Why I continue to travel 🌍

The only impossible journey is the one you never begin. -Tony Robins

Before our departure to Cambodia, to volunteer in a school as English teachers, I worked in Belgium for three months as an electricity teacher. It was just like the traineeships and internships during my bachelor's. Just like how you would imagine a governmental organization would work after years of financial cutbacks. My main function was problem-solving, trying to teach my students things even if there were no proper materials. I had to make do with what was available. Can we do more with less?

The students, just like me before them, have to be there. They are, usually, not motivated and would search for loopholes to get out of class or distractions during class. So most of my time preparing lessons would go to finding ways to motivate the students during my lessons. During the lessons, that also was one of the things a lot of time and energy would go into. As a teacher, you know that this is the way it is. I was trained for this during my bachelor's as well. But does it have to be this way?

It is important as a teacher in Belgium to write down everything you do. To make sure that if a student fails a test or an exam, you can prove that you did everything you could to help the student. The result is a lot of paper and administrative work. This is a very time-consuming task. It creates an extra dimension of stress for the teachers and adds to the workload. A reason to not become a teacher in a time of shortage. It takes time away from the core task of a teacher: teaching.

The shortage of, -and the workload as a teacher, scare a lot of people away from this beautiful profession. Because of the shortage, the other teachers need to take on more and more tasks, to cover for the lack of teachers. They are all spread way too thin. This gets in the way of innovation. The result is a tired, burned-out, and or sour team of teachers. Luckily, I had other experiences as well, which I'll cover later. Most of my colleagues, mostly middle-aged or older teachers, had a very fixed mindset and a very negative outlook on the students and their mentality. Most of them were set in their ways and reluctant to change.

In conclusion, these were not the best three months of my life. This proved once again that I wanted something else. A big change. During this time, I was just looking forward to beginning my new adventure, counting the days...

Cambodia

Working as a volunteer in Cambodia was amazing. The school is a nice homey environment where the kids can grow and develop. The colleagues were amiable and helpful. The students want to go to school, they are motivated to learn. They know that education is important and see it as an opportunity and a gift. There are still children who are not able to go to school or get an education.

The school is one community. It is a boarding school in the countryside, a bit outside of the big city. The students work and live together. They have nature around them. Outside in the schoolyard, they have grass and trees. In the back of the garden, there are some chickens and an allotment. The classes are open. Everyone can come and go as they please. Most of the classrooms don't even have walls. They invite people and nature inside. Something that I think helps the students to focus as well.

They start the classes by asking the teacher if they may start the class. The lesson ends when the teacher says it's done. Not when the bell rings. When the teacher gives the signal, the students ask to take a break. The culture is less stressed and pressuring. Everything is more flexible. This creates peace of mind. It is a whole different way of working than I was used to in Belgium. After a day of teaching there, I was not as exhausted as in Belgium. I could focus and enjoy my profession: teaching.

The ways of teaching differ greatly from the methods in Belgium. Not better or worse, just different. For example, they are used to repeat and drill more. It's not always gamification or fun and games. Of course, it is not perfect, but it was a healthier way of life than in the Belgian educational system. You can do the same or even more with less. The students are grateful to go to school, which makes them motivated to learn and participate in the classroom. This in turn creates a good and healthy learning environment, which makes it easier and better for both the students and the teacher.

The things I learned in particular from this experience were the following:

• The West is a bubble. We pride ourselves on being developed and educated. But we don't know what is outside of it. I have learned so much, just by traveling. Just by going outside my comfort zone. I recommend everyone to do the same!
• Volunteering is a great way to network, learn about a new culture, explore a city, etc.
• Working can be fun in a healthy and sustainable environment.
• Open classrooms are not a distraction, but an addition to the learning experience. Nature gives a relaxing energy in your classroom. Fresh air is very helpful if you want to learn. It helps the students cope with distractions. It is also important to remember that a school and our entire educational system exist to help children and young adults function in society. To keep students separated from the world outside the classroom is in my opinion to deny the purpose of our educational system. Instead of keeping society and nature out of the classroom, we should invite it in. Or better yet, go outside, with the students and experience, learn, and grow firsthand, in nature and society.
• In the West, we are very reliant on technology in the classroom. Whilst it gives a lot of opportunities, it is not a quick fix for everything. These innovations are incredibly helpful for a lot of reasons, but we should not condemn nor forget proven old-school methods. During my teacher training, for example, it was almost sacrilegious to overly emphasize rote learning. Engagement was encouraged, and repetition was celebrated as long as it took on a more interactive and enjoyable form. Once the repetition became monotonous or rigid, it was deemed a less effective teaching approach, something we were advised to avoid.