It’s been two weeks since my return to the US, and it had been an amazing time to reflect on my time in India. I miss being in India, and the things I had the opportunity to see. I miss my classes, and I wonder what they are doing in school at the moment. I would love to go back and see the growth of the students at the end of the year. They are so smart and excited about education, and that is something that I will miss. I am so thankful for this experience. In the coming weeks I will begin my preschool placement in Columbia and am excited to see how I can utilize my knowledge from India in my classroom.
As I continue to tell friends and family about my trip, I continue to miss and get excited for future travels. There are so many amazing things that I miss from India. As I came back, the major things I missed were the food, the people, the schools and the traffic. It is amazing to think about how boring it is driving down suburban roads. I missed the hustle and flow of traffic. It’s also extremely quiet. Even seeing Chicago after my return, it is still quieter than India.
It is such a culture shock coming back and that was something I didn’t not expect. As I had been in India for six weeks, I had gotten use to being in that environment and coming back was extremely different. I was so excited to tell others about my trip, but it’s hard to explain the magic of India. There were so many things that I learned and had the opportunity to experience, that I never would have if I hadn’t gone on this trip.
This trip makes me want to travel back to India, and has made me think about applying for Fulbright Scholars. Seeing the world is such an amazing thing and being able to be immersed in education and culture makes it even better. I continue to want to gain in my cultural knowledge of India. There were so many things we had the opportunity to learn, however India is such a huge country, that there is so much more to learn.
As I reflect on the times in the school, I wish we were able to spend more time in the government schools. There was so much to learn and see while visiting the government schools. I continue to wonder if they are all different, or how they work throughout India. Education is such a beautiful thing and I loved experiencing it in India. I will continue to miss and reflect on my experience. I will miss the importance and passion of the teachers. This is something I will continue to think about and reflect on my own disposition in the classroom. I want to be able to bring the excitement and passion I have for education to my students, similarly to the way they do. I will continue to build and grow in my educational philosophy, including my knowledge I have gained from India.
Mizzou Ed Teach in India 2019 