Beth Warren at the Acropolis
To become wise and compassionate citizens of the world is a goal for students at The Bright School. To achieve that, it’s important for teachers also to be familiar with our world and to continue to seek knowledge as models for the children.
Each year, Bright School awards one teacher a faculty summer travel grant. Teachers apply for the grant by explaining the destination and purpose of the trip. Fifth grade teacher Beth Warren was chosen this year, and she elected to travel this past July to Egypt, Israel, Greece and Italy - four countries in four weeks. She called it a trip of a lifetime.
“When given this opportunity to dream and to pick a single, adventurous, educational and life-changing experience, I honed in on a trip to Israel and the surrounding region. Considering my personal interests of people and travel coupled with the impact my faith has been in developing my character, I treasured the opportunity to explore the cultural and physical geography of this region to better understand the historical narrative and the influence and impact that Israel has had on human history,” Ms. Warren said.
“We all know as educators that students learn best when they can see, touch and experience. Thank you to Bright School for the opportunity and resources to learn and grow in such a manner.”
For Head of School O.J. Morgan, the travel grant serves two purposes. “One, it gives a teacher a great opportunity to gather experiences that will impact her teaching significantly. Two, it provides a teacher the support for a time of meaningful personal fulfillment. Our hope is that the trip will rejuvenate a teacher's mind and soul,” he said.
In Egypt, Ms. Warren visited the pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx, old Cairo, the Valley of Kings and Valley of Queens, Hatshepsut temple, Colossi of Menmon and the Edfu temple. She also rode a camel and cruised down the Nile. “Surprisingly, Egypt may have been the biggest blessing and certainly the most impacting of the four countries for me, and it was the least western. Seeing the truly amazing architecture, art and the attention to the afterlife along with the physical layout and climate of the country was the most out of the box and stretching for me as a person. I loved it!” she said.
Next came Israel, where she visited Tel-Aviv, Caesaria (a port city built by King Herod where the apostle Paul was held as a prisoner, Masada (also built by King Herod as a mountain fortress), Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Highlights included a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, swimming in the Dead Sea, a Jordan River baptism, tour of King David’s castle and the Garden of Gethsemane.
“Jerusalem is amazing. As I visited and walked many of the holy sites and places for Christians … seeing the distance and/or proximity between locations, buildings, roads, and general environment was so helpful. Going forward as I read the Bible, it will come to life with deeper understanding knowing the geography and history so much better,” she wrote in her travel blog.
“One of the most meaningful things for me was seeing people of every color and shade, the variety of races, nationalities, and languages – all of whom are coming to experience what the city and sites offer in a spiritual way. What a picture of heaven!”
While in Israel, Ms. Warren met with teachers at a school to create a collaborative project between her class and students there. More information will be coming soon.
The third part of the trip was Athens, Greece, and visits to the Acropolis, Parthenon, Temple of Hephaestus, Plaka Square, Museum of Cycladic Art, Philopappos Hill and Byzantine Museum. Plus, she took a day cruise around several isles. “Athens is stunning. The city, the sky, the water, the topography, the landmarks and the views,” she wrote.
The trip ended in Rome and all the sites to see: Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, the Sistine Chapel and Vatican City.
“I cannot emphasize enough what amazing experiences I was able to have because of this grant. I basically had a front-row seat to all the major sites and locations of the ancient world. What I have learned about the various cultures, their histories, their incredible heritage and their accomplished and inspired populace not only belongs to them but belongs to all of us as humans,” Ms. Warren said.
“I hope to take my excitement about learning, about our world, about our personal part in making it awesome for the future generations to my classroom and my school. I saw first-hand how people took sand and rock and made things that awe us 4,500 years later. May my students take their resources and talents and do likewise.”
In previous years, teachers have used summer travel grants to visit countries like Iceland, Kenya and Germany. The travel grants are made possible by generous donors to the school. To read more about Ms. Warren’s trip, visit her travel blog at http://www.mrswarrengoescountry.com/.
Beth Warren in Egypt