see photos of The Liberty Bell, The White House, or Niagara Falls in textbooks any day, but seeing it from a more personal perspective, and seeing you in these actual places makes them seem more real to students.

Save The Souvenirs
Some people collect postcards, coffee mugs, t-shirts or magnets to document their travels, and these souvenirs can be a fun way to show your students where you have been. When you travel internationally, bring back children’s books for your students to read. Even if they can’t understand the language, it serves as a fantastic hands-on activity that promotes language & reading and expands their global perspective.

Music As A Teacher's Tool
Many teachers find incorporating music into their lessons results in a more focused and engaged classroom. Sharing the music from your trip with your students is an easy way to introduce them to different styles of music and instruments. Playing music during study times has been proven to help with retention, and playing music during transitional times can help the class move from one thing to the next smoothly. Introducing your students to bagpipes after a trip to Scotland or country music after a visit to the Deep South will help them make deeper connections to the places they are learning about.

Traveling allows teachers to take off their “teacher hat” and blend into the world as a “normal” person for a little while. But for many teachers, it also provides excellent recourses and ideas to incorporate into next year’s classroom. Using your travels as a way to encourage learning and pursue the wanderlust of your students is a win-win. You get away and get a chance to see the world, and your students get a well-traveled teacher with adventures, stories, and lessons to share.