After breakfast, we got out stuff together and gathered at
the stairs of the hotel. We left for the airport a little early (11:00 a.m.).
It took a bit of time to get to Gatwick. Alessandra helped see us off.
We waited around trying to spend our money. I got my VAT (value added tax) taken care of and finished off as many pounds as I could. I actually bought a
Happy Meal from McDonald’s and a Mars bar.
It was a good flight, getting into Detroit early. We passed
through customs and waited about four hours until our flight to Grand Rapids,
Michigan left. During the wait, I had my tired students fill out my little quiz
for this class.
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| Mary and Tyler waiting at the airport to go home |
We arrived around midnight and the kids greeted their
parents with stories and conversation about their trip. All in all, I thought
that the trip was a success.
Weeks later, I still heard from people who had talked to my
students and they told me how much they enjoyed their experiences. Upon reflection,
I would have suggested another day in London and Paris so that the kids could
enjoy it more at their leisure. Fatigue played a factor in how much the kids
were willing to listen to the information given.
The kids were surprised at how some of their pre-trip
perceptions about Europe were wrong. The Europeans they met with were generally
very nice and polite, destroying the perception that they are rude and could
not understand Americans very easily. They also found out that the American
reputation is not too bad overseas.
Their diet was great, though they did tire
of pasta. It truly was different cuisine then what they were used to. The
students found that there were also a lot of similarities between European life
and American life.
Experience of seeing a culture and historical landmarks is
superior to just reading about it in a book or being lectured about it by a
teacher. I know that the students will use what they have seen on their trip
and have a better understanding when topics are brought up that relate to
history and news topics about the region.
 |
| Front row: Ted and Jon Truswell Second row: Stephanie Pifer, Jennifer Darby,Valerie Hubble, Tamara Miller, Jamie Hubble, Taylor Miller, Annika Hays, and Amber Borup Third row: Tyler Card, Jenny Hamp, Mary Flanagan, John Patton, Heidi Brogger, Brent Hubble, Steve Wiersum, Kristen Salerno, Ryan McCollum |
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