train-ing

Today was a day of travel. Thankfully I had a group of nine others from BFA to accompany me so it wasn't as stressful as some of my past train experiences. We left Kandern at the ungodly hour of 6:00 am to take a morning train out of Basel, Switzerland... a total of three trains brought us to the hotel where our conference will be held. I have to hand it to the Germans - they have developed a railway system that is efficient and comfortable, at really reasonable prices.

I was so excited about my muffin that I forgot to take a picture before I ate it!

Watching a movie to pass the time

This conference is a good one for BFA staff to attend because it exposes us to other international educators. While there is a ton of IB (International Baccaleaurate) lingo being thrown around that we don't understand, it's a great opportunity to network and build bridges between other like-minded educators.

One thing's for sure, we are definitely dealing with the European mindset here! Our opening session was slated to begin at 7:00 pm. At 7:05, about 15 people had shown up, 10 of whom were BFA staff! Around 7:15 we finally started. Dinner was slated for 7:45 (I know, right?) but it was almost 8:30 before we were released for dinner! By that point our stomachs were audibly protesting...

Tomorrow will be a long day of sitting and listening, but hopefully some of the sessions will be active or interactive to break up the monotony. My fellow middle school teacher and friend, Megan, is with me in representing the middle school and we are both excited to pick up some new tools and ideas to bring back to the middle school.