Global Teachers – South Korea 2024
Day 1: Friday, June 15
Anticipation was in the air as 36 teachers representing 17 counties across North Carolina headed to the Charlotte and Raleigh airports in the early hours of the morning. The 34 participants, 2 teacher leaders and 3 program leaders from Go Global NC, were bound from their respective North Carolina airports to Dallas where they would board a 14.5-hour flight to Seoul, South Korea.
For many of the teachers it was the longest flight they had ever taken and for two; Mrs. Jodi Bell from Rutherford County and Mrs. Deidre McCallum from Robeson County, it was their first time leaving the USA. A 6 hour delay caused by a plane change in Dallas did not dampen the group spirit, many took advantage of the opportunity and bonded with fellow participants, napped and grabbed a bite to eat. After the delay the group boarded the flight and landed safely in Seoul around 10:00 PM on June 16th Korean Standard Time.
Mrs. Jodi Bell
Rutherford County
“What do you know about “Go Global NC’s Global Teachers-South Korea 2024”? My colleagues and I refer to it as “the best professional development opportunity on Earth”! Imagine a professional development opportunity where you are totally immersed in the country you are studying. Imagine having the opportunity to study, on-site, the history, culture, and socio-political structures of a diverse country. Imagine gaining insight into an overseas country’s education system that includes studying their challenges, opportunities, initiatives, and learning from their success stories. Imagine studying in this country with educators from all over North Carolina who are continually looking for ways to enhance the learning of their students. Finally, imagine bringing this information back to your school district in the form of professional development for teachers and a carefully crafted lesson plan for student learning. Thirty-nine teachers and administrators from North Carolina are leaving today to realize this dream in South Korea! We have already spent time with our leaders in high quality learning sessions to prepare us to get the most out of this professional development experience. It’s hard to believe that the day has come for us to put all of that planning in place and fly to South Korea! The excitement is palpable! Nothing is going to get in the way of our excitement and enthusiasm for learning…not a 3:00 a.m wake up call, not tight connection times, not even a 14-hour flight (with an unexpected 6 hour delay)! Today, during our flight, I was reminded of the dedication that teachers have for teaching in any situation. A gentleman took his seat between Freida and I on the plane. Freida was traveling to Seoul with our group. This gentleman was obviously nervous, but did not speak English. Freida wasted no time bringing up Google translate on her phone and having a conversation with him. He visibly relaxed and the two of them Google translated with each other most of the trip, enjoying each other’s company. Just another example of a dedicated teacher making a difference wherever they may happen to be. I want to express gratitude and appreciation to The James G.K. McClure Educational & Development Fund of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina for making this incredible professional development opportunity possible for me.”
