The story behind my column, Through the Eyes of an Educator

Hi. I’m Stacey. I’m an empath, an optimist, a wanderer, and dreamer of big dreams. I grew up in New York, went to university in Boston, got bit by the travel bug in Israel, traveled the globe, have taught multiple levels of high school social studies for nearly 2 decades, and see the entire world as our classroom. 

I feel like my most authentic self when immersed in cultures and experiences. While my motto in life is to be a good human, the philosophy behind this column is that the educational benefits and life lessons of travel help us to uncover, to discover, and to become. 

In my actual classroom, we talked about travel, dreams, and experiences. We discussed cultural diffusion (spreading of ideas & beliefs), cultural diversity (differences in culture), and interdependence (how we’re all connected). We tossed around a stuffed globe to identify spots in the world, and discuss places we’d been and where we wished to go. Students got pen pals, some who are still connected today. Often, they didn’t know they were learning—they were just having fun. Sometimes, those times offer the best and most lasting lessons. Travel opens our eyes to more…and there is so much more. 

Since travel can mean a million things to each and every one of us, the aim of this column is to allow our senses to explode, our minds to open, and our eyes to see the world as if each person we meet can be our teacher and every experience we have can be a part of our wider classroom.

So, as you read through and enter the world in your own way, time, and experience, I hope you take the opportunity to glean those life lessons and seek your own ‘more’ through your eyes. 

 

Please click the photo below for a collection of my Through the Eyes of an Educator columns:

 

 

Stacey Ebert, our Educational Travels Editor, is a traveler at heart who met her Australian-born husband while on a trip in New Zealand. Stacey was an extracurricular advisor and taught history in a Long Island public high school for over fifteen years, enjoying both the formal and informal educational practices. After a one year 'round the world honeymoon, travel and its many gifts changed her perspective. She has since left the educational world to focus on writing and travel. She is energetic and enthusiastic about long term travel, finding what makes you happy and making the leap. In her spare time she is an event planner, yogi, dark chocolate lover, and spends as much time as possible with her toes in the sand.

Check out her website at thegiftoftravel.wordpress.com for more of her travel musings.