5 responses to “Teacher Study Tours 2008 - Group 2 Istanbul”
13102008
Judy Baker (04:14:35) :
It’s hard to come up with the right words to express how I felt about the Turkish Study Tour. I could use common words like awesome, amazing, incredible, enlightening, but these words don’t seem to do it justice. I absolutely loved everything about the trip: the historical and geographical significance and beauty of the places we visited; hospitality, and caring; the many hours on the bus where lasting friendships had the opportunity to evolve; the delicious fresh Turkish food; the cultural experiences we had on our evenings out; hotels that in and of themselves were lovely destinations; having access to places that other tourists did not have; and lastly, getting to spend time and share ideas with other teachers.
The tour was extremely well organized and I appreciate all the time and effort that went into planning such a long and extensive tour. Everything went super smooth. It is very clear to me and all the teachers involved that the Turkish Cultural Foundation is devoted to this program. They value teachers and recognize their tremendous influence, making teachers the perfect mechanism for promoting positive attitudes about Turkey. Personally, as a result of this incredibility enlightening experience I will be talking about Turkey for a long time!
Now that I am home I am still processing the trip. When I look at the pictures I am in awe of the fact that I was actually there - that I actually visited all the incredible sites. My enthusiasm for the country of Turkey is vibrant and alive and I expect that I will visit Turkey again, hopefully soon. Thank you for providing me with such an enriching experience - an experience that I would not have had otherwise. I hope that all of us on the trip will “do the Turkish Cultural Foundation proud.
13102008
Sarah Stern (04:15:27) :
This experience has exceeded my expectations in every way everyday I think to myself. “This is the most incredible thing I have seen or done yet.” And then we see or do something even more wonderful. I can’t wait to bring back all I have learned to my classroom and my community.
13102008
Margarita Martin (04:16:02) :
I feel so blessed and fortunate to have had this opportunity. Being able to actually experience tough, feel and taste what is Turkey is beyond my wildest dreams.
Travel transforms, indeed. I am a different person after seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting Turkey. The trip extended my realm of experience. It enhanced my knowledge of Turkish history and culture, of Islamic thought and traditions, of the Ataturk’s profound reforms and his revered place in the history of the republic, and of Turkey’s highly refined diplomacy in order to wade successfully through the complications of the region’s geopolitics.
13102008
Blake Zahn (04:16:39) :
I had no idea what to expect for this trip. Now that I am about to leave to go home, I don’t want to go. This was the most amazing and unique travel experience. I have been lucky to have travelled quite a bit, but this trip was something totally new and different. Traveling to a foreign land with fellow educators is an amazing opportunity. I was impressed with the amount of places we travelled to and daily activities we participated in. The tour guides and TCF staff are all wonderful and more knowledgeable than you could ever ask for. If you are an educator looking to come on this trip in the future, make sure you are ready to learn a ton of information everyday, walk a lot, and experience new, different, and amazing sights, sounds, smells, and tastes around every corner.
13102008
Rich Stuart (04:17:03) :
This adventure was one of the most intensive, rewarding, and useful experiences of my teaching life. Turkey is a country of which so little is known by Americans but has so much that needs to be known.
It’s hard to come up with the right words to express how I felt about the Turkish Study Tour. I could use common words like awesome, amazing, incredible, enlightening, but these words don’t seem to do it justice. I absolutely loved everything about the trip: the historical and geographical significance and beauty of the places we visited; hospitality, and caring; the many hours on the bus where lasting friendships had the opportunity to evolve; the delicious fresh Turkish food; the cultural experiences we had on our evenings out; hotels that in and of themselves were lovely destinations; having access to places that other tourists did not have; and lastly, getting to spend time and share ideas with other teachers.
The tour was extremely well organized and I appreciate all the time and effort that went into planning such a long and extensive tour. Everything went super smooth. It is very clear to me and all the teachers involved that the Turkish Cultural Foundation is devoted to this program. They value teachers and recognize their tremendous influence, making teachers the perfect mechanism for promoting positive attitudes about Turkey. Personally, as a result of this incredibility enlightening experience I will be talking about Turkey for a long time!
Now that I am home I am still processing the trip. When I look at the pictures I am in awe of the fact that I was actually there - that I actually visited all the incredible sites. My enthusiasm for the country of Turkey is vibrant and alive and I expect that I will visit Turkey again, hopefully soon. Thank you for providing me with such an enriching experience - an experience that I would not have had otherwise. I hope that all of us on the trip will “do the Turkish Cultural Foundation proud.
This experience has exceeded my expectations in every way everyday I think to myself. “This is the most incredible thing I have seen or done yet.” And then we see or do something even more wonderful. I can’t wait to bring back all I have learned to my classroom and my community.
I feel so blessed and fortunate to have had this opportunity. Being able to actually experience tough, feel and taste what is Turkey is beyond my wildest dreams.
Travel transforms, indeed. I am a different person after seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting Turkey. The trip extended my realm of experience. It enhanced my knowledge of Turkish history and culture, of Islamic thought and traditions, of the Ataturk’s profound reforms and his revered place in the history of the republic, and of Turkey’s highly refined diplomacy in order to wade successfully through the complications of the region’s geopolitics.
I had no idea what to expect for this trip. Now that I am about to leave to go home, I don’t want to go. This was the most amazing and unique travel experience. I have been lucky to have travelled quite a bit, but this trip was something totally new and different. Traveling to a foreign land with fellow educators is an amazing opportunity. I was impressed with the amount of places we travelled to and daily activities we participated in. The tour guides and TCF staff are all wonderful and more knowledgeable than you could ever ask for. If you are an educator looking to come on this trip in the future, make sure you are ready to learn a ton of information everyday, walk a lot, and experience new, different, and amazing sights, sounds, smells, and tastes around every corner.
This adventure was one of the most intensive, rewarding, and useful experiences of my teaching life. Turkey is a country of which so little is known by Americans but has so much that needs to be known.