It’s World Teachers’ Day today and that got us thinking – how did our own teachers inspire us?
I always knew that I wanted to study languages, but it was my A Level German teacher who really inspired me to look at languages differently. I’m a perfectionist who would often shy away from speaking German, for fear of making mistakes. He helped me to realise that with languages it is about diving in and enjoying learning from making those mistakes. This change in perspective has really helped me since then, both with languages and outside of the classroom. I know I couldn’t have done half the things I have without his advice!Lisa Mitchell, Itinerary Coordinator
My geography teacher at school inspired me to study the subject at university. She made learning in the classroom interesting, enjoyable and memorable. Her dedication, passion and enthusiasm encouraged me to pursue geography and achieve my BSc degree!Jessica Woodhall, Sports Itinerary Coordinator
I had several great teachers who inspired me, both at school and university. But I think the one who had the greatest impact on me was a teacher of social linguistics. He was an older man, almost at the age of retiring, and he had lived an amazing life. He lived in Russia under Communism. As a journalist there, he was pursued and made a political prisoner. To me, it was inspiring the way that he had fought for his ideals, and how he was dedicated to the cause of the right to information and freedom of speech. He was fluent in Russian, as well as many other European languages. He was a very intelligent man and I learnt a lot from him, not just about social linguistics, but also about humanity and how important it is to broaden our horizons. I know that he is one of the reasons I worked so hard to become interculturally fluent.Silvia Vintem de Souza, Itineraries Manager
I was inspired by my English teacher at school. She had polio when she was a child but went on to study English at university. She travelled to England in her youth and used to tell us about the white cliffs of Dover and the attractions in London in between lessons on Byron and the Celts. She loved Wordsworth and Blake, but any time I had a question about the lyrics of my favourite rock songs she was there to answer it. Her motto was “insisti, persisti, raggiungi e conquisti” (“insist, persist, achieve and conquer” or something like that) and her enthusiasm for everything English inspired me to study languages, while all my classmates wanted to become engineers and architects. I really owe her a lot.Giulia Decimi, Halsbury Ski Operations Manager
We were founded by former teachers, have a number of former teachers among our staff and work closely with teachers every day. Plus, of course, we were all once students and remember that one teacher that really made an impact on our lives!
This World Teachers’ Day we’ll be reflecting on this and, as with every day, we’ll be working hard to help more teachers inspire their students with unforgettable school trips. If you need any information or advice on your next school trip, please don't hesitate to contact us.